New-York tribune., 1920-01-29
Miners Charge
Operators Coz
Huge Profits
Increases Over Pre.War In
comes Ranged as High as
1000 Per Cent, Accord
ing to Official Returns
Cost of Living Analyzed
Men Say That Even Working
Every Day Would Leave
Then S723.94 i'm Debt
Ne,p YORK. 7'ribuns
Wnshirnlon BNreuu

Washir0t BUreuu
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S.-With fig
Tres purporting to show enormous earn
ings on the part of the coal operators
during the war the coal miners con-
ciuded to-day the presentation before
ne Presidents coal commission of
statistics in support of their request
Tor a so per cent increase in wages,
a six-hour day and fve-day week,
The commission adjourned until
next Monday, when the operators will
submit data showing the earnings Of
;he miners and the additional sums
they might have made if they had
taken advantage Of the opportunities
for full-time employment. These fig
Tres will be collected from the pay
rolls of ia representative mines in
the central competitive field.
Van II. Bittner, the statistician for
the miners, submitted figures to show
hat whereas the production of coal
since 1909 has increased slightly more
han 80 per cent The value of the coal
mined has increased 27o per cent.
Quotes Company's Profits
Taking individual companies he
showed that the per cent of all earn
ings on capital stock by the Pittsburgh
Coal Company, the largest soft coal
corporation in the country, had in
creased from approximately 9 per cent
in 1913 to 90 per cent in 1917 The
net profits Of this company, he said,
mad increased from s2,025, ,4S5, in 1912.
- S7,1673s4, in 1918; while from the
two-year period Of 1914-15 to the
two-year period of 1917-'1S these net
earnings had increased from approx
mately S3,000,000 to S21 100000 In
figuring these net earnings, he said,
he was using only the amounts Of
money which were applicable entirely
{, dividends.
The Consolidation Coal Company Of
Baltimore. Bittner said, increased its
net profits from 81 500 900 for the two
IN the two-year period 1917-19fs. From
1914 to 1913. he said, the net profits
Of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company
had increased from s511.446 to S3,os6,-
lS9. while those OF the Western Ken
-ucky Coal Company had increased
from $4,000 to S62 900.
The miners representative quoted
from income returns to the Treasury
Department to show that, in 1917, of
The companies reporting, 1856 made 3
profit of Is per cent; 311, 90 per cent;
10 per cent; 1877, so per cent; 1o5, 100
per cent, and s, more than 1000 per
cent.
Directs Sarcasm at Operators
Replying to the charge of the opera
tors that the miners had been guilty
of un-American conduct in going on
strike, Mr.. Bittner referred sarcasti-
cally to the prices and profits Of the
mines during the war, and Observed:
"That is the way the operators
helped win the war"
Calling attention to the fact that
there are 364 working days in the year
ct the coal mines. the miners' envoy
stated that if the miner worked every
day in the year at the present rate OF
s. day his total earnings would be
only $3.50, or s72394 less than the
amount which Professor ". T. Cgburn.
OF Columbia University, formerly an
expert for the National War Labor
Board, had estimated was the mini
mum total required to support the
average family on an American stand
ard of living. In arriving at this
total. Mr.. Bittner said, Professor
Ogburn had included these items:
Food, S76S6o; additional food, if
husband is engaged in heavy work.
s3c.7S clothing (husband), $i46.Sl;
wife, S130.92; boy. eleven years. S774O;
girl, five years, S66.13; boy, two years,
s3A; rent, S2l6; fuel and light, $40;
miscellaneous, S576.30. Total, S2I1S.94.
After deducting $15 for savings on
garden, chickens, etc, and adding $40
for explosives, blacksmithing, etc,
which are necessary expenses to the
coal miner, the net total figured
s2,243.e4.
One Overcoat Every Four Years
In arriving at these figures, the wit
1sss said, Professor Ogburn had al
loved the husband one 81 hat every
two years. one $40 suit every two years
one $50 overcoat every four years, onc
$l22o raincoat every six years, one
pair OF low shoes and one pair of 81 .;
rubbers every two years and one cotto,
umbrella. costing Sl.75, every thre,
years. The wife was allowed, anon,
other things, one So wash skirt aud on,
so.25 waist every two years. thre
union suits. at $l.13 each, every year
$I.25 hat each year, one $l5o musli,
petticoat year, one s37 50 winter eui
and one wool serge dress, costing s25
every Two years; one wool coat. costin,
$3!.50, every three years; one pair o
sid gloves at $3.50 and one kimono u
% every TWO years, one kitchen apro,
at oo cents each year and one um
oee'ia al ~ every three years.