The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-22

the lot OF tho most fortunate miners at the pres
ent time-those Of this Schuylkil district AZ,
lowing $50 900 to have been paid TO the 2.vb2
breaker boys employed by the Philadelphia and
Reading Coal Company. tho Average pay OIL. all
others. miners, laborers. leaders. posses' q -
haps II would be still iairer to consider tho
bosses largo pay as very nearly oifsetting tho
average was D'i nearer .sS per month all around.
Theses are the net results. after the miner has
paid for his powiorEon which inc company
but not counting his expenditure for cotton,
paper, soap. boots, and other incidentals tool
means unimpOrtant in the mines, whore the
stoutest ones, costing "a per pair are cut
through by the coal and rotted out by the sui
plur water in "A little over a month.
AS for the powder. in the first place the
mine owners buy il wholesale for about 81 10
miners for 80 80. sometimes s2.75. and oven 49,
The minors percentage of reduction Is figured
on his entire earnings before his powder debt
is subtracted. To Illustrate: SUPPOSE u man
gets out sufficient amount " coal TO make his
earnings s5G. in the doing of which he has used
peny. and charged TO him at 81 so per keg-on
which the company has already made 1920.
When the announcement IL made that the rate
OF pay in proportion TO the decline in coal be-
low the basis will loo =" thirty per cent, of basis
wages. the company figures rs coming to the
miner 1920, from which they take the full
amount $40, Tor the powder leaving him 1920.
Tho miner says that the deduction OF the per-
centagc should only be upon his cummings clear
n profit to the company. and in this case. max
ing tho calculation in that way would leave him
i s6; but 4 is the same to the company, ana as
the latter holds the age on the miner in all
this game. there is not much hope Of his con-
ycrting IL to his way of viewing the matter
Happily the powder profit ia the only one
levied upon employees in the collicries Of this
district. There are no company stores to charge
them from twenty-five to nifty per. cent. above
aud wear. The Philadelphia and Readine Coal
md Iran I'm fAtlta hn1 ths u AAff it,
face against the villainy of the scranton system.
Only miners supplies and the coal furnished
their famiips-at the rate OF tl.15 per ton-ara
taken from their wages. All remaining IL paid
10 them in cHsh.
Notwithstanding this it is not hard to believe
what poor woman miners wife. said to the
reporter in her cheerlcss home in 81. Clair:
Dick has had steady work. it's true. sir; but
he has got So little for it that what with our six
children. four Of them girls and all small. it's u
wonder to us every month how we have got
through. We have to pinch every way. We are
clothes some day. and rs long as the rags are
warm We don't mind-wr're in the fashion
noi lct cnou.h ana Of good lsoI. W. nanage
70 have Hour and corn meal. Sometimes we
have molasses for the children. On pay days too
Dick VIII have pound or two Of meat salt
PORK. not beef. because the beef is too dear. and
the pork has more of meat taste Ike 10 II. too.
DIX thinks lie doesn't drink. thank Godl II
he did don know what would become of us.
W. pas 81 month rent Only two rooms. and
q poor pace. YOU 500; but though wc'ro not
~
cOuf~r. We have only lived from hand To mouth
a. t!le saying is and had nothing saved up for
we icit Il kccniv.'
rhr mon. ~ rule. speak hopefully of better
um,. "a the future, Not long since President
Frank Il. Gowcn said 20 them. in an open letter:
II the result of the negotiations now going on
with the representative OF other regions Is
sai i-'actory. / am sure it will result in an adj
vance of wages Co the men - that they Will have
no aus T. regret the temporary stOppagr that
VIII h"rumc II .t'. -arN II II IL not satisfactory
] THINK ! cuu UruiHl~' our men steady work
through Tia" rntiir Year. though NJ less wages
than they wuuite0 10 ilry worked less TIME
Tnr Ilrn b'iiUNc him. amt hopr To- e. adopted
hi- plan oi fortnight stlppaa'- in each OF the
thrce months January. February. and March