Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-01-04
Labor Commissioners Report.

Commissioner of Labor Heath has about
completed for distribution, free 10 anybody
who will apply to him. the sixth annual re-
port of the Michigan bureau of labor and
industrial statistics. one OF the seven sub
jects that are given exhaustive treatment
is the work of the various kinds of miners
This report has been very carefully and
completely made by special canvassers.
During 1855 there were interviewed "a
employees in fire clay mines, 20 in slate
mines, 90 in coal mines, IA in grindstone
quarries, 1872 in gypsum quarries and mines,
$50 in building stone quarrics and 800 in
copper mines.
The copper mines from which statistics
were taken are the Copper Falls, Alloue2,
Kearsage, Quincy, Franklin, Huron, Allan
tic, Calumet * Hecla, Osceola and Tama-
rack The smelling works at Hancock and
on Torch lake were visited also. In the
above works 5,5l6 men are employed, &C
cording TO figures furnished from their of1i-
ces OF this number the bureau secured a
canvass Of 3,07O The nationalitieS are:
631 Americans, 652 Englishmen, $50 Fin
landers. $50 Canadian French, 23l Germans,
2l0 Iri shmen. l5j Austriaus, 100 Polanders,
l0i Swedes, 1913 Norwegians, 81 Italians, 81
Scotchmen, ii Swiss IL Frcnchmen. u
Welchmen, 4 Nova Scotians, Hollanders,
Danes and each Russian, Span ..rd and
Australian.
OF the 63l reported as American born,
~
10 are children Of English parents, l43
Irish, ~ Germans, - Canadian French, {
Swiss, Scotch, ; French, 4 Polish, 4
Swede, Norwegian and Il nativity OF
parents not reported
One thousand eight hundred and sixty
two men out of the 3,O1O are married and
have G6i3 children, of which mum Ger :, 1855
attend school. OF the total number of men
only 800 have provided for their families by
carrying n life insurance. OF the $50
Americans only ~ are married
-Four hundred and hfty-two own homes,
IS Of them carry ing mort ages aggrcgatng
Sl0,3SO. The companies own al the land,
the homecoming miners paying an annual
ground rent, and those not mentioned as
owning houses renting their houses and
| lots Of their employer.
The intelligence i indicated by the news
! papers read. one hundred and seventy five
! take a daily paper, al weekly and l29 "A
monthly.
The fact that % families out OF $50 own
| pianos, and 2S> organs, is evidence OF a be
ginning of home culture, while the owning
of a sewing machine by l,2st families show
"A desire for modern household convcniences.
Woman and child labor cannot be employ
| ed in copper mining, owing TO the nature o.
the work
Although mining is supposed by the pub
| lie generally TO be unhealthy, according 10
statement Of the men themselves they en.cy
| good health. only - reported poor heaIth.
| Only 100 reported that they were not as
we'll off as they were five years ago, the
largest number Of them because of less pay.
In one year in nine mines p men were
| killed: by falling rock, by falling in
| mine, by riding in the skip" and the
cause Of q not reported.
AS the miners and those who work around
the mines are foreigners, the right oppor.
| tunity presents it5elf for "a comparison OF
wages received in the old country with the
wages received in Michigan. Thirteen ia
bles are given, showing the wages in thir'
| teen different countries, and making the
! comparison with Michigan wages.