The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-18
NEWS OF THE CITY
LABOR BUREAU ON
MINING INDUSTRY
Growth of Iron Production Sub
ject of Long Report by
State Officer

The marvellous growth Of the iron
mining industry in Minnesota in the
last ten years is pointed out by statis-
ties just prepared by the state labor
bureau for submission in the depart
ments biennial report to the state
legislature.
Figures for 1904 are in some in
stances not available, as the shipping
season does not close until Dec. 1, and
quantities of ore on the docks at Two
Harbors are-included in the years
product but not included in the years
shipments. Data as to 1902 is COM
plete. and by comparison with the sta
tistics returned by the inspection of
1892 the value of the products of the
iron mines in Minnesota has increased
from s3,090,942 in 1892 to S23,9S9,227
in 1902. While the federal census of
1900 shows that only per cent of the
population of Minnesota is employed in
mining and quarrying, the state is
ninth in rank of the states of the un-
ion in the value of its mineral prod
ucts In 1902 the state ranks first in
the production of iron ore, producing
one-half the iron mined in the United
States.
There were in 1902 ffty-two mines in
operation in the state, worked by
thirty-one operators. and employing
S,256 men. A notable fact is that only
two boys under sixteen years of age
were found at work in the mines. The
total salaries of managers and Office
men amounted to $430,994, and the total
wages of S.256 employees was 1926, 933.
OF the total of employees, 1858 were
employed in surface work, receiving
$1,656,501, and 5,5S8 worked beneath
ground, receiving $3,720,432. The aver
age compensation per day for surface
men was $2.07, and for men at work
below the ground level the average was
1929. Figuring on basis of 800 days
to the year, the average yearly wages
of the men employed in the mines is
found to be $651.27. Contract work
employed 723 persons.
Changes of Year
There was small change in the con-
ditions reported for 1903, 8,240 men
being employed in the fifty-two mines.
In eighteen mines 1887 men were en-
p1oyed the full twelve months in the
year. Comparing the wage schedule of
1903-19o4 with the preceding biennial
period, the inspectors report an in
crease of 3.77 per cent in favor of the
last period. Commenting on conditions
for the last year, the inspectors say
that the season was unsatisfactory
from the wage earners' standpoint, for,
because of the lake carriers strike
early in the season and the dullness
in the iron manufacturing centers,
shipments for 1904 showed a notable
decrease.
The report includes a chapter on ac-
cidents in the mines of Minnesota, but
it is admitted that the report is incom-
plete, for it includes only those acct
dents that have been voluntarily re-
ported by the mine operators. A-total
of 81 accidents is reported for 1903
1904. OF these, II occurred on the Me-
sabi range and 10 on the Vermillion
range. Forty-nine of the total num-
Der reported were fatal Fourteen re-
suited from falling earth, from falls
in chute holes, 4 from falls in shafts,
8 from explosions, 8 from falling rock,
and 8 from falling buckets. Other
causes resulted in additional deaths,
but the causes of II deaths are not
reDOrted.