Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-23
VIVA COAL MINERS MAKE
AND SPEND IS TOLD OF

Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

WASHINGTON. July 2S.--There
have been conflicting statements and
reports about the earnings Of coal
miners and what 1t costs them to
live and maintain their families,
and so little dependable data on the
subject, that the cost of living and
wage sections of the anthracite re-
port of the United States Coal Com
mission will be read with unusual in
terest
The findings of the Commission
in these matters will be regarded as
reliable, for it is L be assumed that
the Commission has made its in
vestigation thoroughly and care
fully and that it was able to get
exactly the information 1t wanted.
Heretofore statistics of this nature
have been produced chiefly either
by the operators or the miners and
the public has gained the impress
sion that they were somewhat pre-
JUDGED if not inaccurate.
High prices for coal have been re-
presented by operators as due to I'M
duly high wages paid miners, while
the latter have asserted that not only
were they not responsible for high
pricds but their actual earnings were
inadequate to cover the cost of liv-
ing. In the light of the Coal Com
missions report the public may
now determine which side is right.
First of all, 1t may be said, it is
the conclusion of the Commission
that the anthracite miner is fairly
we'll paid and suffers no hardships
Incident to an inadequate wage. On
the other hand it finds that the
miners helpers or laborers are
underpaid.
THE domestic life Of the mining
population has of course all the
lights and shadows of any large
number of families, says the Com
mission. 1T is no longer a sub
merged or exploited population,
whatever may have been true of the
period before 1900, when the series
of wage increases began. The earn
ings of full time workers certainly
permit the essentials of a reasonable
standard of living. Those who take
full advantage of their opportunities
to earn in the various occupations
connected with the industry and are
not handicapped by serious mis-
fortune need not suffer for shelter,
food, clothing, or other decencies
and comforts of life, even without
the supplementary earnings Of wife
or children. on the other hand
many Of the families of miners
helpers or laborers have a very UNI
certain and inadequate income.
These families, often large, are FREE
quently in economic distress"
- Their Wages Should Be Raised
The Commission does not hesitate
to say that the wages of these
laborers should be increased and
points out that they are the only ones
who can get the experience and
training to become certificated
miners. Some adjustment of wages
and of the terms of employment
which will bring larger and more as
sured incomes to these helpers is
urged as the first step necessary to-
ward increasing their numbers and
their efficiency.
In order to wages against
cost of living an Investigation was
made of the principal items of e
pense in mine workers families. A
list of food supplies actually pur-
chased during six months last winter
by 500 families was obtained from
~storekeepers' records and tLen the
actual budgets of 712 families were
examined and analysed.
in this way the Commission found
that families with incomes of less
than 500 per month spen. an aver
age of $S5.32 per month for tn II
living, paid debts amounting L
$14.45 and put one dollar in thu
bank. OF the living expenses thu
average for rent was $13.24 and fol
food, clothing, personal supplies anC
upkeep of household equipment
S49.55. For recreation the month";!
: item was S3.94, for church contribu
lions, $1.96, and for labor organiza
=, lions, $1.44. There were Sc of thes'
families.
| Families with incomes of from
500 to $3.50 per month, and Their
: were 225 of these out Of the 712
spent an average of $1,000 a montl
{ the main item being 1881 for rent
$S0.93 for food, clothing, etc, an
$1S.58 for debts. Seventeen of thes
families reported bank deposit
Z averaging $12.05.
! In the next group. those with in
! comes of from $3.50 to 5000, ther
q were 236 families, the averag
: monthly disbursement being $165.1l
The rental item remains constan
while the amount expended foz foo