Evening star., 1925-08-18
ARTICLE III.

Earnings of anthracite mine work
erS, now demanding a 10 per cent in
crease in pay, vary between 81 200 and
about $500 a year, the latter maxi
mum to a limited few, according to
the kind OF work done, the hours work
ed each day and the number of days
worked each year. Such is the range
as disclosed by the Coal Commission
in its study of conditions in 1921, plus
the 10 per cent increase granted by
Gov. Pinchot in 1923.
Truly a wide range, covering, as ii
does, virtually all employees from the
boy just out of school to the contract
miner working on his own account and
depending on the amount of coal he
mines for the extent Of his pay. The
figures, It should be noted, are the
subject of much controversy, and are
based on research work going back
four years-ancieht history, in a way,
but the latest period for which impair.
tial returns are available.
The public can get only the 1921 fig.
ures, as unearthed by the Government
from tens of thousands Of individual
entries on thousands of monthly pay
rolls. The mine workers themselves
and the anthracite operators know the
earnings since 1921, but neither side
has made them public except In most
fragmentary terms. In fact, the oper-
atorS have made public virtually
nothing as to wages, costs or profits
since 1921. Fear of the antitrust law
Is said, in their behalf, to have estopped
them from establishing a clearing
house for that kind of information.
One Increase Since.
Since the Coal Commissions figures
were gathered the mine workers have
been granted a 10 per cent increase in
wages. The increase is included in the
foregoing computation.
Workers at the anthracite mines are
grouped under two heads-inside work.
ers and outside men. The average EN-.
ployment during the year runs to ap-
proximately 270 days. Disregarding 6
the contract miners, whose income
was dependent on piecework. the fol
lowing tabulation, prepared by stats.
ticians employed by the Coal Commits.
sion, shows average earnings in 1921
by various classes of inside workers,
who worked between $50 and 900 days
Bratticemen and carpenters, S1,425;
drivers, $3.50: doortenders and patch.
ers (boys). $500; engineers, $1,400;
headmen and footmen, S1,335: com.
pany laborers, $1,345; company min
ers, $1,525: pumpmen, $1,430; car run
ners, $1,000; timbermen, S1,780; track
layers. $1,430.
If the 10 per cent increase of 1928
is added to these figures, the present
earnings apparently vary between av.
erages of 1919 for the boys acting as
doortenders and patchers up to $1,958
to the highest skilled labor, the tim
bermen.
Effect of Another Increase.
The 10 per cent increase in wages
now sought would further increase the
apparent averages to a range of from
81, 1,077 for doortenders and patchers up
to $2,154 for timbermen.
Outside workers were paid, the com
mission found, the following average
wages per day in 1921:
Blacksmiths, $5.35; carpenters, $5.25;
engineers, $500; firemen, $4.75; labor
ers, $425; machinists, $4.95: pump
men, $4.55; stablemen, $3.50; slate
pickers, $2.s5; teamsters, $4.40; tim
Der cutters, S4.45; track layers, $3.50;
miscellaneous (men), $40; miscel-
laneous (boys), $3.10.
Such were average wages in 1921,
as disclosed by the Federal Gov
ernment's inquiry after the strike of
1922. Assuming that the 10 per cent
wage increase awarded by Gov. Pin
chot in 1923 applied with equal force
to each Of these classes of workers,
their wages today vary between SAL
per day for boys employed at miscei-
laneous outside work to $5.88 for
blacksmiths, the highest paid class.
The 10 per cent increase now
sought would bring the range up to