The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-04-28
REVIEW OF THE COAL STRIKE
BY SENATOR ROBERT NJ. LA TOILETTE IN
LA FOLLETTES MAGAZINE

"The boss may say, Boys, the
track didn't get laid up to that new
face Yesterday. You can't use your
mine cars without a track to run to
'em on. SO we have to wait till the
track gets laid.
Suppose the cutters don't 90 in
ahead of you and cut your coal at
the base of the seam, so you can
blow it down, you have to walt Tor
them.
'If the ventilation don't clean your
smoke out, you have to wait before
you can put in another charge of
powder. That's bad management.
Ventilation is a mighty important
thing. You may not be working all
the time YOU are in the mine. And
YOU get paid only for the coal you
blow down and load.
How many days week do l
average? It's hard to tell; Maybe
three. maybe four. It's so irregular,
YOU know. Some months you'll work
pretty good, and some months you'll
get only five or six days"
The miners are not at fault Tor
the irregular character of the en-
ployment for which they have no
responsibility. And clearly they must
be paid such wages for the time
when they are employed as will en-
able them to maintain their families
in decency and comfort.
The mine owner always stresses
the amount of time lost by strikes,
for which he contends of course
that the miners are wholly to blame.
But irregular employment and en-
forced idleness begets dissatisfaction
and impels he miners to demand in
creased pay for the limited time they
do work in order that they may
provide their families with bare sub
sistence.
The employers resist the demands
for increased pay and strikes ensue.
But strikes are responsible for but
a small fraction of the time which
the coal miner loses out of each
year.
F. G. Tryon, geologist in charge
of coal statistics of the United
States Geological Survey, is author
ity for he statement that time lost
on account of strikes is only 10 per
cen of the total loss"
He states further that a survey Of
the years 1910 to 1918 shows that
"the greater part of the time lost
on account of strikes has been "sus--
pensions between the expiration of
one biennial agreement and the exc
cution of another"
The Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Labor Department. published Decem-
Der, 1919, the results of an investlga-
hot inf N ypc
of mine workers. In the bituminous
earnings of all employees was at the
rate of $1,176 per year. The largest
earnings were those of the machine
miners. who made 1926 for the full
year. The pick miners earned that
year 81 100 on the average. And
mine laborers were found to be
earning on the average of $1,OOe
for the year.
These wages were paid in dollars
the purchasing power of which wa;
only 81 cents as compared with the
purchasing power of a dollar in 1900
The strike of 1919 was followed
by the appointment of the Bitumin
Gus Coal Commission. Prior to tina
strike the operators made statement
in costly advertisements and propa
ganda that miners were earning be
tween $3.50 and $500 per month. Thu
Bituminous Coal Commission. how
, ever, compelled the production o
payroll sheets. Careful scrutiny o
these figures showed:
"That for the northern Illinoi
: district the actual average earning
for pick miners and leaders wer
under 81 900 for a full year"
"That if conditions had been sue
as to permit these men to wor
: every when the mines were in oper
: alton, they would have been abb
| to earn the grand total of $1.194.1
{ per year"
An investigation covering thi
some period conducted by Professo
5 w. F. Ogburn. of Columbia Univel
sity, showed that the necessary waP
: for subsistence for the average fan
: ily in an ordinary mining town wa
! 1000 per year.
In other words. working every da
: he mines were operated. with no los
of time for sickness, accident. G
other unavoidable cause. the mine
under the most favorable condition
imaginable would actually earn $40
, less than would furnish his famil
bare subsistence.
, The public has an interest in thi
controversy. 1t has been and sti
! is compelled to pay three and fou
prices for coal.
Is the miner to blame for these eS
cessive prices?
At the prevailing rates of miner!
wages the labor cost of producing
ton of soft coal in 1921 was on
dollar and ninety-seven cents.