COAL - Clpdigital.org

30 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
$9,165,404.38, an increase over 1903 of $15,832.26,
or a fraction over 1-10 of 1 per cent. The fact
that this report shows a decrease in production
and an increase in expenditure may seem strange.
The following reasons, however, will explain the
situation thoroughly, viz: There is a fixed operating
expense at each mine, whether the mine is in
operation or not, and wliere a mine has been
operated but eight or ten days during the month
there is a large balance to be charged for operating
expense for the days the mine has been idle.
One other reason for the increase in expenditures
was the fact that a majority of the new companies
have reported as wages large sums of
money paid to employes during the time of developing
their property and before the mine had
reached a producing capacity worth mentioning.
The total number of employes for 1904 was
17.S38, an increase of 2,710 employes over 1903,
and the average wage table shows the average
earnings to be $465.03 per miner, $624.38 per inside
day and monthly men and $645.96 per outside
day and monthly men. Considering the number
of days the mines were idle and time lost
from other causes the above figures speak very
favorably for the earning capacity of persons
employed at Indiana mines.
The report states that the year 1904 marks the
greatest period in the development of mining properties
in the history of the state. During that
period 23 new coal companies were organized and
42 new mines opened and developed, which are
distributed in the different counties as follows:
Clay county, five new coal companies and 14
new mines, nine block and five bituminous;
Greene county, two new companies and three new
mines; Gibson county, one new company and one
new mine; Knox county, two new companies and
two new mines; Parke county, two new mines;
Perry county, one new company and one new
mine; Sullivan county, seven new companies and
11 new mines; Vermillion county, one new company
and two new mines; Vigo county, three new
companies and five new mines; Warrick county,
one new company and one new mine.
In addition to the new mines opened, three of
the older ones, viz: the Keystone, at Shelburn;
Hymera No. 1 and the Island Valley No. 2, have
been sunk to seams at a lower depth. As shown
by the table of new mines, 22 are hand, or pick,
mines; 20 electric chain machine mines, and three
compressed air punching machine mines, the
greater number of which, especially those in the
bituminous field, have been equipped with the
latest improved machinery of all kinds, such as
box car loaders, shaker screens, self-dumping cages,
etc., and should approximately increase the coalproducing
capacity of the state at least 20 per
cent.
The monthly reports of coal companies made to
this office during the year just ended show an
aggregate of $74,230.85 as having been expended
on improvements of various kinds made in different
mines.
Regarding labor conditions during the year, the
report says:
Numerous strikes of a local character have occurred
throughout the state during the past year,
which have affected only individual mines, with
but three exceptions. These were of such short
duration as to require no special mention.
One of the exceptions referred to was the strike
of the drivers at the Indiana Bituminous Coal
Co.'s Fairview mine, located near Turner, in Clay
county. The mule barns here are about one
mile distant from the mine, and the drivers
thought it was not a part of their day's work to
bring the mules from these barns to the mine
before working hours in the morning (7 o'clock).
They refused to conform with the rules of the
mine, and this resulted in a strike June 7. Since
that time the mine has not been in operation.
A strike occurred August 1 at the Coal Bluff
Mining Co.'s Harrison No. 3 mine. This was
caused by the miners refusing the company permission
to drive nothing but entries during the
dull season. The reason given by the company
for asking such permission was on account of
the small demand for coal just at that time.
They could not dispose of the product of the en­
tire mine, and thought by driving nothing but
narrow work they could increase the number of
working places, thereby employing a larger force
of miners and increasing the capacity of the
mine when the market demanded it later in the
season. Work was resumed after the mine had
been idle about four weeks, but it was not learned
on what terms a settlement was made.
On April 1 a strike occurred at the Knox mine,
located near Bicknell, in Knox county. The
trouble here was caused by a difference between
the operators and miners as to the time when
shot firing should begin. Prior to this the time
foi' firing shots had been 3:15 o'clock p. m„ but
as a new contract took effect on the above date.
the company insisted on 3:30 as firing time. The
miners demanded a continuance of the previous
conditions, and after an idleness of five months
the company conceded their demand and operations
were again resumed at the mine.
The following table shows the number of mine
casualties during the year and their various
causes: