Reports of the Inspectors of Mines of the anthracite coal regions of ...

INSPECTORS OF MINES. 83
them with all the povrer that the laws of the CommonwcoUh permit me to
use, regardless of fear, favor or affection.
It would be superlluous for me to attempt to inform j^our Excellency of
the deplorable state of affairs which have prevailed in the coal regions for
some time past. With these facts you are well acquainted. Those unfortunate
struggles which are continuously occurring betwixt labor and capital,
by which the worst passions of mankind are excited, present a theme
for the most profound study and reflection of every person who has a heart
to feel for, and a wish to improve the condition of the masses of his fellowmen
who are compelled, by stern necessity, to earn their living by the labor
of their hands. I think that much of this difficulty is caused by the superficial
and often useless education that boys obtain in our schools. I often
meet with boys, and men, too, who can tell the heights of all the principal
mountains and the lengths of all the principal rivers, who are at the same
time as ignorant of the laws which govern business and trade as though
they had never an hour's teaching in their lifetime. I confess I have very
little hope that a better state of affairs will jDrevail in the coal regions until
both emploj'ers and employed shall become acquainted with the laws of political
economy, and shall make it a rule to apply it strictly in their business
transactions with each other. It is a lamentable fact that for a number
of years all parties connected with this business have been trying to conduct
it in such a manner as to ignore or violate the natural principles upon
which those laws are founded. In the year 1868 the market was glutted
with an annual product of 10,000,000 of tons of anthracite coal. In 18G9
the suspension or restrictive policy was inaugurated, all parties engaged in
its production agreeing to adopt that policy. In that year 13,000,000 of
tons were produced in nine months. In 1875 23,000,000 of tons had been
produced m six months, and although the consumption has increased in
such unparalleled ratio, still the market is glutted worse than ever. The
workmen and employers, who were at first equally anxious to adopt this
policy, are now at dagger-points with each other, each party watching for
au opportunity to take an advantage of the other.
Now there can be no doubt that after the war had the coal trade been left
to relieve itself of the depression by natural means, the same as every other
trade, it would long ago have righted itself. Those operators who could
not afford to sell coal at the low prices which prevailed as a natural consequence
of the depressed state of the market would have gone out of the
business, thus reducing the supply, the low prices would have stimulated
the consumption until the demand would have been equal to the supply,
and the trade would have been established upon the onl}^ true and permanent
basis ; but instead of this we find afiairs growing worse every day,
every suspension only creates cause for another, still increasing the evil
instead of remedying it. And now, at this time when capital has succeeded
it, asserting its superior power when labor lays prostrate at its feet, then
men who have the direction and control of this capital seem as much determined
as ever to continue the same selfish and fatal policy, with this diflerence,
that they have not the excuse of ignorance to plead in extenuation
of their folly.
Sir, it requires no prophet, gifted with supernatural powers, to predict
what must be the natural result of such a policy. Then combinations contain
within their own structure the germs of their destruction, and the time
is not far distant when this very concrete, (namely, self-interest,) which
binds them so closely together now, shall also be the cause of their dismemberment,
then will commence an era of open competition, which, although
disastrous for awhile, will in the end prove beneficial, prices for awhile will