The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1913-05-30
THE FLAT TOP
COAL FIELD
Advantages Offered La
borers.-C Condition
Good

There is no section Of West Virginia
where the laborer hes more and bctter
advantages than in the Flat Top Coal
Fald. Every man who desires 20 earn
a good living can get work at wages equ-
al to those paid laborers in any part of
the world and greater than in many
places The conditions under which the
mn work, whether in the mines, upon
railroads, farms, at saw mills or VIII. rcver
labor - employed i'm this section are good
They are paid well, treated fairy and
given opportunities which lew OF their
fellow toilers enjoy in other sections Of
the country. HOUSES are fairly good.
rent Is reasonable, ami upon most Of the
coal operations i'm Mercer and Mcdowell
counties the householder who wishes TO
raise garden is ~ liberty t. Use as much
of the ground near his home as he can
without extra cost. The stores. both
company and indeiendent, supply the
very beet food obtainab.e at reasonable
cost Only few Of the company stores
over-charge f,r supplies. The average
profit in the company stores Of this ssc-
tion is about ID per cent, while - me of
the st res only make from IO to II l-2
per ce.t- Working days are from to
10 honrs ard the men are not driven !;
miners and emp Ioyees i'm end around the
mines are net interfered with 10y mine
gund'. and il is con mpn thing for
sick or injured employers TO remain in
the company ous = ( n moths without
being press =. IL is tue tat in some of
t'e mirts where the ID ners g paid by
the car, tn Il the cars are too llrge for the
price paid The rate in this -, ton per
ton for mining coal is fir. IN 40 T. - cents.
or so TO 90 cents Per CIR. 1t is generally
known tn the cars upon = me f the
operations holl more than two tons and
the operators are correcting this condi-
ton Of their own accord. The writer was
informed by one Of the leading operators
In this section that at very early date
standard cars or scsles would be estab-
lished thrc ughout this field.
The school, are good and there are two
or more upon almoet every operation,
with the best teachers available who re-
ceive the best pay of any teachers in the
state. The school terms run from six TO
moe m ,nti's. II Mcdowell county there
a'e only few scho, Is with a shorter
term tlan seven mo-th-. The education
al system OF this field j. of the first class
Upon every OF Grafton end in every CON-
munity there are tao or more churches
past Dred 10y men who have the interest,"
OF the workers at heat, - in quite
number Of cases the past,r is miner
him elf. The CO mpaEies assist the peo-
pie in every eLd avor for the general up
LIT.
The men who work in the Flat Top
c)al fields are gci orally happy and con-
t-nt ii and large number OF them own
property in West Virginia OF elsewhere
The majority OF the lsborers in this field
are Negroes and they art elrn NJ a 900
living, supporting and educating their
families and only want the opportunities
and privileges that sre accorded other
men.
Political conditions are good. the men
vote for whom they please without IN
timidation or cocrcing. Trey are fFCe
American citizens, srrpoit whomsoeve,
they wish end DO rot fer losirc their
JOBS. II The ccal COMPANIES AMI ra:-
fosds Of the enti = tat, vish T. prevent
labor tro1bl and Eds Trial strife, they
will do well & eniP.,g Negro labor Tie
Negro Is not - succef table tote pur-
snasiOn of the acitatoT a. is the hit.
and foreign labo-cr Give the Neg,o lab -
or god wsses, a gocd home, ressonalI
working conditions. good -chools an1
churches and permit him 20 exercise Oh
right n citizenship witbor; hindrarce
and there vii he no industrial warfare.
Labor egtators, So,iai.sfs and deua-
gogues have never fund much fayo.
with the Negro. This field o1cr. afisant-
aces 10 tiie Negro founi ia ~ ether p c
ton Of tn country.
Employ more Ncgroe-, treat th. M iair.
y and industrial nsrc.a,c vii case il.
Wet Virginia.