New-York tribune., 1918-01-17
Anthracite Miners Not Only
Drawing Big Pay, but
Producing More
Men Are Buying Bonds
Even Boys Take Home Enve-
lopes Containing Sums Far
in Excess of Old Ones
Especial Correspondence |

WILKES BARRE. Penn, Jan. l6.-In
.0;tc Of the coal shortage, the anthra-
ito mine worker is not only now earn
NC more money than at any perid of
ne industry's history, but is produc-
NC more coal, offcial figures showing
.s,, in tie last year 77,13S.So5 tons
nsre shipped to market, besides the
,.st amount that was needed for home
,unsump'on.
Records just compiled show that
anthracite production is substantially
.t is maximum with the present work.
NC force. which is not by several thou
ssna the man-powcr essential to the
c-eatest possible production.
There are at work-men and boya-
" the anthracite fields to-day $4,000,
sra this is 95,Ooo less than were en-
rloyed in 1915, or decrease Of al
>,.r cent. The anthracite development,
s.h in the mines and above ground, is
sach that the labor supply could be
irrreased at once % per cent. or more
han l5,0000W tons of coal a year.
There is q larger daily production and
larger number of days worked than
st anv time in the history or mining.
proof of this is offered in the fact
hat with one-seventh reduction in
nine working forces the actual output
=. anthracite for 1917 was increased
Nv one-seVeM.h.
Coal shipments reached their highest
mark in 1911. but in 1917 the previous
rscord was broken by 7.179.00G tons.
and This in the face of the fact that
here were many days of idleness due
"a petty strikes. holiday celebrations
ar1 the somewhat independent spirit
n The anthracite worker to work when
he pleases.
While the anthracite miner is work
no row and has been for several
months as he has never done before,
his earning power has reached tho
noint where he can not only buy the
necessities Of life at war prices, but
he has sufficient money in excess of
actual needs TO enjoy some of the
Injuries and lay away some IN the
banks besides.
While every mine worker produced
., = tons of ccal for shipment last
wear. he was we'll paid for his efforts,
hut starting December /, 1917, there
went into effect q new pay schedule lar
in excess Of his dreams in the days
when he toiled hard and long for q
mere pittancc.
1t is not uncommon for the miner,
The actual coal cutter, to carry home,
he latest figures show. an envelope
containing anywhere from $50 to $50
tor TWO weeks work. A general aver
age would strike between $50 and 500
;or two weeks labor, but there are
!,
he icld who get from $l25 TO Sl1o
.or two weeks labor Under the wage
scale now in force it is almost lmpossi-
ble for the miner to earn less than s.
day. even at the hardest of Jobs. if
ic desires 10 work He can earn any
shore from S. to So 4 day if he buckles
iovn to tho task. Men VINO were draw
ny from SIS TO SOS for two weeks are
'ow drawing from S25 TO $50, and
.ho,c are not miners, but the men
classed as laborers, who do the load
nc.
Conditions arc so prosperous in the
coal fields hat boys are now bringing
home the wages that once represented
The earning power Of men. Boys en-
noved as door tenders earn from $24
10 $50 i'm two weeks. Runners. mostly
young men, get from $l1 to SOL every
iwo weeks brattice men get from $40
70 Sy4.
Engineers take home pay envelopes
containing frcm So 70 S7S for two
weeks, an increase of from sli 10 SIS
ever the old scale. Boys employed as
slate picker get from SOS to $50;
shaser tenders from sos to $73; breaker
Machlnlsts, >'7, carpenters. sos; black
smlths SO; iremen, $50; ashmen, $40 !;
nIisrc
ordinary laborcrs working outside
earn from S4c to $53 in two weeks.
Nen engaged in loading coal under the
breaker receive from s45 to S7s.
tn1er th' new scale t is estimated
mat morr thar IS per cent Of the
~nefS are getting from $50 to $50 in
wv WeekS. and IA all cases where the
lra 90 not average $50 fer two weeks
Us pointed out that the fault is due
Vure!y 10 themselves.
Sn'le 'ne mlue worker is working
sm s.sl esrnine' lie is not being foolishly
eSs''s e~ma from his money. There are
.js''puons, OF course. but in general
,s miner is taking full advantage Of
.o .naNce 10 lay away the nest egg
r.' 'ac proverbial rainy day. Under
oss'hl conditions he is able to set Il
9oO 2s'q table, and that the average miner
ism HIS ~ork is of the kind that
s@anas substantial nourishment. But
5s, @e miner family is not worried to-
ssI a' about the store bin. The miner
sra sr MS family are we'll dressed they
Tia.. "s good appearing as any other
,Sa OF workers. but the fact that
M'. mmiher has Rooseveltian ideas on
lamllles means part Of his earn
mi,. ss must go for clothes; but the
a,a s,der and his boys are working. They
'bev be bringing home fat envelopes and
,b;Ssa are able TO get many of the
co.'s mat circumstances formerly.
T'peled them TO do without.
oya "r mine worker is Liberty bond
and DdVr' lie bought of the first issue
pss sq ne bought of the second He has
iSro.r n 1or tnem on the instalment plan
druugn the company office, but he has
he i, ".s DIT IN this respect. Just now
70 roins 's buying war stamps. He is not
,iacss, ofoNe to get Il supply Of GER
He H@'a'es' ta' but he is doing his share.
Il os ~ teaching his children the benc-
rulca.;.'pe 'pe war stamp and he is in
eresss the spirit of thrift to q
S"tVf degree n