Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-05-05
LABOR STATISTICS OF COAL
MINES.
More Than Half a Million Men EN-
pIoyed.

More Than Half Million Men EN-
pIoyed.
The average number OF men en-
ployed in the coal mines of the United
States during 1902 was 51S307, and the
average number of days made by each
man was 1877 fer the year. This was
in contrast to the previous year, when
an average number of 4S5.544 men
worked PIC days each OF the 51S,307
men employed in 902, 14s,141 found
occupation in the Pennsylvania
anthracite mines and the other
$40, 166 in the bituminous mines of the
country. The average number Of
days worked by each miner in the
anthracite field was lie, the average
number made by each worker In
bituminous mines was 300 These fig
ures were naturally an increase over
those of 1901 in the number of men
and the days shown fer the bitumi-
nous mines and a decrease in the
returns for the anthracite mines.
During 1901, an average number of
145,309 men was employed in the
Pennsylvania anthracite fields, ana
1876 was the number of days of each
mans activity. On the other hand,
only 340,235 men were employed in
the bituminous mines, and they rep
resented an average of 225 working
days each.
The above figures are taken from
Two rd ~ lS
Production of Coal in 1902, soon to be
published by the United States geo.
logical survey in its annual volume
on the mineral resources of the
United States. Significant also are
the figures which have been compiled
to show the average daily and annual
tonnage per man.
The annual production per man in
the anthracite region in 1890 was 1863
short tons. The average tonnage per
man per day was 1,S45 short tons. In
the bituminous region it was $40 short
tons per man per year, and 2.56 short
tons per man per day In 1901 the
anthracite employees produced an
average of 464 short tons per man per
year. The average production per
day per man was 2.37 short tons.
The average production of bitumi-
nous coal per man in 1901 was 664
short tons. The average tonnage per
man per day in the bituminous fields
was 2.94 short tons. The average
efficiency, or daily tonnage per man,
in the anthracite region has decreased
from ESQ in 1899 to 2.37 in 1901; the
bituminous average has decreased
from $50 in 1899 to 237 in 1901: the
bituminous average has decreased
from 3.05 to Pa. On account of the
long period of idleness in the anthra-
cite region in 1902, that year does not
form a fair basis for comparative sta
tistics. 1t shows, however. the low
est tonnage per man for the year for
The entire period since 1890 Com.
pared with 1901 the yearly tonnage
per man in 1902 shows a decrease of 40
per cent. The decrease in anthracite
production was 3Ss per cent. On the
other hand, increased efficiency is
shown in the labor performed during
the time the mines were operated.
from the fact that the daily tonnage
per man increased from 237 to "a.
The benefit secured by the average
bitumincus coal miner from the idle
ness of his competitors in the anthra-
cite field is exhibited in an increased
tonnage per day, from 294 in 1901 to
800 in 1902, and in an increase from
664 to 703 in the average tonnage per
man for the year.
1t is suggested that the machine
mined tonnage for each state may
have some possible bearing upon the
average tonnage shown for each man.
In addition to the decrease expected
in the capacity of anthracite workers,
there were seven states n which the
yearly tonnage per man in 1902 was
less than in 1901. In five of these
instances the percentage of machine
mined coal to the whole product for
that state was larger in 1902 than in
1901. There were only four cases in
which the average bituminous ton
mage per man per day decreased, and
in all but one of these the percentage
of machine-mined coal was increased
The average tonnage per man per
year varied from 361 in the Indian
territory to 95S.S in Maryland during
1901. and from 27S7 in Pennsylvania
(anthracite) to 905 in Maryland for
1902. The daily tonnage per man was
lowest in Texas, for both years.
namely, 1888 and 1.43. 1t was highest
in Maryland, $50 in 1901 and S.74 in
1902.
How Sky-Scrauers are Built