Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-07-11
West Va. Miners Poorest
Paid. OF All The States
(By William Diamond, International
Organizer, U. NJ. W.

page article that is headed with the
caption, 1911 Coed Coal Year for
West Virginia in Amount Produced
Farthersdown in the same article .ap-
pears the following:
West Virginia, for the last
three years the second in rank
among the coal producing states,
stands almost alone in one par
ticular-the low average price
at which its coal, some of 1t the
highest grade of bituminous
coal produced in the United
States, brings to the producer"
If ever the Charleston Mail publish
ed true statement that is the one.
The coal miner, the actual producer,
is the one who receives such low .av-
erage price for the coal he produces!
1t seems rather strange to me that the,
Mail" in its desife/t to make public
the chief reason for the alleged In
dustrial Progress OF West Virginia,
measured by it's increased production
from year to year, fails to make
known the prime cause for this rapid
development of the coal industry of
this great state, secured through the
robbery OF the wage earners that pro-
duce this commodity.
Although West Virginia has made
rapid strides towards the front as "a
large producer of coal during the past
few years, and to. one that has not
taken the time or availed themselves
Of the opportunity to analyze this
proposition, he will no doubt be in
fluenced with the thought that his
state is making a magnificent show
ing in the industrial field. Yes, it is,
but it is to the discredit OF the intelli-
gent citizenship of West Virginia, for
the manner in which it is secured.
Let US see If the producers of this
commodity have secured the same 4
proportion Of advancement as the in
creased output of West Virginia |
would justify.
First, we find that the smine work I
ers work longer hours per day than
in any other coal producing state.
Second, that the working conditions
Of mine workers is away below that /
OF any other coal producing state.
Third, the mine workers. receive a 4
lower price per ton than the mine
workers Of any other state.
Fourth, the mine workers are de-
MED the rights guaranteed them by
the Constitution. through the guard
system established at the mining
camps by the coal companies.
Fifth, that the living conditions OF n
the mine workers are disgrace to
West Virginia, and do not compare in
any degree with any coal producing
state in the United States.
In the face Of these facts and they
are facts. Where does the boosted
Industrial Progress come in? If there
is any one who has any doubt as to
the truthfulness of the above charges
we are willing that he go out into the
mining camps and investigate for him
self and then make public what he
observed in his tour of investigation. V
There is one thing that goes long
way towards reducing the cost Of pro-
duction and the coal operators of
West Virginia with very few excep-
lions take advantage of it, and that
is the system Of having the miners
mine two tons and paying them for
one. The miners not having the op-
portunity to place checkweighman
on the tipple are thereby unable TO
check the weight of their product
(The state law of West Virginia pro-
vides that miners shall place a check
weighman on the tipple to see that
their coal is properly weighed). Yet
the coal companies through their
agents discourage the miners from
employing a checkweighmAn. That
would not be SO bad if they only stop
ped at that, but in all the unorganizedi
fields of West Virginia the coal COM
panies will not permit the miners to
place man on the tipple to act as
checkweighman in their behalf. The
coal operators realize that with man
on the tipple looking after the inter-
ests fthe miners the opportunity to
rob the miners would be reduced %
minimum.
All the above charges are the prin-
cipal reasons why West Virginia can
extend her market facilities for her
product, and II securing such fa5 dis
tant markets and increasing the out
put OF coal from year to year, is the
medium by which industrial progress
is measured. then God help the In
dus.rial workers that sacrifice so