Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-03-21
WITH DEMANDS GRAN TED
There Would be YHFitable ReVOlu-
ton Of Mining Conditions in
the Anthracite Fields.
EVERY MAN ON SAME BASIS
Wages of Some Men Would
be Greatly Increased.
NO ALLOWANCE MADE FOR DANGER
Associated Press Dispaton by Special Wire,

Associated Press Dispaton by Special Wires
New York. March 2l.-The demands of
the anthracite mine workers for a read
iustment of wages and conditions in the
anthracite fields would If granted by the
operators, mean a veritable revolution
in mining conditions, according to a state
ment issued today by the operators
committee OF seven.
The statement declares it to be a mis-
take to assume that an eight-hour day
and a 10 per cent wage increase represent
the sum total OF the demands of the miners
The new and uniform scale, says the
statement would place every man on
the same basis, increasing the wages of
some men as much as $50 per cent. The
average increase under the uniform scale
would be nearly 80 per cent for outside
men, The proposed schedule would
mean a veritable revolution in mining
conditions.
The statement says that the miners
insist upon a uniform wage scale for l46
separate and distinct classes of workmen
about the mines
For years, it continues, "the opera
Tor and employe have recognized the
different value of labor in different locali-
ties and even in different sections of the
same colliery Yet now. the miners
committee demand equal pay for the
engineer who runs a little l0-h0rsepower
engine and the man who has a giant
engine in his charge They allow no
more for the men working under great
difficulties and dangers than for the same
class of workers at posts of ease and sim
plicity.'
According to the statement. masons
in the Mahanoy and Shamokin division
would have their wages increased Ill
per cent under the new rate proposed by
the miners committee They now re-
celve ia cents per hour and demand
3ll3. Some screen tenders In the Sioux
mine, in the same division. who now re-
Ceive 1919 cents per hour would receive
anlncrease of III per cent under the new
rate. The wages of blacksmiths would
be increased 81 per cent, bumpers would
receive a ~ per cent increase and plate
men would get within one cent double
the wages they now command.
The statement adds
"Other similar instances are numerous.
Under the new demands. hundreds OF en-
ployes receive better than twice their
present pay. There are watchmen, whose
wages now range from 81 TO 1872 cents
an hour some of whom would have 40
per cent added There are screen and
picker bosses and car oilers who would
profit % per cent The trackmen would
do even four per cent better than that.
There are leaders who would get within
a cent of $500 and breaker oilers who
would receive S2.O4 and sweepers who
would have Sl79 for every dollar they
earn now in a given number Of hours.
The sweeping demands OF the mine
workers would double the wages of many
inside men. While the general average
Of increase for inside day labor would
approximate p 8 per cent and most of the
men thus employed would receive under
the schedule at issue advances of one-fith
to one-quarter in their pay, there would
be great many men and boys working
a. the easier tasks involving less responsi.
bllity and less danger, who would have Their
wages doubled. There are seven pump
men in the Hazleton No. I mine of tic
Lehigh division IN the Lehigh Valley dis
trlct, who wotli profit l67 per cent"