New Ulm review., 1922-05-17
POINTS D ! ! 5 AT I ISSUE L
IN COAL STRIKE.

OVAAA AASAAAAAA8
LIVING CONDITIONS IN MINE
TOWNS DESCRIBED. WAGE
SCALE ANALYZED.
SOME COAL FACTS Wages and
Living Conditions.
This is the second Of a series Of four
articles written by Mr.. ]. A. H. Hop
=kins, Executive Chairman Of the COM
MITTEE Of 48, for the National Bu-
.reau OF Information and Education.
These articles are based upon personal
investigation by Mr.. Hopkins.
In my last article pointed out that
the conditions under which the miners
live and the wage scale under which
they are employed are fundamental
factors which must be intelligently ad-
justed as the first steps in arriving at
our overhead costs and in formulating
a course of procedure leading to the
ultimate solution Of the entire coal
situation.
The miners live in so-called houses
provided by the operators, containing
from two to five rooms each. These
houses are mere shacks built of thin
clapboards plastered inside, but with
no lights except kerosene lamps, no
running water, no toilet facilities, and
no heat except open CRATES. They are
built upon uneven ground, without cell
lars, many OF them on piles, which
makes it impossible to heat them proper
" even though the miners burn as much
as four tons of coal every six weeks.
The shacks are from 100 feet to Ia
of mile distant from open tanks erect
ed in the middle of the mining towns,
from which all the water must be car
ried in pals. They are built on sharp
decllvities almost as steep as railroad
embankments, which are difficult to
climb at any season and require creep
ers during the winter months. No
attempt is made to level the ground,
even though the immense piles Of slate
and other refuse from the mines could
be readily dumped into the hollows.
The houses are painted monotonous
color, usually red, with no attempt at
decoration or relief. With few excep-
tions the mining towns are without
any grass, trees, or other vegetation.
There are no sewerage arrangements.
The outside toilets, which are miserable
boxes, are, however, cleaned once a
year.
The operatives have a right to de-
mand that these conditions be rene
died. From theii standpoint of eff
cheney the public has right to make
the same demand and it would also
be advantageous to the operators
themselves to establish decent, healthy,
and attractive housing facilities.
In considering the wage scale it is
necessary to explain thatthe "day men"
are paid by the day; the miners, that
is the men whohactually dig out the
coal from theveins by the ton; and an
analysis seems to show that both Of
these methods as heretofore practiced
are open to considerable criticism both
from the operators and the miners
standpoint.
The 4'day men" in the non-union
mines in 1916 received slightly less
than the union men, but in 1919 the
increase in the cost Of living and the
demand for coal had resulted in re-
versing these figures so that the non
union miners then received $3.50 per
day against the union scale Of $3.50.
Since then the non union mines have
repeatedly cut wages, so that when the
strike was called on April /, 1922, the
2on-union men were. only receiving
$5.O5 whereas the union men were
still receiving $3.50.
But it is very misleading to deal
with this question simply on the basis
Of daily wage. The miner has to
live 365 days a year. The minimum
cost Of living for the average family
with even comparatively decent sur
roundings is between $500 and $4,000.
# the miner worked every day in the
year except Sundays at $3.50 per day.
.hn would have M on1Ico for cn,,o nle;,o+a