The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-11-14
COAL CONFERENCE.
Continued from Page u

arrived during the forenoon to attend the
conference.
Holding that their participation
might be construed as an acceptance of
the union principle, operators of non
union coal mines outside of the central
competitive field announced here to-
day, after a conference. that they prob
ably would not accept the invitation of
Secretary Wilson to take part in the
conference between union miners and
operators to begin here today.
j. w. Dawson of Charleston, w Va,
president of the Kanawaha & Michigan
West Virginia, which operates approx
mately 80 mines in the Kanawaha field,
says.
In the Kanawha field as in other coal
fields, the mine employees are divided into
two classes The pick miners, machine
cutters and leaders, all termed miners,
are paid by the ton The more coal they
mine or load the greater their income.
The other employees motor runners, driv-
ers, track layers, cagers, tipple men, etc
are from the nature of their work paid
by the day. The more days they work
the greater their income
The normal workday is eight hours.
The highest paid employees are machine
| cutters. leaders, and pick miners; the
lowest paid are the trappers, couplers,
| and greasers, boys Is to Is years of age
Payrolls of Is mines-one-fourth of the
| total number operating--have been exam
ined to determine the actual earnings OF
| cutters, leaders and pick miners. The
| earnings of 300 men of this class who
worked every day the mines operate put
| ting in full time, have been selected as
typical These 800 men earned on an
average of from $6lS per day, the lowest
| up to sl9l4 day The lowest paid EN-
| ployes of this class working full time
earned sl66.s5 for q days work, and the
highest earned s2lo.63 for II days work
Other earnings, typical of the entire 30t
mems pay, were: s25l.39 for 25 days work
$265.60 for e days work; $239.78 for 2.
days work; s2lo.59 for "a days work
S249 90 for 90 days work: S2l6.42 for 2
days work; sl5543 for % days work
and 1852 for % days work No at
ltempt is made in presenting these figure
to cite extreme cases: some of the mel
earned up to 800 for 26 days work.
The figures cover period OF 81
months. They show that the averag
earnings of cutters, leaders, and pick min
ers working full time range from sl66 t
$3.50 per month The average cutter, load
FER or pick miner can earn from $1,000 t
$500 year in my field, depending upol
his ability, il he works every day he ha
an opportunity to work. Specially skillet
miners, cutters and leaders can earn u
to 81, 1850 a year. The other class of min
employees, the so-called day men workin
for days wages, earn from S4.23 TO
, per day. Ii they were to work ever
day they could work, they would ear
from ss5 to 1854 per month
at is said that the mines do not opel
ate regularly Following is the actual re-
ord of mine operation at FIVE large mine
EN- sioying $3.50 men; In May, 25h days
in June, % days; in July, August and Sci
| TENDER Ia period of acute car shortage
1914, l6ls and II days, respectively:
October, y days The average workin
time at these mines for the six month
period ending with October was 20l
DAYS per month.
During this six months period thes
mines paid out 1920, 49,. 81 in wages, an a.
erage of sos SO per month, to every ma
on the pay roll.
During this period. however the me
on the pay roll worked only an average {
1874 days per month. The mines opera
ed 2014 days month. In other word
the employees worked only g. per cent {
the time they could have worked. Ha
/ they worked every day the mine was
operation they could have earned an ave
age OF sl75 per month for the san
months notwithstanding the, short ru
ming time in July, August and Septembe
because of car shortage; and their averal
earnings could have been at the rate
$500 per year.
These figures include all employe
They include the hoys from is to IS yea