The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-09-20
DECREASED EFFICIENCY
DUE TO WAGE INCREASE
SOME FIGURES AND FACTS DIS
CLOSED IN ARIZONA MIN
ING OPERATIONS.
(Walter Douglas In Mining and
Scientific Press)


In the summer Of the year 1915, at
which time sliding scale Of wages
was put into effect by the manage
ment of the Detroit Copper company,
the average pay of wage earners in
the mine department was approxim-
ately $3.50 per day, which average
included a large force Of surface lab
orers, whose 81 rate served to offset
the considerably higher pay earned by
the miner and other underground la
Dor At this time the number of
tons mined per man, exclusive of
those engaged on development work,
was 26 For the first six months of
the year 1917, with an increase of
wages that brought the average daily
earning to $40, the number Of tons
OF ore mined per man dropped to2.1S;
in other words, the cost for labor to
mine ton of ore in the early part OF
|1915 was 80 cents, while for the first
six months of 1917 1t increased to
$3.50. The miner who earned 36h
cents per hour, based on Is cent cop
per- during the former period earned
56h cents per hour in the latter per-
iod on % cent copper.
The labor employed in the mine de-
partment of the Detroit Copper COM
pany since the initiation of the COM
pany's operations in 1880, has been,
and is now. largely Mexican, with a
substantial proportion of Spaniards
and few Italians.
In September Of 1915 the Western
Federation of Miners sent organizers
into the district; these, largely owing
to the strained relations existing be-
tween the United States and Mexico
at the time, We're successful in induc-
ing all the Spaniards and a number of
Mexicans to join their organization
They then demanded recognition of
the union, which, being refused, a
strike was called. 1t Is unnecessary
here to recite the history Of this strike
which, through incendiary speeches
by the then governor Of the state, as
sumed the aspect Of revolution, In
which all workers who would not join
the federation were deported from the
district. No attempt was made by
the operators to introduce outside la
Dor, and in February, 1915, through
the efforts of federal mediators
Messrs. Myers and Davies, the unior
surrendered it's charter, work being
resumed under the same conditions as
existed before the strike was called.
At the suggestion of the mediators
the operators consented to the cleo.
ton by the employees of grievance
committees to discuss with the man.
agement matters relating to wages
conditions of labor, etc. Unfortun
ately for the future peace of the dis
trict, the men elected to these com
mittees were of the most radical type
Prompted by j. l.. Donnelly and othel
officials of the Arizona Federation o.
Labor, they assumed the right to die
tate to the operators not only WHIT
should or who should not be discharg.
ed, but who should be employed Oh
promoted. Whenever the manage
ment declined to accede to these de.
mands a strike was called either IL
one department at time, or all the
employees of the companies were call
ed out simultaneously. Nine of these
strikes have occurred in the 10 months
since operations were resumed These
methods not having been entirely
successful, in the opinion Of the feder.
alton, in obtaining all their demands
a system Of sabotage was introduced
Underground This APPARENTLY appeal.
ed strongly to the class of labor EN-.
ployed, and was effective in reducing
the tonnage efficiency. AS an exam.
pie: In May last the management,
having decided to concentrate its too
sharpening operations, thereby being
enabled to dispense with six or eight
Mexican blacksmiths, the grievance
committee protested, and not being