The Connecticut labor press., 1919-11-22

that show clearly the case for the or
ganized coal miners. They show that
while the mine owners have reaped
profits by thousands, the miners have
gone on digging coal for the nation un-
der wage conditions that were intol-
cradle and under fuctuating schedule
of work that made mining about the
most uncertain industry in the country.
The story-frankly the case for the
miners-was told by Edgar Wallace
spokesman for the miners in the east,
and not restrained by the court order
issued in indianapolis. Mr.. Wallace
recounts the miners story from back
ground of long years spent in the mines
and in the service of the miners.
In the 1916 contract" said Mr.. Wal
lace, "the miners were given "a cents
for pick mining, 81 cents for machine
mining and S2.o8 per day for day labor
The average selling price of coal at the
mines was $1.25 per ton.
By mutual agreement raise was had
in August, 1917. On October +, 1917,
the so-cal1ed Washington agreement
was effected. Including the voluntary
increase of August, this agreement
brought the 64-cent rate up to "a cents,
the 52-cent rate up to II cents and the
$2.o8 rate up to SIS.
The pick men represent 50 per cent.
of all men engaged in mine work. Their
wage increase was 20 per cent. Machine
men comprise 40 per cent. of the total
force and their wage increase was 38
per cent Day labor constitutes II per
cent. of the total number of men and
their wage raise was 68 per cent Forty
four per cent. was the average increase.
The same agreement fixed the aver
age selling price of coal at $2.45 at the
mines, an increase of almost 100 per
cent. In February, 1919, the fuel ad-
ministration lifted the price restrictions
and since then the prise has gone to $3
per ton, making the increase in price
for the operators in the neighborhood
of 130 per, cent over the 1916 price
They have absorbed the difference be-
tween the A. per cent. enhanced labor
cost and the 130 per cent. enhanced sell
ing price of coal.
Certain large operators in the union
fields, where the mines now are idle,
also are large operators in the nom
llnioIl fields. These operators were
largely responsible for precipitating the
strike, IN the hope of reaping enorm-
Gus profits in their non-union proper
ties during the strike"
Among owners of this character Mr..
Wallace named the Peabody Coal conn
pany, the Colorado Fuel & Iron COM
pany and the United States Steel Cor
poration, the latter two not being mem
bers of the operators association.
Mr.. Wallace produced figures to sub
stantiate the miners contention that
actual wages earned are at point that
denies the miners a standard of living
acceptable to American workers.
''The only official figures for 1919 are.
those compiled by the Iowa state of1c-
ials," Mr.. Wallace continued. These
figures show that from September 80,
1913 to September 80, 1919, the aver
age earnings of the Iowa miners were
$3.50 per year The period on which
this calculation is made contains one
month and eleven days of war produc
ton, in which the rate of production
ran higher than it now runs.
'HTop wages for miners during the
peak production year of war time were
81 800 per year. This is the average
wage of the Illinois miners during the
time when production was stimulated by
war demands. It is true that some men
earned much more than this average,
but that only emphasizes the fact that
some earned much less. In Iowa the
average yearly earning during the war
time peak was 81, ,z80.
But let me call particular attention
to the fact that since the arnistice the
average working time of the miners has
fallen to below so per cent. of the
possible working time. Apply that con-
dition to any other trade, or to any pro-
fession, and contemplate the result. This
reduction of working time is due to
causes over which the mine workers
have no control. Lack of cars is but
one of number of causes. The miners
bread bill and clothing bill is subject to
no such periods of lapse.
at will help to make the situation
clear if l say that the mine operators
could afford to pay the increases asked
and could reduce the working day to
meet our demands, and, on the basis of
present prices make a profit larger than
the profit made in 1916 When the
miners charge that the operators are
guilty of prohteering they are speak
ing by the figures.
From the beginning of the effort to
negotiate in connection with the present
dispute, the operators refused to present
to us any counter proposals. This was
in direct contradiction of the practice
that had been established for years.
The insisted that the miners should
continue to work indefinitely at an in
adequate wage. At the last minute they
agreed to negotiate, without reserva-
tions, providing the miners would con-
tif1ue to work, but from experience the
miners knew that would mean continu-
ing indefinitely under conditions they
were determined not to bear They
knew the operators never would con-
sent to pay higher wage rate while en-
joying an abnormal profit that absorbed !
the fair wage the miners are entitled to- |
Let me go further into the matter of
working time in the mines. In the peak |
year, during the war, considering trans
portation break-downs and other emer-
gencies, the miners were able to work
only 228 days. In normal times the
average number of days worked per |
year goes down from 180 to 100. But, |
in the 228-day year we were able, not |
only to produce all the coal needed by |
industries running under wartime pres
sure at top speed, to fill all demands for
bunker coal, to provide ships having
bunker capacity with coal in our ports
Continued on Eighth Page.)