Evening journal., 1911-10-23
WHERE UNCLE SAM
MINES HIS COAL

Editor Of THE EVENING JOURNAL
At Williston, North Dakota, there is
a government owned and operated
mine from which the coal is produced
cheaply to run the irrigation works
under the direction of the engineers Of
Reclamation Service.
Uncle Sam has already proven him
self a successful coal miner. He
owns a mine at Williston, North Da-
kota. From the mine he gets the coal.
With the coal he runs the power
plant With the power plant he gem
crates electricity With the electric
ity he runs the pumps. With the
pumps he lifts water out Of the Mis-
rouri river. With the water he irri-
gates thousands of acres of arid
lands. And when he has done this he
transforms barren acres into fertile
fields; he literally makes the desert
to blossom like the roses.
This whole project is managed by
Uncle Sans servants in the Reclama-
tion Service. Uncle Sam owns the
coal mine; his engineers operate It,
as they do also sthe power plant and
irrigation works. And this govern
ment owned and operated coal mine,
conducted on model lines, is able to
produce coal at $1.6O a ton. The re-
tail price of coal at Williston main
tanned by private operators is $3.50 a
ton. Hence the government is mining
It's own coal at 80 cents a ton less
than It could be bought in the open
market. And the engineers in charge
are reported as saying that if the
mine were operated all the year round
ct worked only four months of the
year, during the crop growing sea-
SOM II would be possible to produce
the coal at nearly twenty-five cents
less a ton.
A newspaper correspondent Mr. Q
L. Gilman, made personal investiga-
tion of this government owned and
operated coal mine, and reports in
teresting facts. Here are some o
them.
The government works its men 81,
days a week, eight hour a day, ant
they average a profit of 500 a mOntl
above living expenses.
1t cost more to operate the mine be
cause of the character of the sol
and coal. which make extra timber
ing necessary.
No boys are employed
Every needed safety device is used
No one has ever been killed or ser
iously hurt.
Air in tunnel 1000 feet unde
ground is sweet and fresh.
Exits are arranged so that entomb
ing is impossible.
The work day is eight hours.
Nobody works more than six day
week.
Miners get 60 cents a ton for "roor
work." 20 cents in 10 foot entries, s
cents in foot entries, and make al
average of s5 per day.
The government provides a mess
where miners get good meals at 2
cents each.
The government provides barracks
rent free, miners providing their owl
bedding only.
The government provides good cot
tages for married men at SO a month
OF course this is mere child's play 10
Uncle Sans engineers compared {
the work they are doing in diggin
the Panama canal But the facts tina
the Federal government is now opeI
ating successfully a coal mine of il
own in North Dakota is a poser 70
those coal magnates who warn u
that Uncle Sam is bound to make
fat failure of owning and operatin
coal mine IN Alaska. AS a matte
Of fact is theer any good reason VIII
our government engineers should nc
run a mine Just as successfully as tn
Morgan -Guggenheim engineers.
Respectfully.
Geo. H. Litz.
Wilmington, Del, October 10.