The New York herald., 1920-01-03
SOFT COAL MINERS
SAY AVERAGE PAY
WAS s75 A MONTH
Quote Official Figures for Six
Years from 1913 to 1913,
Inclusive.
rsrrcrAt pEsrArcH no rHr nrnArn. !

ESPECIAL DESPATCH TO THE IYEnArDl
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind, Friday.-Accord-
ing to figures announced today at the in
ternatonal headquarters of the United
Mine Workers Of America, bituminous
coal miners of the country averaged less
than SIS q month pay for the six years
from 1913 to 1918, inclusive This data is
to be presented to President Wilson's Coal
Commission as an argument in behalf OF
the miners contention that they have not
received enough money for their labor in
the past and are entitled to more than the
fourteen per cent increase effective fol-
lowing the compromise in calling off the
strike.
Out of this average wage mine workers
have had to pay for their supplies. such
as powder. caps. fuse. oil, transportation
to and from the mines, and other items,
amounting to IS to sl2 month, the mine
workers officials will assert
In the central competitive field the aver
age annual wage OF the workers for the
six years named was ss13.25, II is said at
Headquarters The statistics on which the
IlEuFeS dTG DdStu were tOilttltu lIOHi SON-
ernment sources. as we'll as from the min
ing and statistical departments OF the
various states in the central competitive
field They are not complete for the year
1919. 1t 10 stated. The average wage of the
miners was materially cut by the six
weeks strike.
Coal operators recently published ad-
vertisements In which ii was stated that
miners, whose names were given. earned
Y.rt
Searles editor OF the United Mine Work
ers' Journsl. "The names or locations of
the mines in which these men were em-
ployed were not given. Nor did they give
the average earnings of all the men cnl-
rloyed In these particular mines.
We doubt II these advertisements speak
the truth, and even If they did speak the
truth they do not mean anything. because
the earnings of the highest priced man
can not be taken as an indication o: the
earnings OF all Of the employees OF the
mine. The only fair way to ascertain the
earnings OF the miners is to take the earn
ings Of all and strike an average. II 10
unfair TO the public for the operators TO
pick out a few men who are fortunate
en-, Ugh 10 earn fair wages and then try
to mislead the people into believing that
all OF the miners earn such waees.
The central. competitive field is COM
posed of Western Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois. and II produces more
soft coal than any other field In the
world. It's annual output Is approximate.
~ 3o.6oo,Go0 tons. and II employs nearly
~ not quite sO00oo mine workers. stan
dsrd wages are paid in this field and IL
&c here that the average earnings OF the
mine workers for the six years period
referred Go were only sS7S.s5 per year
ANY man with family 20 support will
understand how impossible IL 10 for q
miner 10 eupport HE family on q decent
American standard of living on an in
come Of less than t75 a month in these
days of outrageous prices. That's why
the miners feel Vat they are entitled u
relief IN the form OF a substan increase
in wages.'
John L. Lewis acting president OF the
mine workers. said today that coal min
ing Is proceeding on q large scale. bat
there Is trouble with some OF the op-
orators over tho discharge of miners.
which, he says. IL for the evident pur-
pose OF breaking up the unions. the at
titude OF these operators Is regarded BY
miners ss breach Of faith, because under
the agreement with the federal govern.
nent by which the coal miners returned
TO work the status of October 81, the day
before the strike. was 60 obtain. BY this
the miners mean that the same recoeni-
tion OF the unions that obtained October
81 was to obtain when they returned to
work