The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-11-20
Statement Filed With Coal Strike
Commission
STATEMENT OF LEHlGH COMPANY,
Report Says Miners Have the Best Of
Homes, Pianos and Organs, and All
the Comforts of Life.

IN session at Scranton, Pa, in answer
to the demands of the miners. was
made public here Sunday. The answer
recites the developments Of the COM
pany from the date Of its charter In
1892, refers to the expense Of operation
and to the comparatively small profits,
and declares the demand Of the en-
ployes for an increase Of 2 per cent. is
unjustiiable. the reason given in sup
port Of the demand not being founded
on fact. Accompanying the statement
came two exhibits. One shows the
earnings of the employees of the COM
paay for IN year based on the time
worked during 1901, the number OF the
several classes Of workmen, and the
rates paid according to the pay roll
fer the first half Of 1902. The other is
a catalogue of overt acts charged to
the striking employees Of the company
during the recent contest, the riots, as
saults and disturbances of various
kinds, BENG numbered at upwards OF
90. The answer says:
THE Lehigh Coal and Navigation
Company is the oldest corporation en-
gagged in the mining Of coal in the an
thracite region. 1t was chartered in
1922. and was the successor Of the Le-
high Coal Mine Company, which was
organized IN 1893. 1t also acquired
certain rights on the Lehigh river
which were granted in 1918.
cit owns and controls about l4,oOo
acres Of coal land in Carbon n
Schuylkiil counties, which are est-
mated to contain over 500. 0HO. 900 tons
of available unmined coal. Its ell
ployes numbered about 5000 and It's
capacity of production is over 200, 600
O n a month. It's capital stock and
funded debt amounted to upward OF
S32, COO, 900. All Of its capital stock and
bonds were issued for full value. but
although its more important coal lands
were purchased at a time when the
country was a wilderness, and all It's
lands have been acquired at moderate
prices, the dividend upon its capltai
stock to date only averaged 4.02 per
cent. The profit on coal mined by the
during the 10 years ending
December 81. 1901, has averaged ll.oS
cents per ton, after charging on taxes
on coal lands and depreciation. Out not
Including any charge for royaIlty,
which represents the value OF h a
in the ground. Nor were the rates OF
freight upon the railroad exorbitant. as
is shown by the fact that the company
operated it's own canal. but found II
advantageous to send the coal to mar
ket oyer the railroad, rather than by
the canal
Referring to the claim Of the miners
that better wages are paid in the bi-
luminous fields for substantially siml-
lar work, the answer states:
"This company does not know "nat
rate 0. wages is paid in the bitdmlnous
coal fields throughout the country DIt
there's nowhere in any fields, su0stan-
tally similar work to that which Is
6one under contract in the mines or
this company. 1t is a fact, however,
that miners of ordinary skill and ex-
perience have always been able to go
from the mines of this company to any
other mining region throughout the
country and obtain employment.
"In 1901, for a day Of 10 hours, con-
tract miners earned an average OF so'l4
per day; skilled laborers S2.3l; I'M
skilled ,aborers s1.93; boys 81 Tor "oTE
under ground. The rates for OUTSIDE
laborer averaged as follows: Skilled Ia
Dor $1.96; unskilled labor S1.23; boys
~ cents. The average annual earnings
of adults were $475.25." Denial is
made of the claim Of the miners that
their earnings are insufficient to main
tain the American standard OF living:
"Out Of 3,043 families. $40 own thelr
W houses. Pianos will be found IN
lac and house organs in 337. The COM
many owns and rents to its employees
GIL houses at an average rental VI
s4.75 a month. The character OF THESE
homes IS fully above the average IN
any part Of the country Ny
n other class Of workmen. IL mas
been the policy Of the company 10 sen
surface with the dwellings is now own
ed and occupied by employees Oh the
The families OF the employees
have ample school accommodations,
with capable teachers and over a'VOo
children in attendance, while over 20
per cent. of the whole fund expended
in the region is derived from taxes
paid by this company on its coal
estate.
"Some of the foreigners prefer 70
live in d very nigga-dly and squalid
manner so that they may accumulate
the larger part of their earnings n
return to Europe to live in idleness,
but those who have their permanent
home in the region have at least o..
600, 600 on deposit in banks n saVihs
funds in the vicinity, saved from inc
wages earning in the EMPLOYMENT ol
this company. The annual remittances
: TO their Families and friends ABROAD,
through agencies in the region ana
vicinity. amounted to $780, 900 or more
In 1884 the company estaDllsheo d
beneficial fund, to which 1t has contrl-
buted the sum of s1s6,sS9 and the en-
ployes s154,76S."