Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-26


The miner may go down into the mine
where he works, fire a "shot," after
several hours spent in preparation. and
then lay off for two or three days while
the mine laborcrs working under him
clear out the coal he has dislodgcd
load it on to cars and send it to the
surface. lie gets paid for every ton
they take out.
Averages kept by one Of the biggest
mines in the hard coal district show that
they pay 81 day, on an average, to the
contract miner, and 81 day also on
an average to the company miner. Some
expert miners. of course, make n great
deal more than this. And they have a
habit of reckoning as days" work
whatever comes to them from single
"shot"
Mine labor is scarce in the anthracite
fields. The scarcity is worse in the most
essential of mining occupations, that of
tho miner properly so-callcd. You can
get plenty of laborcrs. But miners are
few.
One cause Of this scarcity is tho fact
that a miner must have certificate
from the state authorities. His ccrtif-
cate is the guarantee of his competence.
1t is insurance for his fellow workers,
1t would be dangerous business to turn
an inexperienced man loose in mine
with a drill. n length Of fuse and a can
of blasting powder.
Therefore, the regulation is that
man must go before an examining board
Of expert miners, who will pass upon
his qualifications and experience before
he gets his miners certificate.
Moreover, the ending of the war is
withdrawing a large element from the
mining population. The Italian soon
will be a missing factor in the sum OF
mine workers. Many have gone; hun
drcds of others are getting ready to go.
selling their goods, arranging for their
passage home. They have made and
saved money; they want to go back to
their native land to enjoy the fruits of
years of labor.
In tho old days mining was done by
native Americans; then by a large and
lusty generation of Irish. who are still
n dominant element in the coal fields.
But the rising generation is dcserting
the pits for the towns and the big
cities.
Living Conditions Bad
In Philadelphia numerous successful
men are scionS of the sturdy Coal
mine" Irish" They have ever been an
onward looking generation, and fathers
who toied in the mines lived frugally
and sent their sons to college. The
boys have grown up, and, growing up,
have gone from the mines. The hard
ships, the dangers and the drcary sur
roundings have driven them out. Only
higher wages and vastly improved living
conditions will recruit the army of mine
workers to n point where the country
dependent on the coal fields can be sure
of a steady stream of laden coal gon-
dolas.
With a few outstanding exceptions.
living conditions are nOtOriOusly bad in
the anthracite fields. Aside from the
dust and dirt, inseparable from mining
operations. and the stark ugliness of
denuded hilsideS SCARED with abandoned
workings, the little mining villages are
huddled, ugly, insanitary. The houses
in most cases are little better than
novels, with their pig pens and COW
stables-necessary to the sustenance of
large Misunderstanding little to either
the beauty or healthfulness of the sur
roundings.
Labor Growing Scarce
The temptation to quit the mines is
the greater because of the widespread
demand for skilled and unskilled labor
in the coal regions. Men with journey
man experience in almost any trade
find ready employment. Even unskillet
laborers cannot be obtained in quantities
| needed for necessary construction work
Operated on Part Time
Another element was contributed de
! liberately by the mincs-for what mo
| tive is known best to the mine owners
and the great railroad controlled cor
porations.
Production was put back by an esti
mated 100000 tons this year by til,
mines going on part time during mos
of three months in the early spring. Th
producers said there was no demanC
for coal. and kept their mines goin,
only two or three days a week. Fo
some reason, hard for the consumer t,
understand, they were unwilling to &C
cumulate coal. Possibly they wcr
afraid of lower prices with overpro
duction. The fact remains that tn
mines worked part time, with miner
earning only small proportion of thei
usual wages and, therefore, becomin
more discontented every day, until Gov
ernor Sproul announced the fifty cen
advance in coal prices in April. The
the mines went back on regular sched
ule, after the 5000, 900 ton coal defic
had been piled up.
U. S. DISCARDS BAN
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