Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-07
GOT THE HALF CENT.
River Operators Surrender to Their
Men, Because They Must
COMPLETE SOUTHERN CONTRACTS.
EumOred Trouble at Duquesne Over
COmmitteeman'S Discharge.
NEWS NOTES FROM THE FIELD OF LABOR

BY vote of IA to 10 the river operators
yesterday az eed to grant the increase of half
cent per bushel which the miners struck for
on New Years Eve, and in consequence of
which the district has been idle ever since.
Work will be resumed on Monday, and
much activity will prevail along the line,
TO make up for the nine weeks loss Of time.
The concession has been drawn from the
operators through sheer force of circum-
stances, and it will be so costly to them that
there is no chance of the rate continuing
beyond the close of the present boating stage.
The reasons given by operators for retreat
ing from their position are two told, namely,
the necessity of completing contracts in the
Southern markets, and the competition of
kanawha operators. The hall cent ad-
vance will cost them about $3.50, 900 in the
next two months, as they will be unable to
add the increased cost to. the selling price.
Who Has to Bear the Burden.
The hardship Of the matter is, - said Cap
tain Burton, that the three-quarters of a
cent advance which we will now have TO pay
for outside labor will have to be advanced
in proportion to the rate for minlng-cannot
be tackled on to the consumer, and we shall
have 10 bear it ourselves. Southern buyers
will purchase here as long as our prices are
near the kanawha, and as those operators
have no occasion TO increase their rates
their competition confines us to present
rates. We thus can't help ourselves. We
mad to grant the half cent because the boat
ing stage is rapidly nearing a close, and we
are compelled to ship south or time or lose
our trade altogether. We had 10 option
left u.s."
The result of the matter is that whatever
profit lay in the business heretofore will be
turned from the pockets of the operators
into those of the miners. The diggers will
get a half cent in each oil the four pools and
the corresponding increase in the wages of
the outside men brings up the increased
cost per bushel to three-quarters OF a cent
The mining rates will be 81 cents in the
First, Second and Third pools and cents i'll
the fourth pool. The loss TO the miners and
operators during the term of idleness based
on an output OF $1,000, 900 bushels in that
time would be as follows: Five thousand
diggers lost $3.50, 200, based on 4 digging
price of cents or an average loss per week
TO each man of SO.
The Loss to the Operators.
A computation of the loss of the operators
is difficult TO make. As we'll as losing the
profit on the turnover of S1,000000 worth
of coal, they had wear and tear of plants to
provide for, repair of boats, etc., and a more
or less extensive pay roll of necessary en-
ployeS during the time, as we'll as wharf
rents etc. That operators are just about
giving away their profits can be seen from
the following figures on "a barge load. The
figures were obtained at the office OF lead
ing operator and speak for themselves:
Coal at tipple in Fourth pool, cents
Coal owners profit. hauling, charges, etc.,
three-quarteTs of a cent
One barge load of 1900 bushels at $50. .s4S7 50
Iockage on load from Fourth pool. 81 55
Towing to mine and back................ A 90
Cost of load at Pittsburg. S566 o5
Towing to Cincinnati, sc per bushel..... % so
Towing empty barge back again. .......... rs 90
Gauger's expenses at Cincinnati. 5 20
Commission to agent. 81 per COO. ........ IL 20
The average repair of barge on trips 30 90
or Cos cents per buShel.
Other items of expense not enumerated
above are $50 year for landing in Pitts
burg; pumping, 5000 month, etc.
With coal selling at 615 cents in Cincin-
natl, it is easy to see that the operators
have no inducements to nay the increased
mining rate for long.
Marsh Mcdonald, one of the river coal
Operators, lett for Cincinnati last evening
He was very much opposed he said. to
granting the miners the advance, but they
needed coal, and it was the only way TO get
it. On the problem OF what the coal men
had lost during the strike he was not pre-
TNar cd To l. H. - - L /