The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-12
AS TO MINERS WAGES

The vigorous efforts now being made Il
settle the coal miners strike and the radi
cal utterances Of Debs and Sovereign a
the st. Louis convention call renewed at.
tention to the condition Of the miners nnt
the various plans for their amelioration.
While the press has been full Of the des
| tltution Of the coal miners. no use has
been made of the valuable data collected
By the bureaus Of labor statistics Of In
ing to the last report Of the bureau Of
labor statistics Of that State, the syeragt
earnings Of 12.214 pick miners-that is,
those working by hand was $239.31, out Of
which the price OF powder and the sharp
ening OF tools had to be paid. This left
to the men less than 1926 for rhe year, OF
an average OF not over 81. 80 q week. "bis
Ut may be noticed. would be considered
small pay for shop girl in Chicago, wfo
had no one dependent upon her. The aver
age rent paid by the miners families Is
about ii week. leaving only 80 cents q
day for all other expenses, and the oppor-
tunities for employment OF women and
children to supplement- the wages OF the
man Of the family are very small in the
mining districts.
Even at 81 cents a ton. to which wages
mad fallen from 10 cents in parts OF Ohio,
the men might earn over l.50 City II
they had steady employment, but here
again Is the difficulty: the average num-
Der OF DAYS Of EMPLOYMENT In 1896 il the
ohio mines was only 161. or 3 10 days a
week. Tho men thus had work one one
half the time In 1894 the Ohio miners
had work only 1873 DAYS in the year, or
6-lO DAYS week. their entire earnings
being only 5000 81. and after deducting the
expense for powder and sharpening Of tools,
the men received cnlv about So. 60 n week,
or less than 40 cents for each Of the seven
DAYS OF the week. allowance being mado
for rent.
In Indiana. In the wear ended June 80
1896. according to the last report OF the
bureau OF labor statistics OF that State,
the men worked only 144 days in the year
on the average, or az days week, and
earned only $3.50 AZ. After allowance for
powder and sharpening of tools there was
left to the men only about 81 week be-
fore paving rent. or about SO in addition
to the rent.
In Illinois. in 1896. the men were slight
iy better off. according to the coal reuort
OF our State bureau Of labor satisfies, for
l6.O2o miners reported an AVERAGE OF 3 A
davs a week and earned s3lS IS. Four
tifths of the men, however. are engaged in
DICK or hand mining. and used, on the
average. fifteen kegs Of powder q year at
Sl.75 key. or SIG 25. This left only
ABOUT S292 wear. or So. 62 week for all
family expenses.
II would thus appear that the miners of
these three States, after paying for their
mn sNf -
10 their business. have left only from $3.50
10 'oo week out of which to pay tent
ana other living expenses. Is it any Won
der That the men grow desperate and strike
for better terms?
conditions have been even worse this
wear than indicated by these figures. since
the price OF mining has fallen fully 10 per
cent or from go to 81 cents a ION this
wear in the Ohio fields
inc starvation wages are partly due to
the depression OF business. which greatly
restricts the demand for coal Wages were
aoout at the same level as now during tie
two or three Years following tn, rap,c of
1850 Another cause Is the constant pres
ence at the mines of larger number of
men than would be needed II the iudasry
We're carried on like most Others With
only two thirds as many men at the mines
il would appear at first sight IA II each
miner might have employment FIVE or six
uaVs IN the week, instead OF three or four
davs MS now The discharged miners
could hardly be worse off IN looking for
'obs elsewhere. while those let IN the
mines would be In vastly better condition
! ne reasons for not bringing about thus OBJ
vious reform have been partly the ,Ais
At lol NJ
ers We're either directly or indire ,.ly fo-r,d
10 buy their Goods The employer would
keep more men than necessary about the
NINE IN order to nuke as large a profit
rs possible by the sale of his groceries, etc.
fear Of bad debts and at a price
somewhat higher than prevailed In the
neighborhood. The men who did NOT trade
At such stores understood that they we're
likeiv TO be the first ones discharged in dull
times. TODAY. however, thanks partly TO |
the law In some States and to public opin-
ION and labor ORGANIZATIONS eyervwhere
tho company store Is not SO general as II |
was. ana In many places Its abuses have
peeh SO nuch reduced as to make the min
rs prefer Vt, as supplying the best Foods.
The evil Is by no means eradicated hut
apparently has been enough reduced In |
render insufficient the explanation lust
given that many men are kent about the |
nine In order to furnish profits to the |
piuck-me store.
prominent coal operator who has often |
aiken the part OF his men In strikes is au-
hority for the assertion that many orcra-
ors would gladly employ fewer men II thew |
we're sure that the men would work stead
Nv. With the increased use of exroasiye
nine machinery 1t is important to Keen
he mine In operation whenever orders per-
nit but with the unsteady habits OF srme
miners. particularly after every pay day
which in many cases occurs every two
veeks--it is thought necessary 20 have in
eserve quite force of men,
The only remedy for this situation must
10 In the general elevation OF the habits
u miners. and in such industrial md poltt-
cal changes as will prevent such an in
lux into the mines OF poor grade Of
sorkmen while securing wages caon,h to
hose that do 20 to permit OF doesn't modes
Z living, The restriction of immigration
4 the classOd laborers that fiock 70 tho
mines. bv means Of strict educa,t,nai tests
ogether with an increase of compulsory
ducation and more thorough dayelcn.
nent OF organization among t'Ic miners