The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-02-18

the question that is being propoun
Mine Workers who, have challene
~ Earnings Much Less. :
In a letter to Mr.. Hoover, Ellis
searles,. editor of the United Mine
Workers Journal, declares that the
average earnings of the miners were
mulch, less than the amount stated
bY.the secretary of commerce. Mr..
SeHrles seems to have proved his
case with statements in detail from
seven bituminous coal fields.
Mr., Hoover had stated that ''the
non-union operators have been en-
abled to give their miners more
steady employment, while the union
miners have worked on the average
only 1872 days of the year, which at
$3.50 average wage per day would
give them only $1,365 a year.
But this is not the worst of it.
This average Of 1872 days employ
ne1t has not been evenly distributed.
Many union miners have worked far
less than 1872 days, so that many of
them have had a bare liVing-others
less than an existence"
Source of Information?
II do not know the source of your
information upon which you predi-
Gated your published statement that
fe+union miners worked an average
Of 1872. days per year and earned an
average of 1856 a year." says
Editor Searles in his letter to Mr..
Hoover.
There is, however, such discrep-
ancy between your figures and the
in, formation I have gathered from
reliable sources" continued Mr..
from bringing the matter to your
, attention.
Tin order that 1 might obtain in
formation and figures that might
be regarded as thoroughly reliable
and as nearly accurate as possible,
I sent kilograms recently to the Dis
trict Officials Of the United Mine
Workers Of America in those coal
producing Districts that produce the
major portion Of the union btu
n1inousr coal in which ! asked the
following questions:
What was the approximate aver
age number Of days worked by mine
workers in your district in the year
1921?
'.What were the approximate av-
eraGe earnings for the year?
..What is the contract pick mining
rate in your district?
1T is safe, I think, to assume that
these District Officials, because of
their intimate official knowledge of
%o@~ ~, - 1Se,%,. %e/
are in position to supply information
on these points that may +, ac-
cepted as being approximately COR
rect. Thus far, I have received ans
wers. from several of the District
Officials to whom the inquiry was
addressed, and in no single instance
does any one of them report that the
miners worked as many as 1872 days
in the year 1921 or that they earned
as4much as $l.365 during that year.
shall not weight down this conf
munication with the full text Of their
answers. but permit me to say that
the answers thus far at hand make
the following showing:
Employed Only 123 Days.
'.Pittsburgh District-A sc
number Of days worked in the Pitts
.burgh District for the year. 1921 was
123, or 40 per cent Of full time.
Average. daily earnings, based upon
the defense fund collected by the
District Organization was $500 per
day. Average earnings for the year
'ro,1 were approximately 1858 per
man. =
'Ohio-Averase number OF days
worked in the year 1921 was 11S.
Average earnings for the year 1921
were $3.50 per man.
yIndiana-District President John
Hessler said in his answer: mo
definite information is yet at hand.
The mine inspectors report has not
yet been published. Unofficial re-
port shows the average number of
days worked in the fiscal year end
ing September so, 1921, as 148 days,
which includes the last three months
Of 1920 which was exceptionally
good. The same three months of
1921 was a very poor work period"
Average OF 159 Days.
''Illinois-Figures for the year
1921 are not yet available. The last
report published was for the year
ending June 80, 1920. This report
showed that all Of the mines of that
state operated on average Of 159
dagA.s;S. >
.JVestern Kentucky-The mines
t,pefated and the miners worked
approximately $50 days in the year
1921. The average gross earnings
per man for the year were about $50
month. >. Out Of his gross earnings
the (nnfner must pay for his powder.
supblies, blacksn1ithing, tools. ETC.,
> whilch reduces his net income to
muEh lower figure.
l.Wsst NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
nurJhber Of days worked by miners
iristhe New River district in 1921
Vas shout 80. Average earnings
were about $500 per man for the
year. Hundreds of miners got only
from - to 26 days work during the
entire year Of 1871.
Sat Worked One.Third Time.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS one.
third Of the total number of miners