The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-17
Railroad Freight Charges Moderate,
but the Profit ON a Ton of Coal In
Less than Twelve Cents.
PROSPERITY OF THE MINERS
MANY OWN THEIR OWN HOMES,
OTHERS PAY SMALL RENT.
Pianos, Organs and Bank Accounts
Are Common-The Company's Rec
ognitton of Past Loyalty.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 16-The state
ment of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation
Company, submitted to the anthracite coal
strike commission. now In session at Scran-
ton, Pa, In answer to the demands of the
miners. was made public here to-day. The
answer recites the development OF the COM
pany from the date of its charter in 1Sz2,
alludes TO the expense of operation and to
the comparatively small profits and de-
clares the demand OF the employees for an
increase of 20 per cent is unjustifiable, the
reasons given in support of the demand not
being founded on fact. Accompanying the
statement are two exhibits. One shows
the earnings Of the employees of the COM
pany for one year. based on the time
worked during 1901, the number Of the sew
eral classes of workmen and the rates paid
according to the pay roll for the first half
of May. 1902 The other is a catalogue Of
overt acts charged to the striking employees
OF the company during the recent contest.
the riots. assaults and disturbances of vari-
Gus kinds being numbered at upwards OF
sixty. The answer states:
1.-The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Com
pany Is the oldest corporation engaged in
the mining OF coal in the anthracite region.
cessor Of the Lehigh Coal Mine Company.
which was organized In 1893. 1t also ac-
quired certain rights on the Lehigh river.
which were granted In 1873
st owns and controls about 1900 acres OF
coal lands in Carbon and Schuylkill coun-
ties, which are estimated to contain over
60o. .o0o.0 900 tons OF available unmined coal.
Its employees number about 5000, and its
capacity OF production is over 100000 tons a
month. Its capital stock and funded debt
amount to upward Of sS2.0O0.O00. All of its
capital stock and bonds were issued for
full value. but although its more important
coal lands were purchased at time when
the country was a wilderness. and all it's
lands have been acquired at moderate
prices, the dividends on it's capital stock to
date only average 4.02 per cent. The profit
on coal mined by the company during the
ten years ended Dec. 81. 1901. has averaged
1lo9 cents per ton after charging of taxes
on coal lands and depreciation. but not in
Guiding any charge for royalty which
represents the value OF the coal
In the ground. Nor were the rates
OF freights of the railroad exorbi-
tant, as shown by the fact that the COM
pany operates It's own canal and found it
advantageous to send the coal to market
ever the railroad rather than by the canal
HAD GOOD WAGES
Speaking of the claim OF the miners that
better wages are paid in the bituminous
fields for substantially similar work, the
answer states:
This company does not know what rate
of wages is paid In the bituminous coal
fields throughout the country. but there is
nowhere In any neld substantially similar
work to that which Is done under contract
In the mines OF this company. 1t is a
fact, however, that miners OF ordinary
gkill and experience have always been able
any other mining region throughout the
country and obtain employment.
In 1901 for I, day OF ten hours. contract
skilled laborers s2.3l, unskilled laborers
$1.s3, boys 81 for work under ground. The
rates for outside labor average as follows:
Skilled labor. N.S6; unskilled labor, N2s;
boys. q cents. The average annual earn
ings Of adults were s475.25"
Denial Is made of the claim of the miners
that their earnings are insufficient to main
tain the American standard of living and
concerning the employees of the Iehigh
Coal and Navigation Company these fig
ures are given:
"Out OF 3.0es families $40 own their own
houses. Pianos will be found in I4e and
house organs in 337. The companv owns
and rents TO its employees 61 houses at an
a
acter Of these houses is fully up 10 the av-
erage IN any part OF the country occnnied
by any other class Of workmen. 1t has
been the policy OF the company to sell sur
face rights TO those of its EMPLOYEES who
desired to put up their own houses anJ
for many years there has been a steady de-
mand on this account. The town of Summit
Hill has a population OF about 3.OOO and
almost the entire surface. with the dwell
fngs. Is now owned and occupied nv sr,
ployes Of the company.
g. .f -
school accommodations. with canabis
teachers. and over 1900 children are in a =
tendance. while over IS per cent of the
whole fund expended in the region is de-
rived from taxes paid by this Company on
its coal estate"
Regarding the employment of bows the
statement says:
"Slate-picking Is a very easy occupatior
compared with the work done by the boy
upon farm, and many Of them are needed
to take care OF the mine mules and other
light work. and In this way the wages ~
the household are largely and legitimateIy
increased Since 1877 more than go youne
men have gone from Dansford and other
villages IN the neighborhood to normal
schools and colleges and have become min.
ing engineers. attorneys. chemists dentists
architects, ministers and professors.
sQUALID FOREIGNERS.
'-Scme OF the foreigners prefer to live IN
a very nigsardly and squalid manner. Sc
that they may accumulate the larger par
OF their earnings and return to Europe Il
live In idIeness; but those who have thei,
permanent homes In the region have a
least 100000 deposited In the basks ant
savings funds In the vicinity. saved from
the wages earned In the employment q.
this company. The annual remittances Il
their families and friends abroad, through
agencies In the region and vicinity
amounfed 10 100000 or more. In 1884 the
company established a beneficial fund, Il
which II has contributed the sum OF sis6 IS.
and the employees S14.768.
During the strike OF 1900. I'm which ths
omployes OF the company declined to par.