The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-10-29

q not otherwise credited IN this paper
and also the local news published
therein.
All rights of republication of
special dispatches herein are also re-
served.
THE THREATENED COAL STRIKE
A very ably written article setting
forth the mine owners side of the con-
troversy with the soft coal miners,
who threaten to strike next Saturday
is being circulated in the form of a
full page advertisement in some of
the big daily papers of the state of
Washington. This statement tells
what the miners are getting for eight
hours work and what it means to the
mine owners and the people to yield
to the demands of the miners.
The statement shows that men
working above ground are being paid
work; helpers and boys above ground,
get from s3.O5 to $3.50; day workers,
under ground, get from $500 to $3.50
and boys under ground none under
16 years being Employed get $500 to
s4.10 for eight hours.
But, the statement says, most of the
coal is dug by contract and contract
men are making from $3.50 to $16l
and even $1S per day, and that the
average wage of mine workers in the
coal mines of Washington state, in
Guiding the contract men, is $7.75 per
day of eight hours.
The miners are asking 60 per cent
increase of wages, which would mean
average daily wages of $12.40 per day, I
Tor six hours work, or more than 50 /
per hour. The miners demand that |
but one shift (six hours out of each
pa be worked in any of the mines
and that the time count from portal
to portal" which would mean only
about five hours actual work out of
each "a hours, and that only five days
in the week. There would be no work
at all done in the mines during two !
days out of seven. The miners en- +,
ployed by the company have contracts /,
that mean much to them in the way of !
lowering the cost of living. Rents for
four and five-room cottages run from
IS to $12 per month; coal is from
trio lights are furnished at very low
rates.
The demands OF the miners that :,
only one shift be permitted would .;
cut down the working hours of
the double shift mines from SO to 25
hours a week and of the single shift
mines from 4S to 25 hours per week. =
The statement shows that the pro-
duction of coal would fall from we'll
above four million tons per year for
the state to much below three million
tons and that the cost of coal deliver
ed to the consumer would be increas- r
I'd from SO to So per ton.
In other words the miners of Wash
ngton state, who are making an aver
age of $7.75 for eight hours work,
would ask every buyer of ton of -
coal to give him from So to S6 more G,
or the ton of coal in order that the M
miner might work but six hours a M
lay, five days week, and make S12.40 -
yer day, while many Of those buying 81
oal make from 50 to 81 per day and M
% not have steady work the year M
ound, as the miners do gee
- ~ - wi
tn,
M. J. Sweeley of Twin Falls, when pit
member of the Idaho state senate, Til
I'd the fight to take he agricultural tel
0llege from Moscow and give it to ~ ~
3uthern Idaho. Today Mrs Sweeley me
touring the state in the interest of Nc
lie University of Idaho and the ag- 1ul
cultural college and is doing grand
ork for these institutions. Senator
weeley is one of the staunch support VIZ
8 of the university and agricultural Law
dlege and Twin Falls is we'll rep tou
scented in the student body, which old
Ows how sentiment has changed and ~
w the people of Idaho realize that ~
is great institstion, with its farm ret
d experiment station, belongs to thr
nth Idaho, where nature provides ano
2 moisture and farming is the main t ~
lustry. and
n "a incl
Strikers are becoming. about as nm ecu
pular with American citizens asstho +
d hoarders and draft evadens and on
n s1acrors ,voro drrioo m rocant But