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COAL TRADE BULLETIN^
Vol. XII. PITTSBURGH, PA., MARCH 1, 1905. No. 7
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN;
PUBLISHED TWICE A MONTH.
Copyrighted by THE COAL TRADE COMPANY, 1904
A. R. HAMILTON, Proprietor and Publisher,
H. J. STRAUB, Managing Editor.
SUBSCRIPTION, - - - - $2.00 A YEAR.
Correspondence and communications upon all matters
relating to coal or coal production are invited.
All communications and remittances to
THK COAL THADK COMPANY.
926-930 PARK BUILDING, PITTSBURGH, PA.
Long Distance Telephone 250 Grant.
[Entered at the Post Office at Pittsburgh, Pa., as
Second Class Mail Matter.]
THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA DISTRICT
WAGE CONFERENCE WILL HAVE TO
HARMONIZE WIDELY DIVERGENT ATTI­
TUDES OF BOTH FACTORS BEFORE A
NEW SCALE CAN BE FORMULATED.
The sixteenth annual convention of the United
Mine Workers of Bituminous District No. 2, the
Central Pennsylvania field, will be held at Altoona
beginning March 14, and immediately after its
conclusion the joint conference with the operators
on the wage scale will be held. The two meet­
ings will be the most important held in the Cen­
tral Pennsylvania field in several years as a radi­
cal difference of opinion prevails regarding what
shall be the main provisions of the new scale.
The operators are prepared to insist on a reduction
from the present scale of 62 cents a ton for pick
mining. The past year has been such a poor one
in the coal business that the operators are satis­
fied that a reduction in the cost of production is
absolutely necessary if they are to continue in
business. Wages have been advanced nearly 60
per cent, over what they were five years ago
while competition from the other fields shipping
to tidewater has become very great. The Cen­
tral field operators suffer a further disadvantage,
both as regards their daily output and cost of
production by reason of the fact that their work­
ing day is eight hours, while the working day in
some competing regions is nine and ten hours.
The rate of reduction accepted by the Central
Pennsylvania miners last year was nearly the
same as that made by their employers' competi­
tors, the only difference being that it did not
extend quite so far as the latter. The burdens
of the Central Pennsylvania operators, and which
have been accumulating steadily, were, therefore.
in nowise lightened, and the conditions under
which they are compelled to operate have become
almost prohibitive.
The mineis, on the other hand, will ask among
other things for a material decrease in the ma­
chine differential. The price paid for machine
mining is five-ninths of the district price for pick
mining, plus one-half per cent., or about 35 cents.
The miners claim that this is too much: that the
difference in the cost to the operator is only 7
cents, and that the differential should not be
more than 10 cents flat. These questions will
overshadow all others in the joint scale confer­
ence, although an attempt will be made to have
the wages of drivers increased.
The demands of the miners at the conference
will he in line with those formulated at the con­
vention of sub-district No. 3. at Gallitzin. on Feb­
ruary 15 and 16, and which are as follows:
That a substatial increase be made in the ma­
chine mining rate for the purpose of reducing the
existing differential between it and pick mining.
That drivers receive the national day wage of
$2.42 for eight hours instead of $2.27 at at present.
That a uniform scale be established for the em­
ployes of coke ovens whose remuneration now
varies with the locality of the ovens.
That a uniform rate of one-fourth of a cent a ton
lie established for blacksmithing expenses for
machine miners.
A contract has been idosed to supply 45.000 tons
of Welsh steam coal to the Paris, Lyons & Mediter­
ranean railroad. The coal will be shipped from
Cardiff. The price is $4.92 per ton, delivered at
Marseilles.