The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-02
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT MINERS AND
DON'T KNOW ABOUT OPERATORS

with you constant other daily
the country has prned|fuIi particulars etc
making and no one Knows fully understand the they want but
cannot find out what they getting now how hours they work
whether they day hour would like have
in the dark this proposition / win tell us?
The above letter written by Of the best citizens in
Mississippi, planter and merchant at Merigod,
That he does agree with lessons esteem for
him in the least The tolerance of The News Scmar for the
opinions Of others extends farther than those who subscribe
its views.
In order to make clear the contention of the miners we shall
go back 1916 In the 1916 contract the miners given "a
for pick mining s. for machine mining and $2o8
per day for day labor The average selling of coal the
mine 81 25 per
BY mutual agreement raise had in August 1917. On|
Oct 1917 the So-caIed Washington agreement effected
Including the voluntary increase August this agreement brought
the 6cent to "a cents the Scent rate to u cents
and the sos rate up to S.
The pick represent 80 per OF all engaged in
mine work Their wage increase % per Machine
comprise 40 cent OF the total force and their wage increase
was SO cent Day labor constitutes cent of the total
number OF men, and their increase 68 cent Forty
four per cent was the average increase
The agreement fixed the average selling price of coal
at 45 at the mines, increase of almost 100 per In
February 1919 the fuel administration lifted the price resc
tons and since then the price has S. making the
increase price for the operators the negborhood of 100
cent over the 1916 price They have absorbed the difference
between the "A enhanced OF labor and the 100 per
cent enhanced selling price Of coal
Certain large operators in the union fields where the
idle, said to be large operators the nonunon fields
charged by the miners that they largely responsible for
precpitatng the strike in order reap profits from
their nonunon properties during the strike,
Figures for 1919 complete but those compiled BY the
Iowa state officials indicate that the pay of the Iowa miners
from Sept 80, 1918, to Sept 3d. 1919 was $3.50 year
Top wages for miners during the peak production year of
wartime $3.50 year. This is the average wage OF the
Illinois miners during the time when production stimulated
by war demands Since the armstce the working time
OF the miners has fallen they claim below 50 per of the
possible working time This reduction of working time is due
to causes over which the miners have control Lack of
is but OF number of The miners clothing and
bread bill is subject to such period of lapse.
In the peak year due to breakdowns and other emergencies
the miners able to work only 28 days In normal times
the average number OF days worked per year goes down $50
or 100 But the Sday year the miners able produce
all the coal needed by industries running under wartime pres
sure and fill all demands for bunker coal and pile up surplus
OF 100000 tons great part OF the surplus has been sold
None OF sold for less than the control price of $45
much of it is claimed sold So at the mine The
claim to know that most of the surplus sold after the control
price removed
Upon the unemployment shown by the statistics the miners
base their claim for shorter wokwa order that the possible
amount OF working time be divided evenly throughout all
f the districts and mines
To up the miners contention in word they are working
an average OF zoo days year increase of 40 per
against increase of e per in living expenses and the
operators they getting of coal
cost OF 40 cents and selling increase Of Sis about
Il $50 per
1t is for the purpose of revealing all the in the cono-
versy that Mr. McAdoo is insisting that the government
the profits made by the mine operators since every detail con
II corning the miners is known
onehaf OF the world doesn't
francis OBren following
YORK paper; WANTEDDhwasher
6 dainty salads" ~ ~ ~ " F'O
good many automobiles suffer from the
Food is lower Ind other place il
the county But we would rather live somewhere
many society women themos bottles in their
snes Don ask US why Use your imagination
The saloon legally two years age
is about to
Iha MI Marshal in tn
VI p1"' p'e' mat was good one 10 start with
Trotzky is getting ready to
There is plenty of is fin
81 out its W '
Henry Ford has car reports do not sa
H whether It has to be canked
Ii The department Of agriculture
Il but as somebody has said. what's the use?
The fool not the only from his day
Speaking cannibaism,
II giving dinner will be high"