The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-23
A FAIR STATEMENT OF THE COAL
CONTROVERSY.

CONTHOt EHS1.
Mr.. William E. Curtis, who deservedly
enjoys the confidence of the public as a
fair-minded and intelligent correspondent,
prints I'm the Chicago Record a calm and
judicial statement of both sides of the con-
troversy in the anthracite coal region. Mr..
Curtis says that powder is the greatest
source of trouble, and the wonder is that
mine owners and operatives permit 1t to be
a continual cause of friction. The present
scale of wages was adopted in the seven
ties, when IL Was not deemed prudent to
have explosives sold to the public. The
price of powder was ixed then at the mar
ket price of s2.75 a keg. Since that time
powder has fallen more than so per cent.
in the market. 1t is not true, however,
that all mine operators exact s2.75 a keg
of the miners, as many either furnish it
at cost or at a slight advance. Still, Mr..
Curtis says that If powder should be fur
nished at cost 1.-The bottom would fall out
of the strike. The weighing of coal is
another cause of irritation. Every car is
coal at the mouth of the pit There is so
much slate, stone and other foreign sub
stance in the coal that $4,000 boys are en-
ployed to pick over the coal and remove
it. For that reason the car contains 5000
pounds to cover the deficiencies. This rule
is enforced the same against all miners.
no matter if they exercise care in the fill
ing of the car to keep out slate, stone, etc.
Even then, If a car contains an unusual
amount OF foreign substances. the miner
is locked. The lack of regular work is q
cause of complaint. At the present time
the miners work eighteen days in the
month and six or seven hours a day. The
number of days is determined by the SUI
perintendent. but the hours additional is
left with the miner.
The average compensation per month of
miners in four mines, the pay rolls of
which Mr.. Curtis saw, was s52.5S. In the
extensive mines of the Reading Railroad.
employing 5000 men, the miners and Ia
borers are paid by the week on a sliding
scale according to the fluctuations in the
price Of coal at tidewater When coal is
high labor receives more; when it is low
labor gets less. During August coal was
$3.50 at tidewater. and miners were paid
s12.S5 and laborers sl05S per week. The
5000 laborers and general workmen out
side the mines are paid an average of 5000
a week; engineers, $50 a month; firemen,
$i5; bIacksmiths and carpenters from s45
to SIS month; the average paid TO 1900
boys is 60 cents day. The amount miner
can make depends largely upon his skill
| and industry. In one colliery. the pay roll
of which Mr.. Curtis saw, one man earned
SIS and another $751; Thirty-two miners
were paid from $57 to $93.67 a month, six
| teen getting Sol each, working eighteen
| days in the month.
The company store is another ground Of
| complaint, which, Mr.. Curtis says, is al
most obsolete except where mines are
| Isolated so that there are no stores kept
| by outside parties. Mr.. Curtis found that
| while the men favored cash payment, the
| should be said, by some miners that the
| man who does not patronize the company
| store is discharged on some pretext.
| The question of pay is the fundamental
| cause of the strike The miners demand an
| increase of per cent. for those making the
| highest wages, 10 per cent. for all earning
between $50 and 81 day, and Is per cent.
| for those earning less than $3.50 day. 1t
| is probable that the fact that, after an
| extended conference between the mine
| operators and the representatives of the
miners in this city last spring. an advance
| of over 20 per cent. was agreed upon by the
| producers OF soft coal has led the anthra-
| cite miners to believe that they can secure
| an advance by strike. In this connection
| 1t may be said that if the soft coal pro-
| ducers over wide area could-come to an
amicable adjustment for year it would
seem that the anthracite operators, cover
| ing area of less than 500 square miles,
might easily arrive at an agreement If they
| would.