Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-09-25
THE WAGES OF MINERS.

Now that the big coal strike is on in
the anthracite region in PENNSYLVANIA
there is some inquiry as to the wages.
earned by the miners. There is no valid
ground for misrepres entitig figures in
this case. The-o only reason that could be
found for misstatement is the unworthy
one of influencing partisan sy1npathyfor
the strikers. In view of the fact that
statements made by President Mitchell,
the president of the miners union, are
paign To the effect that the average
yearly earnings We're only s24O, infor-5
nation was sought from George Merry
weather, a representative of one of the
coal companies. to ascertain the facts
In answer to the query, What arc the.
average wages at the present time for
miners and laborers connected With the.
collieries?" he replies: t.At our own
collieries the ordinary miners average.
about $50 per month. The miners work
ing under contract a t our drift coliieries
& Nos. and 2 earned during the month
OF August, 1900 tsuch earnings being
net, after all deductions). as follows:
Twenty miners ..........i.....s 50 to S 40
Twenty miners ................ 40 to 30
Fifteen miners Observation-Disclosures. 30 TO 50
Fourteen miners .s......5..... soto 10
Ten miners !. 80. ..,.....5... Toto so
$ -Four miners Observation-Disclosures. SOTO 80
Two miners ...8..l....i........... 1910 100
Two miners -. ~. ~. ....3.i...l.. ITO To 30
One miner ........:.....3.l 40 to 14J
Two miners 80. 15Oto 100
One miner ]. 100 to 10
One miner -. -. /. +. ...s.... $50 to 100
One miner 200 to 205
..As these figures ontthe contract min
ems vary, an explanation is probably
necessary. Some contract miners un-
doubtedly work more regularly than
others. and then the ability Of each
man was put to a test, and shows aac-
cordingly''
In his Investigation on the ground w.
E. Curtis found that the miners re-
ceived an average of $50 per month.
The New York Sun sent a repressnta-
tiveSto the coal fields to look this matter
up and here is what he reports:
Sun representative had free access
today to the pay rolls for the month Of
August Of the Susquehanna and of the
Z Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Compan-
les The exact nubor of hours eacf. man
Il and boy worked, the exact amounts
charged against him and the exact sum
that was handed to him on pay day
were there set down. Sheets selected at
random thru the great pile which made
up the! payroll We're taken and exam
il ined. Here are some of the results: For
Il instance in the South Wilkes-Barre coll
p liery OF the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre
Company Fred Curtis worked twenty
three days and received In cash $s4.57
ia John l. Hughes worked twenty-four
VI days and earned $45. John Campbell
worked twenty-five days and earned
\ 375.S7. Richard Jones worked twenty
II four days and earned $7O.91. William T.
n Evans worked twenty-four days and
L earned $61.5 John Crawford worked
II ses&nteen days and earned s5O.4s
A6mAe Thomas and James Stevens
& worked ass partners together for the
FL monfh. They each worked twenty-five
"a dayH Thomas received 1928 and Stew.
II ene lS4.33, The reason Stevens earned
81 more than Thomas was that Thomas
" ~ bought more coal than Stevens did The
cnat Vas bought for home CONSUMPTION
M h0uee. The company sells coal te
s I miners Tor 81 9 ton LEES than the