The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-26
WOULD PUT COAL Up S1.aO.
Operators Figure on h a Successful
strike Would Mean.

The committee Of seven Of the anthra cite
operators issued a statement last night TO
show that il would be necessary to charge
the consumer l.2O more than he is paying
now il the demands Of the anthracite miners
were granted. The statement says in part:
The demands of the miners provide for a
threerold increase Of wages,
First: An increase OF 10 per cent. TO all
miners en- ga ged in cutting coal or other
men enga Red on contract work.
Secondly The establishment Of a mini
mum day wa ge for each class OF labor. This
minimum day wage. in many instances. is
100 per cent. greater than the rates now being
paid.
Third: The establishment OF an eight
hour day. instead Of a nine hour day, without
any reduction in a days pay.
By careful calculation from the payrolls
Of the operating companies. the eject OF
these three increases is TO add an average
Of u "a per cent. 10 the actual labor cost per
ton Of coal. This is equal. at the present
labor cost Of 81 SIS, to an increase OF % IS oents
Der ton on all sizes Of coal which are mined.
II must be understood. however, that the
s~o-called steam sizes" of anthracite-which
are a byprOduct Of the indus ry--com into
direct competition with biruminous coal. and
must therefore be soil for "a price regulated
by soft coal. The re suit is that all the added
l4DOT Cost 81 lnf 'H'ilN lllhSAAN i'Ho' ~"
borne by the domestic sizes. which COM
prise e5 per cent. of III" entire outplt,
This placing the burden on the domestic
~sizes-a fact against which there can be
no appeal-brings il about that the labor
cost Of each ton of coal sold TO the domestic
consumer would be rails ed. under the new
demands. by SIS cents a ton.
The general public asks, Why would not
the addition Of 81 s cents to the market price
regain the entire extra outlay OF the OPERATOR
This query ignores one OF the important
awards of the Roosevelt Arbitration Board,
viz, .-the sliding scale" According to the
sliding scale. the present fat rate Of waee
must be paid for every ton Of coal sold at tide
water for $50. Every Ave cents increase
on this market price OF coal. under the sliding
scale. adds | per cent. to the wages OF every
class of labor. The significance Of this is
that out Of every hve cents additional price
the miners employed by the Lehigh Valley
Coal Company. for instance. must receive
30 cents and the operator 81 cents.
II Is thu apparent that II the market price
Of coal should be increased 80 cents. the
operator would receive only u cents to recoup
him for the Sis cents added labor cost per
ton before the increases began.
IL becomes necessary. therefore. TO push
I'D the price of coal until the net share Of the
operator Is sufficient TO pay the Sis cents
II will be understood that the miners wages
increase with every advance in the market
price. But the operator must secure a SUI
hcient net increase TO equaliZe the net increase
paid to the miner. This equalization Is
reached, according to the figures OF the
Lehigh Valley Coal Company. al about $40.
Some OF the companies estimate the raise at a
little less, some at a little more. But the
principle il always the same.