Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-11-02
BY OSCAR E. HEWITT. In Chicago Tribune).


 average annual income of miner IS difficult to learn. The coal operators lack an organization covering all the bituminous mines.
 Acting President Lewis of the Uni ted Mine Workers of America has been credited with saying that the average last year was $1,3O0, and John Fitzpatrick, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, has been quoted as saying 1t IS around $500.
 Lewis figure is considered low for this county. Lon Fox is the mayor of this town of an estimated popula- ton of 17,000. He is also president of subdistrict No. 9, for the miners. He said: T think $1 300 IS little low as the average for this county
 Secretary Offers Figures.
 He declined to make an estimate but the secretary of subdistrict No. 3. John Black, gave a figure. He said: Last year was not an average year. It was prosperous time Tn the mining business. 1 think that the machine men averaged $2,000 last year. The loaders averaged around s1,S00. The shift men got $5 day for about 220 days"
 There are two general divisions of men in a mine. One is known as the miners and the other as the shift men, or company men. The miners are paid by the ton, the others by the day.
 A machine man undercuts the coal with an electric machine. The load CT is popularly known as the miner. He loads the coal into the cars after it has been undercut and blasted out The income of miner is dependent upon whether the mine operates. In the summer the coal man can not sell his coal and therefore the output of the mine is cut down. At other sea- sons the length of operation daily de- bends largely upon the number of railroad coal cars available.
 Factors in Output.
 In addition the miners blast may not have gotten him large supply of coal, or the mine cars in which the coal is loaded below may not have arrived at his room to suit him. There is still another big factor, the energy of the miner. He may not want to work eight hours a day. Coal op- orators assert that approximately 20 per cent of the miners are off each day at present, with only eight hours day and six days a week.
 A number of the mine owners, per haps all, are members of the South ern Operators association. They have sent figures to F. c. Honnold, secre- tary of the association, and he has compiled tabulation which he has returned to the operators. For 10 mines in Franklin county working POT days last year he gives the fol. lowing daily and annual incomes:
 Aver. Aver. Job Daily. Annually. Machine operator -$9,53. $1,972.71 Operators helper -- 9.53 1,972.71 Leader - sos 1.672.5S Pick miner ----- 8.51 1,761.57 It is asserted here that these are the figures compiled by the opera tors preparatory to negotiations rela- tive to new wage scale, but were not made public, because the nego- tiations never arrived at that point. For Saline county, another of the large fields of Southern Illinois, like information has been compiled by MT. Honnold. The days worked there are only 1S9, instead of 2O7. The data follows:
 Aver. Aver. Job Daily. Yearly. Machine operator -- 926 $1,75O.14 Operators helper -- 926 1,75O..4 Loader ----------- 7,67 1,449.2i piok n, ;,ar 77E ssn m A combination of mines in the southern field in different localities the number of mines and men are not available--has been made to show broader view of the average income, These figures also were compiled in MT. Honnold's office They are for an average of 1853 days last year:
 Aver. Aver.
 Job Daily. Yearly Machine operator $9.20 $1,797.O7 Operators helper - 9,20 1,797.7( Loader - 7.7S 1,5196f PICK inner ------- S.S7 1884. .94
 These figures take into considera. ton the days when the miners were not in operation and the short days the men were employed If these figures were compiled for use of the operators in the unsuccessful negotia tions with the miners it is certain they give a fair impression; the min CTS would quickly question excessive figures.
 One Months Pay Roll.
 Just as test on the accuracy o1 the above general figures the pay rol for the month of July last year a the Peabody Mine No. 8, near Mar ion, was requested. This request wa for the name of every minor-ma chine man, helper loader and picl miner-who had earned $s a da, during July, his check number, tn days each worked during each half his earnings for each half and tn total earnings for the month. The the transcribed statement was check CT with the original record.
 This tabulation shows that 16