The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-03-10

y
The miners in the COuuellsyiIIv region
are paid thirty cents a wagon of a iiitls
over q ton. The average number OF wagons
mined per day is six. This would make
the average earnings 81 so, but as a little
more 10 paid for entry and heading coal,
the average was 81 S42. Drivers are maid
ionr emit q wagon, and will bring on. fifty
The above table needs bnt little CON.
ment. 1t Is 80 arranged that The difference
! q wages may be aesn at a glance. 1t shows
that the wages Of the labor producing the
coal that is cooked in Connel'sville are, in
every instance, very much in excess OF
those paid in Durham, and, with the *
ceptlon OF deputies and miners, in mos.
cases the Pennsylvania wages are doubIe.
or nearly 30. The miners wages, after al.
lowing Tor isee house end COIL and taking
Inc h'gnest estimate, or about 80 percent
greater, and Of deputies nearly 10 percent,
d this Notwithstanding tho labor OF the
miner IN Pennsylvania is easier, less hsz.
aFdcus, and that his product Sails for much
less than the product OF the Durham miner,
AT mo coke ovens in the two regions the
work differs but little. In the Durham
district the ovens average emaller in diam,
eter, and higher, but the charges are heay.
ier, and are burned longer, seventy.two and
nlnety-six honr coke, with charges Of from
1900 to $4,000 lbs. OF coal being tho Gus.
tom in Durham, and forty. eight hours. Ave
days in the meek, and eeyenty.tyo hour
on saturday and Sunday, with charge Of
7,60O lbs. in Connellsville. It follow thai,
though the Pennsylvania coke oyenman
cares Tor more ovens a week, he handles
iess coke. To fully understand the condi.
ton OF labor in the two districts, the follow.
ing detailed statements are given:
The same fact is evident, in comparing
the wages made In coke making in theet
Two districts that was manifest in the coal.
producing tables, the American wages are
far higher than the English. In Connells.
vile, without considering the ~relstiye
amount OF work done, which would make
the difference still greater, one class OF coke.
drawers receives 81 percent more than Inc
corresponding English Glars. and the other
a percent more the filler 81 percent more;
laborers, VI percent more; chargers, III
percent more, andlevelera III percent more,
OTHER COKE PRODUCING REGIONS.
These two rcgiona, the Connellsyillo and
the Durham, are the representative cokinc
districts Of the two countries. Coke Il
made In other sections of both England
and tho United States, among o,hefe. in
the former, in West Cumberland, Lanca.
shire, Yorkshire and South Wales; and in
tho latter, in West Virginia, Tennessee and
Alabama; but, compared with Durham aud
Connellsville, the production Of any OF
these other locations is OF but little moment,
It is because Of the importance OF these
districts to the coke industry in each
country that ! have instituted a compari.
son between them. It is evidently iairer
than one made between districts less i'm.
portant would be. Indeed, it is only
between districts whose importance to the
industry in the two countries is relatively
the same that fair comparison can be made,
AS these districts are so largely representa-.
tive, have not regarded it necessary to
give the wages in other sectioue.
Though the number Of employees in coke
manufacturing is very small, especially
when compared with the number engaged
ia the coal trade, it is Of importance that
this comparison Of wages should be made,
The industry is an adjunct Of iron making,
and, in summing up the relations OF wsges
In the iron making industries Of the i've
countries, cannot be ignored.
JOSEPH D. WEEKS.