The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-11-18
No. 3-COntinued from
Page One
such statements.

such statements.
I'm the Kanawha field there are APP
proximateiy 100 mines, giving employ
ment to about $1,000 union men. They
obeyed the strike order although the
wage increases and other questions I'M
controversy had not been under nego-
tiation in that district.
I'm the Manawha field, as in order
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-O motor runners, drivers.
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 work day is eight hours.
THE highest paid men are the ma
chine cutter, leaders and pick min,
ers; the lowest paid are the trappers.
couplers and greasers,-boys from 16
to Is years old Payrolls of twenty-five
mines have been examined to deter
mine the actual earnings OF cutters.
leaders and pick miners. The earnings
of 900 men If this class who worked
every day the mines operated have
been selected as typical.
These 800 men earned on an aver
age of from s6.1s per day. the lowest,
up to $19.14 a day. The lowest paid
employees of this class working full
time, earned $166.S5 for 81 days work;
the highest earned $210.63 fir eleven
days work. Other earnings. typical OF
the entire 800 mems pay. were $251.63
for twenty five days work; $2s5.60 for
twenty six days work; $239.7s for
twenty two days work; s210.39 for
twenty four days work. Some earned
UP ii $500 for rs days work.
The figures cover months They
show that the average earnings OF
cutters, leaders and pick miners work
ing full time range from s166 to $3.50
per month. The average cutter, loader
or pick miner. can earn from 81, 900 to
$500 a year. in my field, depending.
upon his ability, if he works every
day he has an opportunit yto work.
Specially skilled miners, cutters AMI
leaders can earn up to $500 a year.
The other class of mine employees.
the so-called day men. working for
days wages, earn firm 1925 to IS per
day. II they were to work every day
they could work, they would earn from
sS5 to 1854 per month.
1T is said the mines do not operate
regularly. The record of mine opera
tion at five large mines employing
$500 men was in May % days; June, %
days; July, August and September Ca
period of acute car shortagel 10, Is
and II days, respectively, in October
% days. The average work time at
these mines for the six months was
20 12 days. per month During this
six months these mines paid out $500.
491 in wages, an average Of $10S.5s per
month to every man on the pay roll
During this period, however, the
men on the pay roll worked only an
average of Is IL days per month. or
only 81 per cent of teh tine they could
have worked. Had they worked every
day the mines were in operation they
could have earned an average of S175
per month for the six months,- not
withstanding the short running time in
July, August and September, because
of car shortage; and their earnings
could have been at the rate of $1,000
Per year, These figures include ali
employees. They include the boys from
16 to IS years of age, who earned from
$3.50 to s2.55 per day as couplers.
greasers and trappers.
1T is not true that the employees
have not had material wage increases.
The pick miners are working now at
an advance of 1873 per cent over the
1917 scale, the machine cutters adj
vance has been 53.S per cent. and the
machine leaders advance has ranged
from 60.4 to 69.e. Greater wage adj
vances than these. however, have been
made for the men working for days
wages. whose advance ranged from,
s6.S to 1913 per cent.
The wage advance under the Wash
ington wage agreement was the great
est ever accorded workers in any occu-
patton in this country 1t placed the
coal mine employees far in advance OF
wage scales paid in other occupations
The scale was intended to endure un-
al April 1920. unelss peace should be
proclaimed earlier