The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-26

five weeks intervene c'cr the coun-
try may again hn -n the thruyg Of
national strike among She coal
miners, TO all outward appearance lu
this field the relation OF operator
and miner wa. meyer mrIu serene.
All mines have been bruuEut 80 high
working etflcicuuy in tho way Of Inn
proVoment, and many ~ Them cs-
pecially those furnishing railroad
| coal are working full time, and
large per cent of the miners are
| drawing better pay checks. However.
April 1 will see the expiration of the
present wage contract between the
| operator and the miner; meaning by
the minor the United States Mine
| Workers Union Of America, as this
| Is to be n national strike, but IN the
meantime a meeting OF operators
and miners will he held looking to-
ward negotiations OF new wage
agreement. IT'S meeting will nat
urally be Matched with deep inter-
est by the public, as the future
economic conditions W the nation
depends to II very great extent upon
It's outcome.
Coal Is considered n basic COM
modify, which to a certain extent
enters into the cost OF all other COM
modities or manufactured articles,
either in tho process OF manufacture
| or in their transportation. In the
face OF the decline In price of yar-
GUS other commodities, coal has
remain Mt a fairly high level, due
| to the fact that the wage con.
| tract now In force does not expire
until April /. 1922, and no reduc-
tion In the cost of production could
be made. that Is. go long as the
present cost OF production prevails,
there could be no reduction In the
price TO the public. Labor cost IL
always n big item In the production
| cost OF coal.
| Alihoush wages have dropped In
nearly every other line OF work the
coal miner still draws higher than
war time wages, having had two in
creases since 1918. At present the
loader. or digger gets $l,03 l-2 per
ton for every ton of coal loaded on
the pit cars In the mine. while the
company" men, or those paid a
straight day wage, draw $3.50 per
day.
Tho machine runners. orcmen who
operate the electric coal cutting
machines are paid either on a day
or by the ton, the day scale heing
50 per day. and the tonnage basis
II Ia cents per ton cut on this
scale even with the slack work dur
Ing the past year. some OF the men
make from $500 to $500 per month.
The leaders pay. OF course. depends
upon his ability TO handle IA shovel
continuously. and upon his desire
10 work. Many OF the men nre In
tho mine only six to six and one
half hours n day.
Miners lake "the Best"
The cost OF living In n mining
community as a general rule IL quite
reasona BILE, but the coal miner like
all other American citizens has n
taste for the best, and whenever
possible, no gets II. In this particular
field gb per cont OF the coal miners
are Americans, or American born,
and as the local merchants carry an
especially high class OF goods as
well as the ordinary line. the miner
being an American. exhibits that
profligacy, and buys the best. For
instance. a stranger passing the
several largo furniture houses would
wonder where n sale for all the
extra nigh priced furniture on dis
play could be foupd In n town OF
10000 or $4,000 population, but a
glance at the payrolls OF the mines
will supply ample evidence OF who
creates this demand for expensive
household furnishings. Living neces-
stiles for the miners, however. are
taken care OF by larger operating
companies who operate commits
saries where groceries, clothing and
| other supplies are sold on basis
| OF cost plus expense OF handling.
The companies also furnish houses
! for their men at the small cost OF
Sc to So per month. according to
number of rooms. and a few Of the
! companies have arrangement
whereby the minor may buy "A homo
of better pretension at a very roa-
sonable monthly payment.
Aside from their necessary living
expenses the miners have their
union dues TO meet. II might be said
| that these union dues come before
the living expense. as the union re-
duires the operator to deduct these
| dues before the pay envelope IL
made and delivered. These dues
| have been an especially heavy bur
| den on tho men of late. amounting
as they do TO from 81 to 50 per
month per man, yet quite q number
| OF the Henryetta miners own their
| homes. drive their own cars and
| have a very respectable bank ac-
count.
Cost Regulated by labor.
Until the cost OF labor be reduced
] lntTt cum ne no Iuflntf lt0uCllOU III
| the price OF coal on mine run
basis. The present price OF Henry
etta mine run coal at tho mines Is
50 per ton, and the cost ot produC-
ing this ton OF coal averages about
1888. In selling screened coal, the
operator tries to get 81 as an aver
age realization Of tho prices on the
different sizes or grades. This II
cents difference between the present
production cost and the realization
price or selling price docs not go
very far toward covering the selling
expense and interest on investment.
Consequently the mines have been
for the past year, and are now op-
Grating at IA loss. This s3.63 cost II
based onla reasonable number OF
working days per month, and every
Idle day increases TO the cost Of pro-
ductlon, for though no coal In
hoisto1, II requires "A certain number
Of men TO keep the mine property
In shape. and thus the expense son-
tinues.
The realization price is what the
operator keeps his ey0 on, and, al
though the price Of the various
stzes OF coal prepared may vary he
tries to keep tho realization price
on steady basis where n viii yield
n reasonable profit on his invest
ment, however. he has been unable
to do so during the past year on the
present wage scale. Henryetta coal
Is prepared In three grades or sizes
for nprnfnprpiaI naa. it,,sf,