Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-09-01

9,93G,S55 tons of bltuminOus coal
were mined by 57,S6S persons, or 5l7
tons per person.
At 80 cents per ton the annual
earnings of each person employed
were $25S.5O.
For purposes Of comparison we
will quote from tn report for same
year Of c. II. HamilI, Inspector Of
Mines for this State:
The output of this Georges Crcek) coal
field for the year just closing is 2,o2j,902 tons
by reference to the accompanying tables
you will find that we have 1852 miners,
whose aggregate earnings for the year were
81, 1876 I26.1l, or fraction over 5000 per
capjto.
The actual earnings, per miner,
were SGO3.O3.
1t is probable, however, that
under the term, ''pcrsons," the
Pennsylvania figures include all op-
eratives engaged in getting out coal,
in which event We should add to our
1852 miners "GS7 other employees"
reported by Mr.. lIamiIl, in all 1869
persons.
This carries also the earnings of
the latter body, $32S,742.77 to the
81 ,43G, ,426.l4-in all $l,765, 1851.
Even then the per- c0pifa is $575.16,
or $3l6.66 more than that of the
Pennsylvania miner.
In other words, our miner made
last year not only us much as the
Pennsylvania miner, but he made
double us much in fact, $50 l6 more
than double as much.
Turning to another, perhaps more
important matter, we find that in
Pennsylvania that for every 305,47S
tons of coal mined there was one life
lost.
For the two years covered by In
spector Hamill's report there were
l3 fatal accidents, or one for each
39t ,927 tons. Three Of thesc accidents
are not fairly chargeable to mining,
all being cases of death under the
car eels-one IL miner, one Il
driver, the third IL trapper.
The 0cfH0l amount mined per loss
Of mining life in Pennsylvania is
427,6G9 tons; in this region 5l7,306
tons.
That is to say, there are S9,637
more tons of coal mined here per fatal
accident than in Pennsylvania.
In non-fatal accidents we also have
the advantage. In Pennsylvania the
average is ll6,iS6 tons per non fatal
accident here 1881 tons-a diff
ference in our favor of G,6S2 tons.
These facts are collated from Of
fetal sources for the purpose OF
showing our fair-minded and really
intelligent miners that this is
|, The best paid bituminous coal
coal region in the world, and
:, That it is probably more exempt
from accident mOrtalities than any
other.
These conclusions are wrought out
because Il particular portion Of Penn
sylvania mining law has been adopted
by so-called "labor" us II model for
II Maryland enactment in the interest
of safe mining.
AS to ventilation, the Pennsyl-
vania inspectors, so far us we have
seen, say nothing-a circumstance
which does not 90 to show that their
ventilation is any better than that of
anybody else. If, however, this de-
duction be unfair, let those who pro
claim the mines Of this region "the
worst ventilated in the world" do rs
we have done in the other two cases
Of pay and accidents furnish pro0f
to the contrary.
THE JOURNAL does not profess to
enjoy that intimate knowledge of the
m0d"S 0per0mdi of underground ven
tilation that would make it phllos
opher or even logcian on that
subject.
1t has alluded only to the great
basic question whether operators are
under any sort Of obligation to con,
duct business wholly or partially for
the pecuniary, moral or religious
benefit of operatives.
The JOURNAL says no.
1t says this because claims have
been made upon operators and legis-
lation has been sought to such effect
as a right.
AS well might we contend per
cOntro that operatives are under equal