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ORGANIZATION OF THE OPERATING FORCES
AS DISCUSSED BEFORE THE SUPERIN­
TENDENTS OF THE FAIRMONT COAL
CO. BY W. H. BAILEY.
To be economically successful in mine operation,
the different forces, their proper organization,
placing and discipline requires careful thought
and care. The different divisions of the working
force of a mine can be classed under the following
heads:
lst—The mining, loading or producing force.
2nd—Cutting coal by electricity or air.
3rd—Hauling by mules or other power.
4th—General laborers—trackmen, slatemen, timbermen,
etc.
These are the interior forces. Taking up each
individual force or division, we find that no matter
how perfect the mining or producing, or either
of the divisions may be organized, nothing good
in the way of successful operation can be accomplished
unless each of the other divisions are
equally well organized, because each separate force
is like the component parts of a machine, all must
work in unison and harmony before good results
can be obtained. Friction in the management of
the interior affairs is bad and must be avoided.
One master mind must assume the direction of
affairs within the mine; no matter how many
divisions the working force consists of. there must
be but one person in charge of said forces, and he
should be the mine foreman.
There should be under and subordinate to him
the heads of the different divisions. Each director
of such a division or force must be held responsible
for the work of his force, and the mine
foreman must be responsible to his superintendent
for the proper directing of all the forces. The
working forces must be kept as compact as the
conditions will allow. Group the mining or producing
force into as compact a territory as possible,
and this will naturally force a grouping of
each of the other forces. A failure to do so
proves the organization to be incomplete. This
grouping of forces-will reduce the cost of operation,
as it will reduce the number of people required
under the present scattered system. Under
the present system a great part of their time is
put in going from district to district. Group the
work to be done and less men will do it. This
also holds good in the. case of drivers and horses,
mine cars and mining machines. Where the operating
forces are concentrated, less mine cars are
required, as the cars are in constant use and not
standing idle on some side-track for hours at a
time. Less mining machines would be needed,
as the work to be done by them would be grouped
and not scattered over a large part of the mine.
When the work is scattered a large part of the
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 33
working time of the machines is taken up in
moving them from place to place.
In all machine mines each two loaders should
be given two places adjoining each other. Two
loaders should lie compelled to work together,
they having .two places: one to be loaded out while
the other is being cut, each place lieing cleaned
up and put in condition for the machine before
they are allowed to begin the loading out of the
other place. The machines in a machine mine
should work double shift, with two crews (all
being partners), one of which should work in the
day-time and one in the night-time. A board, to
be known as the machine board, should be placed
at some point where all loaders and machine runners
would pass it on their way to and from work.
On this board should be marked the names or
numbers of all headings wdiere the cutting is being
done by machines, the miner marking on said
board the place or places cleaned up and the cutter
rubbing out all places cut on their shift. By
working the machine night and day the number
would be reduced one-half. Another saving would
be in the power. As we now work, our electric
and air plants are overloaded at times. Reduce
the number of machines working at one time and
better results will be obtained.
Hauling is a very important factor in mine
operation. All points of assemblage should be as
near the working face as possib'e. Long horse
hauls should be avoided at all times. The rolling
stock of a mine should receive as much attention
as that used on railroads. Therefore, beginning
with the first or mining force, we find it very
necessary to plaee no more miners or loaders on
or in a district than can be properly served with
cars. By a given number of horses to do the
hauling, that is to say that if one horse can only
haul the amount of coal that ten loaders can load.
no more than that number should be put at work
in said district, unless ten more can be added
thereto, for the following reasons: If only five
more are added, another horse is needed, and if
one horse can haul the coal from ten loaders, and
five more are added, it would either reduce the
amount of coal coming from each working place
or cause the employing of an extra horse in this
district. Then if the additional number of men
were less than ten the cost of handling this coal
would increase. To simplify it, let us say that
only five more loaders were added to this district
and one horse. The earning capacity of the
horses and drivers would be reduced one-fourth,
assuming that a horse can haul all the coal that
ten loaders can load.
Another reason why only enough loaders should
be grouped in any heading or district, either for
one, two or three head of stock to take care of,