Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-10-11

to the cars. 1t appears to be generally
conceded that miner can easily blast
out sufficient coal in from four to six
hours to keep his helper busy from
eight to ten hours in loading it.
The miner sells his coal to the COM
pany by the car load receiving on an
average 81 per car. Six car loads a
day is the usual days work, although,
under favorable circumstances it is
possible to mine much larger guam
tity. .E
The miner hires and pays his own
helper. Naturally he is anxious to Sc
cure him at the lowest possible figure,
| in order that the largest possible part
of his gross earnings may go into his
own pocket. Most of these helpers
are foreigners, accustomed to much
lower scale of living than prevails in
remained at work for pitifully small
wages. There, has, however, for a
long time been a growing feeling of
discomfort among these helpers, and,
at the time the big strike was in
augurated they were organizing a
mine laborers movement with the
avowed purpose of forcing the miners
to make a more equitable division
with them. This is said to be one of
the reasons which made the miners
willing to engage in a general strike.
Employed about the mines were good
many what are called Company
hands," who were paid by the month,
and whose wages We're therefore in
no wise dependent upon the volume of
the output. These include engineers,
punpmen, etc. These men were gen.
orally well paid, their wages ranging
from $50 to $50 per month, and as
result many of them refused to go out
when the strike was ordered.
Much of the work in the breakers is
done by boys who receive about IS
cents a day. This in brief, is a re-
sumo of the conditions existing in
these mines before the strike. The
miners proper were well paid, had
short hours, and large part of them
owned comfortable homes. The en-
gineers. and pumpmen were obliged to
make long hours, but their work was
not as hard or as dangerous as that
done by the miners, and their pay was
good. Z
The breaker boys got fair wages as
. compared with boys wages in other
occupations; but it was work no boy
should be required to do. The state
of Pennsylvania owes it to the cause
, of humanity and good government to
eliminate this element of child labor
from the mines.
There appears to be no question but
what the condition of the mine laborer
has been deplorable and that he may
justly ask for wages that will enable
him to maintain standard of living
more in accordance with the spirit
and intent of American institutions.
u While unquestionably the miners have
u Some just grievances-especially in
being obliged to mine 1850 pounds OF
coal for tOn-it is the mine laborer
whose condition for a number of years
> past has been deplorable in the ex-
{ IRENE. r Il. ... ..--. - so...
= The foregoing facts will explain the
II conflicting reports that have come
from the coal section. The CORE
spondent whose observations have
been among the miners. engineers and
y pumprnen, has been surprised at the
u evidences of prosperity and thrift
among them. On the other hand the
= correspondent whose Investigations
= have been chiefly among the mine la =
y borers. has been appalled, by the evil
u dences of squalor and want that have
appealed to him on every hand. These
= are the men who occupy the hillside
u novels. berding into them like cattle
e living on coarse fare, and working long
. hours for scant pay. -
Whatever the outcome of the great
strike every true American should Join
in the hope that it will serve ultimate
ly to vastly better the condition of
= these men, to give their families a
larger share of the comforts of life. and
to enable their children to leave the
breakers, and secure the schooling
necessary to properly fit them for citi-
zenship in this great Republic.
Il In the West so-called colleges and