Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-03-31
BLACK DIAMONDS.
The Situation as it Appears in the
Coal Regions.
Rates of Pay, Past and Present-A New La
Dor Union Probabe-SuppIy and De-
mand as Applied to the Coal
Product.
HOW THE MATTER WILL BE SETTLED.

men 10 DetLer lnclT CONultlOH. IL uceuS
but slight rumor OF labor troubles TO di-
rect attention to the coal region, and the
call for al informal or rather preliminary
meeting, to be held at Wilkesbarre, for the
purpose OF considering the possibility Of
securing an increase of wages, and to dis
cuss the feasibility OF organizing Union,
at once caused rumors Of a strike.
The feeling of anxiety among shipping
dealers, trades people and indeed among
all classes as to the outcome OF the move
mcnt, was augmented by the resolution
passed to hold a mass meeting at Pittston.
But the common sense which characterized
the utteranccs of most of the speakers and
the concilatoTy feeling which seemed to
peryade the wOrkmen assembled at the
PittstOn meeting have gone very far toward
allaying the fears Of those who were anxious
lest either a strike or suspension would
be inaugurated.
A New Union Probable.
Though the Workiugmen's Union and
other associations Of the kind We're DIS
solved in 1877 and 1873, the miners nave
never ceased to believe that upon Union
will depend their success lin securing
tLat while provisions are very much higher
than ten years ago, or thereabouts, wages
are lower: and in proof OF this 1t Is cited,
from the agreement made by the MeSSrs.
Parrish with their men January u, 49,
that the wages were rs follows: Miners, s. %
per day; rock men and inside laborcrs, 81 10;
outside, 81 "a. Pay per diamond car, 81
cents. The wages today are given at - 10
for miners; inside laborcrs and rock men,
81 50; outside, Sl.l5 to Sl.35; the latter be-
ing the pay of skilful labOrer. Pay per
diamond car, ~ cents. Out ol the uisCOh-
tent caused 10y this alleged state OF facts
grew the call for the first meeting at
WilkesbarrC.
In order to arrive, if possible, at some
thing definite relative to the future IN the
Wyoming and LaCkawanna coal fields now
that the excitement has Gained somewhat,
YOUR correspondent has directed his In
quirics not only toward ascertaning the
wages maid in the several localities, but
| toward learning the views of the working
| miner, the operator, and OF several who
were prominent in the proceedings Of the
Pittston meeting The reports are to the
| effect that the labOrCrs are the only ones
who really need be seriously affected by the
reduction in time, are not borne out by
| the facts.
| Wages in the Scranton Region.
Centering at Scranton are the Iackawan'
| ma Coal and Iron Company; Delaware
| lackawanna and Western railroad, and the
| Delaware and Hudson Coal, Railroad and
| Canal company. The first and second pay
| for mining by the car, and the third partly
| by car ana partly by the ton. The average
pay is about ninety-four cents per car; a
| full davis work six cars. The labOrer gets
| htrl
cut of which, however, he has to pay ex
penses of blasting, etc, amounting IN some
cases, though rarely, to $l.25; probably
Sl.lj is fair average. Ii less than six car:
are loaded, the pay is in proportion u
each. The Pennsylvania Coal Com
pany, at PittstOn, pay for mining by the
ton but they have their own measure for 8
ton, and it is somewhat larger than Goa!
dealers in the city are accustomed to send
ont, namely: $50 pounds rock and COAL
Four men work at breast, two as miners
and two as laborers. For top coal the min.
| ers are paid 80 cents per ton, for top and
bottom coal 81 cents, and for bottom ..
cents. Coal is not considered mined until
| il is out and in the mine car, and the limit
| TO day's work is 90 tons for top coal, l.
for top and bottom and IL for bottom, Qu
of the above the miners are Obliged by the
company to pay at least Sl.j2 apiece to tn,
two laborers, and by private agree
ment larger sum is frequently given
also the expenses of blasting; the average
for top and bottom coal being 10 cents pei
ton and for bottom l. cents. No averal {
| can be given for top coal, as Ore blast may
| bring down twenty or hundred tons, and
| there is a story told iOr Il fact that one
miner made blast for top coal and il
started to run and kept on running until
| he made visit 10 Wales and back. Toy
| coal should state, is mincl 1T such an
| elevation that it will Of its own accord run
| down chute ready 10 he put into the cal
| 10 be carried to the breaker, while the bot.
| tom coal has to be lifted. In addition t.
| the above pay the miner paid for driving
| the shaft at fifty cents per yard. IL Is very
rarely that the limit OF thirteen or fifteen
| tons per day will be mn"l, the days work
generally falls considerably below.
In the wiIkcsbarrc District.
To the question regarding wages earned
in the Vicinity Of Wi!kcsbarrc, IN old
! miner gave the Information thlt ne had re.
Gently been making but $l.T5 per day,
while his labOrer made nearer -. Work.
| ing but three days in the week and paying
| from So to $40 per month house rent, il is
not wondered at thet the coal miners feel
| that their rights are, to certain extent,
encroached upon, or as the miner said,
I'VE are not striking but feel that the op.
orators are striking at us ly reducing the
! time" "Nor do we understand" said n
miner, "why the time should be limited,
when there is one company working fUll
time, shipping and, presumably, selling
all that they ship TIE company ALLUDED
to is the SusqUehanna Coal Company, at
Nanticokc.
So much for their grievances, so far as
| the wages are concerned. To a question as
to whether fear Of Chinese immigration
| into the coal regions a rumOr OF which has
been going the rounds entered into the
matter at all The reply OF one of the active
participants in the pittstOn meeting was
that it did not; the resolution passed in
regard to the matter being due solely to a
feeling OF sympathy for brother wOrkmen ;
but that rs far as his own individual feel
ing was concerned he was not in sympathy
with the movement made against the
Chinese, as it was not in accordance with
the spirit which should be shown by free
country. There is, however more or less
feeling against the HungarianS who, it is
claimed, are being brought into the coal
regions by the operators, for the purpose
Of cheapening labor.
The operators, since the PittSton meet
ing, prOic>s no fear OF strike, the views rs
gwen " StN al DtillE " NIit tli'' WI
market was over>tocked. that hall time
would for the present keep them SO, and
that the workmen understood this. They
claim, moreover. that when later full time
will be made the wOrkmen will then be
satisfied by the mere working full time.
The miners themselves say they have no
intention OF striking, and 80 10 the workers
at the mass meeting.
A G:..ir af Mum.
The workmcn r0u"r,tIHd full well that
this is not the tiH.. hey have, however, Il
faint idea that the half time business is but
bluff to make them believe that the mar
ket is overstocked aud they believe that in
a couple of months or - the operators will
be compelled TO give iJ.l time. There is
considerable ground iu7 the belief. The
gross demand is put az 3u,oJooO0 tons :;
from January to March II the total pro-
duction amounted to bat i,lll,7S tons. 4
simple calculation will show that the pro-
duction will have to BE- increased very ma.
terially to reach 4 O,0O0,U 900 sale during the