New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-23


While the total number of persons engaged In
ths anthracite and bitumi"ous coal rerc MS In the
United States according to the censns OF 1850 was
only l64, with an aggregate product of S.O0o,
OOO net tons the United Kingdom employed the
same year 4Si, 1913 persons. with product OF
147,OOO, 600 gross tons.
An inquiry instituted about the year 1860 shows
that at that period the cost of cutting coal anu
filing INTO teams varies. according to the district
from lOd. or 20 cents to 2s. 3d., or GO cents per
ton. In 1860 coal cost at bank. including royal
ties and all expenses but not interest on capital ex-
pended about 3s. Sd. Per ton Isl 1927. The aver
axe price of Welsh coal at port In 1850 was U.s.
IOd. per ton 10 Osl. The next ten years thu
wages of coal miners were moderate In 1871.
however. period of prosperity Get in, when the
rou-workors sought Incl of wages, and this
was succeeded by the coal-miners seeking similar
advantages The average earning of a collier ut
this time was 40s , or So CO. week. Between
lS72-74 the great strike occurred in south Wales.
About 6O.OOO of the $4,000 hands then employed
in the oolli-ries and iron works Of the district
struck work from December !. 1872, to February.
1873. The total loss 10 masters and men has been
estimated at $4,000, 00O-ov-r $i.OOO,OoO Ia
wages alone From this time colliers' wages de-
creased till In 1877 they did not exceed is. to Is
3d., o. about 81. a DAY, for ordinary pitmeD and d.
to 5s. Sd. ISL 25I hewers. They do not now earn
over IS. Cd. TO IS. 3d.. or about ST. day. Mr.
David James of the Dowlais iron Works. said
that unskilled labor WAS paid about Is. Cd 100
cents day. i found some men in the vard work
ing for as low az rs. day l4s cents but the aver
age price for common laborers would be between
60 and ~ cents per day. The statistics of the
English Board of Trade show that some branches of
unskle labor IN this coal district and In Stafford
shire get less than 81 week, while shifters. bank
men. screen mon, jiggers, furnace-men, wagon-
wrghts and plate-ayers all average less than 50
por week-if they put in fnIl weeks work. In
the Darlington District screen-men and bank la
borcrs are reported az working for as low as SO SO
week. Professor Pumpely's statistics show that
in anthracite coal-mining in the United States
1g5s5 persons are engaged ms miners, 1.244 con-
stiIute the administrative force, and T.4lO or
more than thirds Of all employed, are aborers.
This means that two-thlrds of the 10000 per-
employed in the South W ales District are OO-
aDd-70- cen rs a-day men,
IL means also that two-tbIrds of the immense
army of 4Sl 1888 persons emplDyed IN coal, mining
in the United Kingdom, or S23l ~. are laDoreTs
lmany Of them with large fanilies and that they
are paid at the rate of go and 40 cents pei day.
Put The income OF tins class Of workers TO the
test that Professor Pnmpellv puts the income Of
AnIeIcan coal workers. and would their average
annual income reach $3.50
When We take into consideration the large pro-
portion of this class of labor 10 skilled labor en-
gagged in coal mining the average wages paid all
Glasses OF labor, that Is, tie net amount received
by the men, will not exceed So I'D per day. or 2ls
per week ($5 Oh. With the facts before us IT
must o conceded that this is an outside estimate.
Professor PImpeliv bar shown (See United States
Census BnlletD No. 2.'3 that coal miners work
about 10 per centof the .year-deduc citing strikes
sla. kline. holidays, SUNDAYS, etc The English
AMI Welsh average OF lost time would fully equal
the American. as Saint Monday Is teligonsly kept
In Wales. II the English coal miner worked every
day OF the year. Including Sunday he would receive,
mt fs I'd. "a cents per day. 1906 60. Deduct SIM
days, holidays, lost time and strikes. and he would
receive 81 Ia so for tho years labor Fro'esor
Pumpelly shows that the average yearly net IN
come OF oil classes OF labor In the anthracite coal
fell In tho United States, alter deducting ali lost
time and tie the miner is Obliged 10 expcnG
Tor powder, oil, etc., Is $500; and In the bitumi-
nous fields $500. This latter includes the cheap
eolored labor of the Soutb--tbe average income in
Illinois being 1882 ; IN Missouri, $3.50; In Penn
sysania 1887 .
Put 10 the severe test of exact statistics, the
average yearly earnings of all labor around coal
mines IN the United States is $40 could exactly
the same test be applied. in my opinion, u wonid
week 1t lis less than Szl5. the American minfr re.
Se,yins over 60 per cent more than the English ana
Welsh miners.
The average price of bltuminoUs coal at the mine
allowing for the difference in the tom IS less
AZ soe United States than In Wales.
Al snc United States for 1880 lSee United States
81 So per Ion w. -'o'~' 90 :" ''
xv aue average amount raised In 1880 per man In
All ~, "I ou0 gross tons: In the United States
in. 80 "h hs vi course there are elements enter
nne, W 'ne comparison such as accessibility OF
oa.. etc; whirh make 1t unfair 10 assume that the
,ns,hss sss,onht raised all duo "a the better
,. III. .a VI tbe American workman That il is in
Pars' thefe can be no DOUBT.
ROBERT p. PORTER.