The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-05
ONLY $500 A YEAR.
Continued from First Page.)

State Society of Mines and Mining and
state mine inspector. stated that there
has been a shortage of miners IN most
mining districts, caused largely by the
fact that the miners are unable to make
anything at the business. without high
er wages. He said the average income
Of miners in the Usage district IS less
than $500 a year. but in the southeast
ern Kansas district it is a little over
that figure He thought that slight
increase in wages in the southeastern
district would secure enough miners to
make up the shortage. but that it would
take a considerable increase to get
enough miners into the Usage county
mines The southeastern coal, he said
is the best steam coal west of the Mis-
sissippi and that it can be mined much
easier than the Usage coal The Mount
miners, but it is the other companies
which are short
With reference to coal confiscation
by the railroads Mr.. Castleman said
My understanding is that the rail-
roads contract with the operators for
a certain amount of coal and as much
more as they want. I understand that
they eonfiscate coal under this con
tract"
well. do you understand that they
have any right to do this?' asked Sen
ator Noftzger-
II don't know about the legality of
it. This is simply their claim
The coal is delivered to the dealer
on the track at the mines, is it not?''
Yes
Then isn't it the retail dealers coal
and not that of the operators which
the railroads conffscate2"
How do you explain the confscation
of state coal from the penitentiary
mines2 The railroads haven't any
claim on that. have they?''
Z No, I should call that plain steal
do you think the operators have
taken advantage of the shortage to
raise the price," asked Senator Nc
MILAN.
II don't know whether you would call
it taking advantage of the shortage OF
not. They are charging more for coal.
Down in the southeastern district a
year ago they charged $500 a ten at
retail. Now they are charging $500
tom
In my opinion the coal famine is
caused by the greediness of the anthra-
cite operators. That is the whole point
in my opinion. The coal that Kansas
ought to have has been going east to
help out the shortage in the anthracite
supply"
This is the opinion of T. ". Siddle. a
miner of Midway, Kansas. about the
coal famine. as given in his testimony
before the legislative coal investiga-
ton commission.
You can see great numbers of east
ern cars out here now that seem to be
going east with Kansas COAL contin-
ued Mr.. Siddle Prior to the anthra cit
coal strike it was very seldom you
would see an eastern car being loaded
at Kansas mines Now YOU can see
a great many Philadelphia & Reading,
Baltimore & Ohio, and other eastern
cars at the mines in southeastern kan
sas. OF course do not know positive
" where these cars go, but they seem
to be going east loaded with coal The
anthracite strike naturally made a
great shortage in the east and it is my
opinion that Kansas coal is going east
to make UP part Of that shortage
Ten miners were examined by the
committee at its first sitting. All but
one of them We're from the southeast
ern Kansas fields The one exception
was from Leavenworth- No Usage
county miners We're examined.
The first one called was Hugh Mon
Afghan. an employee of the Mount Car
mel Coal company at Frontenac.
Does your union have an agreement
or scale with the operators as to the
price you get for mining2" asked Sen
ator Mcmillan.
Yes we get So cents a ton answer
Have your wages been increased
during the last few months?"
No"
How often are you paid?"
Twice a month"
do you work all the time-that is
during the entire year2"
NO, we don't work ali the time"
Well approximately. how many
months did you work during last
year,
About ten months, 7 should think. .
Are the mines always worked to
their full capacity?"
There was about six weeks during
the summer that we didn't work
In your judgment did the operators
get out all the coal they could ?"
The witness refused to answer this
question on the ground that his knowl-
edge was not sufficient to make his
opinion of value.
Mr.. Monaghan further testified that
there is no scarcity of labor and that
there has been no change in wages
during the past six months. He knew
of no shortage of cars.
L. D. Lamb, also of Frontenac. said
he had not worked ten full months in
the past year: that wages had not been
increaseds that # costs no more now