Evening star., 1925-08-22
ARTICLE vi.

DlreCt losses tO IHiIlcTo dHu OpCA .
ator every day of an anthracite coal
strike run between $1,5oO,o0o and
81, 900 900, possibly higher. OF that
total, the miners lose from $1,000, 900
to $1,25O.000 in wages. Indirect losses
to the public cannot be measured.
An average advance Of 81 ton in the
price of coal would bring the total
added cost to the public up $1,00o,oOO
week on domestic sizes alone.
Miners losses can be gauged fairly
accurately by the known factors OF
production costs which have been un-
earthed by the United Statess Coal
Commission. That agency Of the
Federal Government has found that
from 81 to 68 cents, on the average,
of every dollar spent In buying coal
at the mine goes to pay the labor
cost of producing anthracite, anu
placing 1t on railroad cars varies be-
tween averages OF $3.o0 ana *4.Zo
ton.
From 10 to Is cents. in round fig-
ures, of every dollar thus spent goes
to pay for supplies rsed in predicting
coal. General expense, including
operators overhead charges, runs
from 13 to 20 cents of the buyers
dollar The gross profit to the oper-
ator, 1t has been determined. has va
ried during a five-year period from
BUYERS dollar to an average profit OF
nearly Is cents out of the dollar.
Loss in Weekly Wages.
Assuming that the mine workers
get 81 for their labor in producing
every ton of coal mined and that the
average weekly production Is 1,800'-
600 tons, the loss in wages. 1t Will be
seen, runs to about $7,200,000 week.
That loss, If continued for, say, four
weeks, will run to nearly $30,o00,000.
That would be the extent OF the
miners gamble in a four-week strike.
The stakes for which the miners
are playing are an increase Of 10 per
cent in wage rates. On an average
weekly pay roll of $7,200,000, the in
crease, II won, would amount to $720,-
900 a week for two years, or 104
weeks. Roughly the increase in
wages during the two-year period for
which contracts customarily are made
would amount to SIS 100000.
The history of the United Mine
Workers shows that thev have never
taken a wage cut. Chances are that
the 10 per cent increase now sought,
IL won, would be held for all time.
Thus mine workers wages stand to
be increased $37 500. 900 a year, at the
minimum, for the indefinite future.
In ten years the increase would run
to 1915 900 900, or sum equivalent
to an entire years pay at the present
rates.
There seems little wonder, therefore,
that the miners organization Is will
ing to take the chance. Even IL the
miners were idle an entire year, they
| would make up the loss in increased
wages alone In ten years time.
Losses to the operators are more
difficult to estimate, due to the policy
| which they have adopted. That policy
calls for secrecy as to costs Of pro-
duction and profits. The operators
| have made public no figures show.
| ing either item, except in fragmentary
form, to support their present conten-
ton, for 1923, 1924 or 1925. They
| have reported to the Bureau Of In
| ternal Revenue in making their tax
| returns. but those returns are not
| open to public inspection.
1t Is necessary, therefore, to go back
| of 1923 for accurate Information as to
| operators profits, If any measure is
| to be made of their probable losses
| during the period of a strike. The
| United States Coal Commission has
compiled figures covering the profits