The sun., 1919-11-02

- of labor have borne the bur-
i l. den OF the war is graphically
shown in relation to the coal miners.
the ship yard workers, the steel work.
ers and other toilers whose status is
considered in the final instalment of
The late Leonard Blakey's book, Has
Labor Carried Its War Burden?" the
FIRST part Of which was set forth in
THE SUNDAY SUN of last week.
It will be recalled that in the pre-
y,ous article Mr.. Blakey made sharp
distinction between the money wages
and the real wages, the latter being
computed by taking into account
the higher cost of living. He placed
the actual value of the dollar in pur-
chasing power as from 81 to 61 per
cent, according to the section of the
country in which the laborers are sit
uated.
These days, when the coal miners
are threatening to go'out on strike and
are making demands which would
place an additional tax of $40 year
on every consumer, the analysis of
their wages will serve to throw light
on their claims.
II We accept the daily earnings of
the anthracite miners in April, 1914,
as a basis we find that by July,
1919, the delivers for black diamonds
had greatly bettered themselves in the
change of unit compensation. The
L., 70
have been reached more by the men
who aid the miner and are associated
with him rather than by the miner
himself. The greatest increases We're
-'obtained by the so-called outside day
men. The slate pickers, for instance,
back in 1914 were getting only SO
cents day. while in July, 1919, their
wage was s2.S7 which is a gain of
1911 per cent in money wages. 1t
is a rise of 27.3 per cent. in the real
wages, which allows for the shrinkage
Of the dollar.
Wages Up 65.I Per Cent.
The contract miners, who in 1914,
IAacoording to Mr. Blakey's figures, were
averaging s3.47 a day as shown by
the chart, were getting in May, 1919,
s5,75, which is an increase of 65.7 per
cent. in money or apparent wages and
a loss of 40 by real wages. The
miners laborer had reached an ap-
parent gain OF 1872 per cent. and a
4 real gain OF % per cent. In consid-
ering these figures, however, 1t must
be remembered that the contract
miner at times makes large sums Of
money, especially when he Is a boss
| with a number of miners working for
him.
Mr.. Blakey observes that the un-
skilled laborers, such as slate pickers
drivers and pumpmen, have received
important increases in wages; and the
Semi-skllled workers have not received
The same advantage. In neither group
can he find any justification for a 60
per cent increase at this time in the
anthracite field.
4 His study IN the wages of the btu
Z 'minous miners shows that they have
received increases in pay from April,
1912, to November 1918, which, how
ever, have been below the standard of
real wages in amounts varying from
10 5 per cent. His returns, how
ever, from the soft coal regions do
not include the wages of contract
miners.
n The review of the war experience
OF the workers in the industries pro-
ducing consumers goods" continued
Mr. Blakey, presents an interesting
history. In two Of the industries the
workers were well organized long be-
iore the war. The earnings OF all the
members Of the United Mine Workers
"a not keep pace with the rise in the
cost Of living The United Mine Work
frs Joined with the transportation
workers in bearing the burden OF the
4 war"
How Building Fell on.
Mr.. Blakey says that during the war
building operations had practically
4 ceased. Private building investments
IN the United States had dropped In
The last four years from 81 10000, 900
70 approximately s3OO,OOO,OOO, or only
about S700O0O0O more than normally
is involved in a single years construc-
uon in New York city. During this
| period those Industries whose activi-
ues are a prerequisite TO building re-
NAMED relatively stagnant or were in
volved in price and labor disputes until
me late summer.
Mr. Blakey's book shows that in
June all Of the building craft, except
'he building laborers, had received in