Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-19
Ne " MEXICO coal!
MINING INDUSTRY
ON SOUND BASIS


dan, state inspector of mines, in very
complete form, a pamphlet of seven
ty-four pages, has been received by
the Journal. 1t is unusually interest,"
ing because the inspector points out
pertinent facts in connection with
the recent sympathetic strike of coal
miners in New Mexico, and sets forth
information secured by frequent visits
to the mines, in addition to- the usual
statistics A&.t
Inspector Sheridan states that the
federal department of labor sent an
inspector ito New Mexico last May,
who based Ibis estimate of the aver
age yearly number of working days
at the mines upon that slack month
at Gallup, apportioning lost time be-
tween owners and miners, giving the
operators the worst of 1t. The slack
period was the first half of the month
and was due mainly neither to miners
nor employers, says the Inspector, but
stagnation in copper production and
almost complete suspension of trans
continental railway traffic, two causes
which prevented demand for coal,
Wages and Days.
But it is shown that the average
number of working days in New Mex
| leo mines WIS 2JG pei ySdL Loi tAie
last five years, as against from 176 to
206 in the central district states where
the strike was for higher wages and
where for the first three months OF
the year there were but thirty hours
of work per week, ON the average
Basihg his averages on the slack
period of May in Gallup, the federal
agent of labor published statistics for
estimates of wages earned by miners
per day as il the slack period con-
tinued, when such was not the case
at Gallup.
Inspector ShJ]idan secured from
each company an accurate report OF
the number of men employed ana
average wages actually paid. each
month, and not merely for any one
month like May, selected by the TABOR
agent.
The largest operator at Gallup, the
| Gallup American, furnished to the IN
spector a complete transcript or pay
| rolls and other data, with access 10
books. The company worked us
mines 2901s days in the year. It paid
its ten highest diggers $224.9l per
month, average.
| !. Had the ten worked the most pos
sible hours in the year they would
| have earned $244.13 per month aver
| age. The ten lowest diggers were
maid 1888 average per month HAD
| they worked the most possible hours
| thew would have earned Z sos per
month.
The figures are based on the whole
wear for estimating average wages.
some men made greater earnings, put
for shorter periods than the whole
year.
The ten large earners were Italians,
Slavs and Greeks mainly, skilful men
and constant workers. The ten
smallest earners We're Mexicans.
Inspector Sheridan believes that
equalizing production throughout the
wear would lessen labor troubles, nut
says the public does not avail itself
of offers by operators to supply dur
ing the summer for fifty cents per
ton less, to keep mines busy when the
railway demand Is slack. He Pc
lieves municipalities might buy a.
summer prices and store for the pup
lie.
Referring to the checking of pro-
duction by the Gallup American COM
pany, as the. greatest producer at
Gallup, through the strike ordered
from the east, he gives some informa-
ton TO GOEIetl ifi1pl tooioiio 'phAa oteN1N
ments that operators suspend work IN
dull seasons in order to force up
prices in cold weather.
on this subject the report reads;
4st Conditions of Strike.
Gas this company was subjected to
the greatest trouble and loss of any
operator in the state by reason OF IN
dustrial unrest, it might be we'll 10
consider whether the conditions at the
mines were such as to bring about or
Justify unrest; or whether 1t was the
result of outside interference and pro-
paganda Of agitators among the en-
ployes.
ITO put stop to such unreason-
able actions, impelled by alien in
fluence, the governor adopted course
commended on every hand, and acted
promptly before lives were imperiled
or property destroyed. r.
THE respectable and law-abiding
citizens of the state, and these are IN
the ascendancy by large majority,
stand firmly behind their chief ex-
ecutive in his action during the re-
cent disturbed conditions In the coal
camps rOur people do not intend TO
have prosperous and satisfactory
conditions. which prevail at the coat
mines = OIL lNtW hSalIb, NHnhS'thN ~
turbulent, lawless and destructive
methods, ostensibly to aid in the i'm
provement of unsa .isfactory condi-
tions said to exist i'll other states.
THE, writer Is somewhat timerous
when he dares to indite the two para
graphs next above. He may be sub
iected to unjust criticism and his
motives misconstrued
"But the actions of the chief eX-
ecutive alluded to constitute an I'M
portant part in the present records OF
coal mining in the state and will re-
main a prominent incident in the his
tory of mining in New Mexico hence
are entitled to a place in this report.
New Mexico Status
1.-THE coal mining industry in New
Mexico is upon a much better basis
for both the miner and operator than
in other states by reason of greater
consistency of operation. Many mali
cious falsehoods are given publicity
to the. effect that the coal operators
suspend operations at certain seasons
of the year that they may increase the
price at other seasons when coal is
more needed. But moments
thoughtful attention to the subject IS
sufficient to refute such an inane
falsehood.
THE organization of any large bus
mess enterprise is the great essential
upon which it must depend for sue
cess. The manager, geologist, super
intendent, sales department transpor-
tation, on to the experienced clerks,
must all sarticuiate from the smallest
pinion wheel in the group to the main
driving pulley which is called the
manager. II this machinery for
mana cement were dispersed during
the period of suspension of operations,
it could not be reassembled at viii.
and the business would be without or
ganization and could not maintain a