Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-23

Fol the families with incomes OF
more than $500, 1875 in all, the rental
item shows a slight increase to $14.-
so, while the expenditure for food
and clothing amounted to $184.67
and the total expenditures are $247.-
10. Monthly bank desposits amount
Ing to $2S.20 were reported by SO Of
these families.
Average Monthly Income
The average income from all
sources was approximately SIG per
month; Al per cent had as much as
this or more; So per cent had less.
In 33 per cent of the families the
head of the family was a contract
miner; in "a per cent he was a COM
pany miner or a skilled or semi
skilled day worker; in 33 per cent
he was classed rs a laborer. The
proportions are substantially the
same as they are in the whole body
of mine workers. so the families may
be said to be truly representatives.
1t is interesting to note that the
prevailing household vas one of six
memberS-usually four children with
the father and mother. In most
economic computations the average
family is held to be one of five
members, two adults and three chill
dren, but these miners have a higher
average.
In securing the data from the
operators as to the earnings of the
miners the Commission required
payrolls for the entire year of 1921
and has tabulated the returns for
64,279 contract and consideration
miners, 76,016' miners laborers and
45,67S outside men.
OF the first group more than 49,
900 worked 1873 days or less during
the year and had total incomes of
less than $1,000; about $500 worked
217 days or less and had incomes
ranging from $1,000 to $1,000; H.
100 worked from 231 to 254 days
and earned from $1,000 to $4,000;
10, 800 made practically full time
which was 271 days for the year,
and had earnings of between $4,000
and $4,000, while 1900 earned from
$4,000 to $4,000 and 163 over $4,-
600. 1t is to be noted that almost
10000 of the miners who worked
practically full time, or from 231 to
271 days had incomes of from $1,000
to $4,000, which gives the range of
the earnings of the better class and
more industrious.
OF the second group, the miners
laborers or helpers, $500 of the
10000 worked less than 167 days
and had incomes under $1,000 for
the year. The earnings of 5000
ranged from $1,000 to $500, with a
maximum OF 252 days. Approxim-
ately 1900 earned up to $4,000 and
246 had incomes between that figure
and $4,000. .
The very large number of workers
| of this class with earnings under the
$1,000 level does not mean neces-
sarily that these men had no other
incomes. Many of them worked al
more than one, or at several mines
during the year and in the aggregate
their wages may have approached
the living level. This group, how
ever, is the one that the Commission
says should be better paid.
In the third group, the men wne
work outside the mines, about hall
of the 45,679 had incomes Of less
than $1,000 with a maximum OF 22S
DAYS work. Some 10000 of then
earned from $1,000 to $1,000 ant
about 5000 from $500 to $4,000
Many OF tnese WoFkers are shoWu y
have worked far in excess of tn
271 days that the mines were operat
ed during the year., those with in
comes of $1,000 passing that limit
Many of them worked more thai
400 days and six were reported al
having actually worked 47O days
This, of course, was made possible
through overtime, the men WORKING
more than one eight hour SHIFT II
twenty-four.a