The News' statement is very spe
cious. An increase of "62} per cent.”
looks big, and it is likely to produce
very erroneous impressions. It is as
if the history of mining began in this
region in “March, 1879"—“one year
last grass." Then 25 cents increase
as a per centum factor of 40 cents ap
pears so much larger than 25 cents
decrease as a per centum factor of 65
cents. But 38} per cent, or there
about, of 65 cents, is 25 cents, and
“62} per cent." of 40 cents is 25 cents,
and the short and long of the whole
matter is—if the miners had never
given the companies 38} per cent, of
their wages, the companies would
never have had the slightest occasion
to hand "62} per cent, increase” back
to the miners.
We repeat it—the increase of min
ing wages, instead of “62} per cent."
has not been one per cent I
Since then,and long before, the rates on
the Cumberland and Pennsylvania railroad
have not been advanced. They-rcmaln as
fixed by law at the instance of the coal
companies.
