Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-06-02
WAGE STATISTICS.


City State bank at IL o'clock this
morning. and discussed the strike
Atuation as It now stands. At tine
opening of the meeting, MT Carter OBJ
Jectei TO the mode OF procedure of the
committee. saying that il was ap-
pointed not 10 devise a basis of settle
ment. but plan by which TO bring
the operators and miners together
thai they might adjust their own diff
feIences. Mr.. Mcconnell replied that
this was what the committee intended
"a DO. but first they wanted to find out
the facts in the case, and for this
reason they went over the books. Mr.
Carter then spoke OF the article in the
Democrat this morning and said if
that paper reported facts the opera
tors ought not to be afraid to submit
to arbitration.
The committee presented the fol
lowing result from their investiga-
tions. which included ten men on each
mine: The average payment at the
Hesperus during the month of April
was s4.7S. the highest wages being
300.
At the City mine the average was
$3.13. the highest SAB
AT the Champion $3.50 highest
s3.67.
q At the Porter. average sa.55, highest
s4.75.
At the Boston mine the highest 10
men earned an average of $i.i3 each.
per day. during the month of April.
This, they said was quite sur
prise. Mr.. Carter said this wasn't a
fair statement and Mr.. Gehr asked
why they didn't take the ten men who
got the lowest wages or at least av-
erage the highest and the lowest. EX-
amples were given by Mr. Carter and
Mr.. Gehr of men claiming that they
received only $l.5O per day and Mr..
Gehr said that the Boston was the best
paid mine in the field; also that the
Hesperus men told him that they had
worked 1G hours a day for the wages
received. Mr.. Carter objected that the
bcaks show what the men got but they
do not show the number of hours
worked. and that men in the Ute
mine had gone back to work after
supper Mr.. Gehr added that the men
had to so into the mines one day and
loosen the coal for the next, but while
they worked two days they We're only
paid for one.
Mr.. Mcconnell responded that it was
no argument that the men went in
and worked extra time "They work
ed under contract system. If | shut
my place down on Sunday. and the
men choose to go in and work. it does
not follow that | must pay for it."
Mr., Carter said that the operators
claimed that veins were feet in
height, while the men knew that they
were only two and a half feet
Mr.. Mcconnell brought up the fact
that the first proposition was that the
men should work for SO day and Mr..
Carter claimed that the agreement was
not made in good faith on the part of
the operators towards former em-
ployes. that this system. anyway,
would not prove satisfactory either
to men or employers, and that no one
was more anxious than himself to get
the matter settled and get back to
work.
Speaking ofthe statements taken
from the books Mr.. Mcconnell said
that if ten men can do certain work,
ten other men can, and Mr.. Gehr put
the objection that this wouldn't be
fair way of looking at It, "Why
don't YOU 20 to work and get us the
average of what the highest and low
est were making?" he asked,
Mr.. Carter here objected again to
what he seemed to consider some in
men and urged that the affair be put
before the men who have interest in
it. and let them settle it. He com
plainad thar the business men were
trying to get the miners into "A trap.
He asked Tor a committee of men who
would work without bias or prejudice.
and said that Mr.. Mcconnell was the
last man that he would submit any
thing to- Mr. Mcconnell replied that
the honors We're even but that the
committee We're going to get at the
facts of the case, just the same and
let the public know them, whether the
miners put brakes in the way or not
He said that if there was anything
that was not right they wanted to
. know it. and that they would show
-the receipts OF the men for the mon
ey they got.
Mr.. Carter then asked that the City
and Champion books he brought in.
At this point Mr., Gehr said IF
the average will lead to anything like
this figure. have been misled. but |
am satisfied that it will not do So
He was then looking over the papers
containing the statements of the com
mittee He said further that a man
whom he knew to be a good strong
miner. received only S29 for fifteen
days work.
The books of the Champion mine
were brought in, and after some dis
cussion over them. the following table
was made out and the average found
'sr all the men during the month of
April:
No. Days. Amount
& 2......2i...,..,....''.''.'$l34. $l34.'e
2I........... 1850
1856
5......14 ..........'..' 1913
a ..ll...,,,.......,.. 3l.9O
- 7..24................ 59.05
$40
n oA 80 30