The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-11
WHAT THE COAL MINERS EARN
DELAWARE AND HUDSON WAGE
FIGURES MADE PUBLIC.
submitted TO the Strike Coninission--A,er.
age Earnings OF the Miner. for the
Days lie Worked, were %. 10: fer the
IabOrer. ~. 10 The Average Yearly
wage Of the Miner Was S077.OS.

noon session of the Anthracite Strike
Commission today figures were pre-
sented by the Delaware and Hudson Coal
Company showing that the average earn
ings Of the men at its mines are larger than
the public has been led 10 believe. The
figures, which are given below, speak for
themselves.
The day, testimony developed an alleged
attempt by the operators, through a man
named Michael Grimes, to bride thirty
miners to pass a resolution in Dunmore
local for the members Of the local to return
towork School superintcndentsa and school
principals were called 10 he stand TO show
the average age that the children OF miners
leavs the schools. These figures chow that
they attend school almost as long as the
children of other people in comparatively
the 10 me walk in life All the witnesses
spoke of the high standard Of the schools IN
the coal regions.
The figures submitted by the Delaware
and Hudson Canal Company show that the
company generally carries on the mining
Of coal by contracting with the miners
The miners employ a. many laborers as
they see fl. but generally miner employs
only one laborer All other employees are
hired by the operator by the day or month.
The total number of breakers operated
by the company in 1901 was twenty-four
and the number of tons of coal mined was
5.055, 392 OF this 1926 ,9O7 tons we're pre-
pared sizes. 72,i42 tons were washery coal,
and the remainder was In steam sizes.
The total paid by the company during
he year for all expenses attendant on the
mining Of coal was $3.50. s75. The total
i L.,, rtpSy kn
was s3.3s2.s73. The average amount paid
each miner was N,O72.iS. This was ex-
elusive Of supplies.
The approximate daily earnings Of miners
on the basis of breaker days was 50 20. The
approximate daily earnings Of the laborers
on the same basis was 1920. The approx
mate average earnings of the miner in
1901 was $6?2ts laborer, 3++9.47 The
men employed by the day or month during
1901 earned in the aggregate 32,O76,35s.
The average number Of days the breakers
we're operated during the year was 1919.
the lost time in 1901 by strikes and holi-
days, other than legal holidays. was at
each colliery, li7. The lost time by
miners. per colliery. between breaker starts
and miners starts. was the averag &c, for
each miner, of 1915 average loss of earn
ing capacity. 10 % per cent. The COM
pany has no company store and no COM
pany doctor.
More detailed figures show that the
number Of miners employed about the
company collieries during the year was
1888 The number of laborers, approx
mated. 1855. The average hours worked
by the miner n dav OF ten hours was So;
by the laborer, N
' The company also included figures for
the Manvile, Delaware and the Baltimore
collieries, that were operated less than
half a year. These figures showed that the
miners worked more hours at these mines
than at the others. but that sixty-seven
miners employed at the Delaware colliery,
all that worked there, worked seventy-six
days and had an average wage of "a. SO
day, the average wage OF the laborers
being & so a day.
Then followed some tables comparing
the wages paid to the miners who made big
salaries with those who made lower ones.
In addition 10 the above. the company
paid out TO 978 men $2l7 ,9st and to 800 boys
SCI $50.
City Superintendent Of Schools G. W,
Phillips testified there are OO4 children
enrolled at the high school in this city. and
10 per cent. of them are the children of
miners. He part icuarized by saying;
In the senior class there are. out Of ii3.
nine children Of miners. The junior. or
third year, out of 1856, five children are OF
this class. In the sophomore. or second
wear, out OF 1875, twenty-six are children OF
miners. In the freshman year we have
5ls children. Part Of these however, were
whose parents are employed in and about
the mines. That makes total OF l0l out
of 1000"
The witness said that a great proport ion
of the children Of the miners leave school
before they are IL years old. He said
region. the children are nearly all those Of
miners In this school 50 per cent. left
before they were 10.
Upon crosse Examination the witness said
that great many Of the professional and
business men Of the city are men who have
evolved Themselves out OF the conditions
surrounding the mines in this city and
neiyhborhood. The father Of the witness
had worked in the mines. The witnesses
brothers are prominent in the business
world. One IL n treasurer Of a trust COM
pany, another is in the insurance business
and one j. In business in Montana.
The witness said that the value of the
school property in Scranton IL 81 600 900,
and he knows Of no better schools in the
United States. There are no disadv ant ages
with the children OF others. His opinion
was that large proportion OF the children
whose parents are employed about the mines
do not leave school earlier than others.
Judge Gray-After all, success In life
depends upon the character and the energy
of the individual rather than on any other
single factor.
Witness-Yes, sir: and IL you could get
them out Of the environment they would
progress more rapidly.
Several witnesses were called to show
that they were scriminated against be-
cause their old places were not given to
them.
County School Superintendent J. G. Tay-
Tor, the next witness, said that he found in
mining districts that the average of the
children of miners who are out of school
runs from q To Al per cent. and that q per
cent of those out of school are between
the ages of and 10
NJ. W, Cummings. principal Of the DIV
plant schools said that 30 per cent of the
children attending the borough schools have
parents who are mine workers: that is.
children under ~ About 40 per cent, of
these leave school at the age Of IL or
thereabouts.
John Early 81 ID Inmore. the next witness.
IL check weighman at one Of the Pennsyl-
vania Coal Company mines and prominent
IN the union. He is president of a local
He told Of having conference at the Lack
awanna Valley House last September with
man named Michael Grimes This Grimes