The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-02-11
PAY FOR MINING COAL BY
WEIGHT AND NOT BY CAR

t.s ~. yaAelnS larEer cars without
tnAn lng the mining rate Per car This
practice has created great bitferness
amonE the Miners. especially 20 because
Nois. nS Az, Of Sa..s they have nsithsr
rue capacity o. the various sized carr
pon inysstiEation We have found that
tneee dinerent sired cars have been
branded 20 hold the same amount o. coal
AZ Mine No I. Where the ears we're
supposed 70 hold one and one-half tons
car was measured very carefully with
We Following result; feet long "a.
10 inches at top. sl0pinE in for a depth
81 ~ inche-. being feet 10 inches wide
for a depth OF II inches. containing 81
cubic feet. or holding a33s Ih- level
fun. 20 this add the top load OF not
less than inches at the outer edge with
Jumps rounding out fun ten inches 4
NE center with shovel coal. making an
additional II cubic feet OF 7O0 lbs Total
capacity OF car t03s lbs The miner
S.ins paid FOR one and one-half tons or
1850 lbs.
feet and H. supposed 20 hold one aud
and three-quarter tons. Add 90 this the
Top load required by the company's
rule. which viii easily make II cubic
weighted on fss lbs on each ear
Mine No. 2. Investigator found this
car 70 be feet long. , ~. inches at
~ Inches. when IL spreads out Isis
inches. measuring "a the top { feet 10
inches. S5 OF these cars will load
a steel scow OF 10000 lbs capacity.
This car brings the miner 70 cents. thar
- ISL cents per ton or sl0.50 for
city.
Mine No. T. Cars are supposed To
mold one and one-half tons. measure
nents made shows cars to Be feet
long. n. 10 inches wide at bottom and
up Tor a distance OF n inches when
u slopes outward and al the top is four
feet IL inches wide. This car contained
10000 cubic inches or over So cubic
feet. holding Il bushels and a fraction.
level ruiz but the miner Is required To
load ten Inches above the top which
- equal TO ga bushels. or the miner
loads 81 1920 bushels FOR which he Is
paid on car basis OF one and one-half
tons.
Mine No. 5. In another field con-
Irscts Were made at several mines
where scales have not been Installed
irices Tor loading the coal was 10 be
based upon the cubicsl capacity Of the
car At 90 lbs. per cubicul foot The
following result was found at the first
mine where the capacity was calculated
by the county surveyor: Cars upon
which the miner paid an average
OF one ton. were found TO hold 23n0
1000 and 1850 lbs. The car average was
245O hiss Cars holding 26OO TO 2SsO had
been rebuilt After the installation OF
scales these same cars loaded level riIl
weighed 250O. 29O0 and 320O lbs vary
Ing as the size OF the car there beins.
three different sizes. Prior to the max.
Ing OF this contract. and before the
scales were Installed. the miner was paid
upon bisis Of one ton for each cas
or gao pounds.
At another mine In the same field.
the company held thst the cars woulI
hold one and one-hRlf gross tons or
jazz IDS. Their contention was agreed
TO until the scales were installed since
when these same cars bring the mine.
1900 to 400 lbs
Morally Wrong for the Operator.
Cases such as these proving the moral
wrong To the coal miner. sustained by
accurate Information gathered by a
competent special agent could be con-
uhued Tor hours, but We now turn To
the moral wrong TO the operator.
9Th. II Is morally wrong to the on
orator because these unequal conditions
brought about through competition OF
the operators in the fields where coal
Is mined by the car and the fields where
coal Is mined by weight. drives the
west virginia operators To the eNtr-m-
ity OF competing against one another IN
stead OF stadning together and compet-
Nania Ohio and competitive states Inc
result IL that the selling Of West Nfr-
glnia coal has become cut-throat
game. one West Virginia operator uu-
derbidding another West Virginia aper-
ator frequently his next door neighbor
In such competionthc operator who
pays by weight claims. and Justly SO,
that their cost Of production per ton D.
from 10 TO 80 per cent greater than the
operators paying by the car These op-
orators mold with reason that this Is
UNFAIR. so II becomes not only "A moral
wrong To force the miner To load coal b.
the car, but IL IL an economic wrong
becalse II forces the price OF West Nlr-
Blnih coal down In the markets Of the
country when 10 ought To- be up be-
cause West Virginia has the best coal
ia The world. Hence the system OF pay
ing by the car is morally and economic
ally wrong and ought to be abolished
l.CygSwereS5 rN .scaifah
Commercially Wrong.
flrst. The Tact mat all CoaI companies
sell coal by weight and not by MEASURE
~ an unans cradle reason whN coal
should likewise be paid for by weight.
produces the coal
Second. The TACT that everyone who
handles the coal after ID leaves the room
OF the incorporating company. selling
agent. brokers. wholesale and retailer.
sells u by weight. and that the con-
sumer has no choice. but must buy a. II.
weight proves beyond question that It
II commercially wrong 20 force tNs
miner who produced the coal to load u
Third. All railroad ears have their
capacity plainly marked and iu plain
View. yet In every instance these cars
are loaded. billed and shipped by weight
ascertained at the railroad scales al the
mine or at the switching point Whr
make the distinction OF loading coal
by weight.
Fourth. In all cases where the miner
NAfANAAN NAlAANflA NN organization and
mas voice In making "a working agree
ment he IL paid by weight. consequently
competition from either the producing
or selling point ~ view. within or with
out the state, makes the system Of paw
ing the miner by the car commercially
wrong. The claim made al the hearuiut
last Friday 10y tue spuk, fUf the
N est virginia Operators aHz0tta tIuu
that the miners preferred 90 load coal
~ the car. because during prosperous
times when the demand for coal b. great
companies are indulgcut boz not rouuir-
lnE miners to load cars 20 their DapaJ-
ity. reaches the point ~ absurdlty. boz
cause uudermeasurc and uuderwsisht.
Ike overmeasure or overweight. Dr.
equally wrong
We challenge the gentlemen who state
mat the West virginia coal miners pre-
Ter 90 load coal hy the heap and not hy
weight o. Join with us Boo relusstiu.
this legislature 60 submit the question
70 the miners FOR a referendum vore
Cost
The cost ~ CqulpTluc a mine with "a
scale 20 take care ~ "a daily output u
$50 tons or less ia S25U This would D..
re- beam scale ~ the Fairbanks standard.
ana would last Tor years
Tho cost NJ fIuLrrirv r mine fH faEH
care uf u larger OUTPUT would uecrseI.
tate. in order 90 have quick dispatch. tNa
~" ~ aelf-rrHieferinr scale uf cost
From the l1st annual report ~ Obj.
department az mines there ere 500 com
merUlul mines ir this state. ruf Lose
fhau three hundred ~ these are euuiurs.