The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-07-19

miner receiving the remaining two
| thirds pays all expences Of the two.
The miner may sometimes work only
six hours, for when he has enough coal
on hand for the laborer to fill the shift,
he can go home.
When the miner demands eight hours
ne does so more especially for the labor
ers and the other men and boys paid
by the day than for himself. He argues
that with proper regulation the same
number of cars can be supplied as now,
and if not, then more men can get en-
ployment to facilitate operation. Ii ap-
pears to be true that the laborer fire.
quently comes out ahead of the miner,
! because of the expense the latter incurs,
though it is not the rule ConversinE
with different sorts of workmen, I
find the story of an organization of
| laborers separate from the miners Is a
canard.
The demand for coal to be weighed is
the most important one. The mine
cars are supposed to hold by cubic feet
measurement, from one and half to
three tons, according to size of car and
height of vein. In order to save HIM
self from being locked when the car
reaches the top, the miner heaps up
topping" which will mean half alton
! more. If there is rough road the cur
may reach the outside without the
topping" out on the journey.
This will mean perhaps whole car, or
half, docked by the company for
light weight"
Docking for slate is the most irritat-
n o. crrSn
| loses by this is inclaculable. At some
places per cent is allowed the operator
for dirty coal, but it reaches 10 per cent
more often. Miners calculate upon los
ing at least five cars a month through
this. There Is no system of judging
dirty cars, docking being done by
guesswork. Sometimes one car is sell
ected and unloaded and for every one
| hundred pounds of dirt the miner is
laid off a day. 1T is impossible to Keep
all the dirt out of the loaded cars. At
Luzerne before the strike two years
ago, at one mine the average docking
per month amounted to Is and is per
cent. At another it amounted to five
| cars month. At both places it is less
| than half that now. When a man is
known to have a "clean' place, his
| checks are lost from time to time in
a. mysterious way and he loses pay for
| the cars. The miners demand tonnage
| weight and checkweighmen on the
tipples.
There are reported to be fewer boys
at work in the breakers now than two
years ago, but the stranger would not
think so. Nearly every boy appears to
be either door boy, breaker boy or
something elee around the mine. The
age limit is IL, but it is admitted on all
SIDES that boys much younger than
that, ten, nine and sometimes eight
years old, are employed. I saw several
who appeared hardly big enough to be
able to carry their dinner pals. They
are thin little fellows, and they seem to
be enjoying their vacation. Their wages
run from so cents day up to $40,
according to class of work. This means
a day of ten hours-lessf than that
(Which often occurs) reduces their
wages in proportion. There is a farci-
cal attempt to educate them at night
school, farcical because the boys are
not able to imbibe education, after
working all day. Few Of them are
therefore, able to read and write very
much. T.
The parents. through necessity. fall
sify their boys ages in order to have
them at work. I asked one man WHY
he allowed his children to go to work
so young (ten years.. - ~ - III =
when a man has five children and
only gets 80 cents to $1.25 q day. how
can he help it," i
I>dfdn't know and I said So
The day workmen paid by the day
truckmen, pumpmen, etc.-receive more
than the miners, sometimes $50 a
month, because the usually work every
day. But the have their grievances al
SO, OF which more later.
The culm piles surrounding the mines
are veritable mountains, and at close
distance, obscure the foliage covered
hills lying beyond. These piles Of cast
off coal represent unpaid labor Of the
miners ever since the mines opened
This inferior coal, for which the miner
was9docked,. is used to fire the boilers
at the collieries, and is the bane Of the
firemen who are forced toause it:,.But
Eit is4 frequently run through the wash