Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-06-22

sible working days in the year ending
June 80, 1913, the mines in Sangamon
County operated an average of only
1871 days.
"Of the II mines located in or near
Springfield one was closed during the
entire. month of July, two were closed
during both July and August, and one
| was closed during August and Septem-
| Der" A table shows the average work
| ing days per month to range from 10
in May and June to 20 in October, a
total Of 1871 for the year reported.
1t is a serious matter thus to lose
more than a third of the bread win
ner's time The driver, timberman,
eager or track layer paid at the rate
of 1884 per day, on such a schedule
is able to earn only about $4,000 a
year. even if he loses no time on ac-
count of Illness or accident and has
full time work every day the mine is
in operation. Unfortunately, "on
many days when mines operate they
run at less than capacity and do not
| give employment for eight hours to-
their quota of men"
Some of the miners all in the slack
period with other work but this lis diff
fcult because ."the days of slack work
are to a considerable extent scattered
throughout the year" Then, too, few
men possess sKfu for other trades. AND
| in cases where they do possess IT., they
are often erequired to pay initiation
fees and dues to otheE. labor unions,
| while keeping up their membership in
the United Mine WORKERS of America.
THUS one man in 1918 Joined the brick-s
/ layers union and secured employment
| for the summer. Another, to get work
at $500 a day in d blacksmith shop,
Joined the blacksmiths' union. The
union dues of the latter, in the two
separate organizations, amounted to-
1885 a month" @
some men find occasional jobs at
driving, bod carrying, digging in the
streets, or as farm hands. Many .ltal-
ian miners find work at SITS a day as
trackmen with the street railway com
panies which takes on about 800 extra
men in the summer. The great ma
jority Of the miners, however ARE
either unwilling to take the kind of
work they can get or are unable to
find any work at all and are there
fore idle while rent and insurance bills
pile up and groceries and meat are Sc
cured on credit
i story Of idle days and uncertain work.
| An entry man who could make $500
to $1,000 a, week counted on work only
half the time German miner who
could make up to $500 a day usually
received only $24.00 to $4,000 for two
| weeks work The wife of Lithuanian
complained that her husbands work
was always irregu1ar-nnly- one or two
of q L
have only three full days of work at
500 day regularly, she would be
perfectly content. An experienced min
er, forty-four years of age could make
81 90 a dav. Even with three daNs of
work a week his wife declared she
could save She was seen on May 29,
and he had no work since April 1, and
there was no prospect of any until
September. This woman said she could
not understand how families could get
along in slack times. when they d1dn
own their homes, as she did. young
man from Kentucky was trying TO
make a living for himself and his fam
ny; but from April 1st to June 1st this
rcar during the suspension pending
the signing of a. new wage agreement,
he had worked but two days, for which
he received 1853 If he had only three
days work a week said his wife, we
could live fine. But he doesn't get
even that If 1 didn't own this house
don't know how we'd manage.
can't save a cent. A shot firer, earn
ing $500 day was idle half the time
Even with the earnings of two daugh-
ters in the shoe factory. and contribu-
lions from a son not at home, the fam
lily of twelve had had to seek relief
from the Associated Charities. The
cause Of. their need was described oJ
the relief agent as, sickness and insult
fcient wages Eh
The net result is that while wage
rates appear to be liberal the miners
: incomes "are reduced until it is i'm
possible in the case of many, of the
men to supply an average family O.
five or six persons with the reason
able necessities of life"
In 1913 the State Mining Board com
| puted 1.-The. wages paid to 1895 miners
in the sixth district (where Spring
field is located) showing that the aver
age earnings per man per year wer'
$685.. This is a very rough estimate
land the figures were probably bi
too high" The secretary of the Hi
nois Mine Workers Union stated no
long ago that as result Of unemploy
ment, miners earnings in Illinois aver
aged less than 100000 a year. From
! the Mine Rescue Station Commission
, it was learned that the actual earn
J ings of miners in recent years hav
usually averaged between $500 an
$500 per year. but that in 1913 tn
amount fell under $500. When it i
remembered that this figure is severa
hundred dollars below the minimum
{ requirements set In a number of fam
lily budget studies made few year
] ago. and that--tfle cost of living ha
| Increased rapidly since these studio
i lwere made, one begins to realize tn
hardships endured by workers famil
lies through the cycles Of unemploy
ment that have almost become chronic
Causes.
"The cause Of this irregularity i
miners work is found partly in tn
mature Of the product and partly !
the artificial conditions resulting froi