Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-05-27
The Machine Against the Pick

in the Pocahontas region, and to deduce
therefrom the suggestion that so long
as current conditions continue i'll that
region there is little, most probably
nothing to hope for here in the way Of
an advance in wages for mining.
This conclusion was reached with
regret, but as it is the office of real
newspaper to be guided by what is,
rather than what ought to be, it could
not escape the duty it believes it owes
to the thinking, conservative, discreet
miners of this region.
Since that time two advances in
neighboring regions have been an
nounced-one in Elk Garden, the
other in Clearfeld.
The "l5 cents per ton advance" in Elk
Garden amounts to this-no advance
in Elk Garden proper has been made.
The upper Potomac miners have been
given cents additional per car, which,
reduced to actual ratio, may be equiva-
lent to an advance of ,! cents per ton,
or may be less. The result is indefinite
in the case of any miner, with the
probability that the best miners get
the least for their work.
The coal thus mined is very largely
used for coke-making, and the ad-
vance for mining it is very slight re-
Spouse to rise in the price of coke in
market.
But so far as coal is concerned for
consumption as coal there has been no ad-
Uance
The Clearfeld people are rapidly
drifting into machine mining. They
have been paying 10 cents per ton for
pick mining and %! cents for machine
work-in some cases p and - cents,
the contention of the miners being that
machine men are entitled to three
fifths, equal to ~ cents of the 45-cent
pick rate.
The Berwind White people have,
and are still increasing their equip
ment for machine mining. On the LIST
day of June they will advance machine
miners wages from -! to % cents
per ton and the pick miners from t. to
80 cents.
A good many people engaged in
digging coal do not know what this
means. To such the JOURNAL will
suggest that, before deciding that the
Berwind- White people are moved by
any condition of trade or equitable or
benevolent consideration for their
men, that they look into the purpose
as the JOURNAL sees ii. Their ad-
vance means that If they con compel all
the pjck-mining regions TO pay 80 cents,
they keeping their machine miners
down to % cents, they ~W control the
t1a3e so far as cheap production is con
cerned, and Georges Greek ecW be at a
greater Disadvantage than eger. This con-
clusion amounts to demonstration
when it is considered that the average
cost of their coal will be cheaper AT %
cents for machine and 80 cents for pick
mining than formerly at -! and 10
cents, respectively, 0,Cing to the increased
and increasing proportion Of machiHe pro-
duced coal. The cost, per ton, of one
ton each will be 81! cents Of one pick.
and two tons machine, 49, cents, and
so on.
There is number of mining con-
Germs in Pennsylvania who, having no
machines, will be seriously affected by
this supposed advance Of the Berwlnd-
White people. 1t will compel them to
pay 80 cents per ton for their entire
production.
In the Pocahontas and New River
region, as before alluded to in these
columns, the cost of production is con-
siderably below that of Georges Creek,
and they, therefore, rank as our keen
est and most formidable competitors
in market. Their coal, it is true, IS
hauled a longer distance alI-rail, but
this disadvantage is largely offset, not
only by their much cheaper mining
costs, but by at least 10 cents per ton
less ecater freight. That is, it costs
upon an average 10 cents per ton
more to ship coal from Baltimore to
New England ports than from Hamp-
ton Roads.
Over in those regions, as in this, the
greater bulk of the coal for the year is
contracted for upon whatever rate they
are paying. Here 1t is upon 10 cents
per ton. There the operators cannot
advance wages without taking the in
crease out of their own pockets. Here
every feature of the outlook is unfavOr-
able to an advance. because the result
would be the same.
Now, as in April, all weighing Of
conditions, all sitting of facts and all
the logic Of the situation come back to
the only one possible concluslon-the
key to the problem of higher wages for
mining here is the one which will un-
lock the Pocahontas-New River com
binatiOn.
UnwelcOme as Is this linality, it is
one that ShOuld command SeriouS Stud-