i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org

WAGES OF COKE WORKERS ADVANCED.
The H. C. Frick Coke Co. on March 1 advanced
the wages of all of its employes in the Connellsville
region, none whatever being excepted from
the increase which ranges from 8 to 11% per cent.
and averages 10 per cent. The Frick company
owns and operates about 17,000 ovens in the region
and over 18,000 of its own workers are benefited
by its action. There are from 8,000 to 9,000
ovens in the region owned by independent concerns
and the majority of these at once took similar
action. About 10,000 men are employed at the
outside ovens and the advance will therefore benefit
nearly 30,000 men in all.
It has been the policy of the H. C. Frick Coke
Co. to share its prosperity with its workmen, which
is shown by the fact that this was the sixth voluntary
advance given in 10 years, and in all that
time there has been but one reduction, which was
made in December, 1903. This cut was necessary
on account of low prices and an unusually dull
period in the coke trade. In January of that year,
when prices of coke were at a high point, furnace
coke selling at from $4 to $5 a ton, a voluntary
advance was given. Prices dropped during the
summer more than one-half, but the wages paid,
which were the highest ever known in the coke
industry, were not disturbed until December, when
furnace coke sold as low as $1.75 a ton.
The price has been around that figure and lower
since that time, and it was not until early in December
that better rates were obtained. Today
furnace coke is at a figure well above $2 a ton.
Prices, however, do not affect the Frick company,
as it does not sell any of ns product, the entire
output of its ovens going to the mills and furnaces
of the United States Steel Corporation of which it
is one of the most important subsidiary companies.
Great secrecy was observed by the company in
making the announcement of the advance, as it
was desired to give the workers a pleasant surprise
and in this it was successful. The notices
were posted at the different works throughout the
region during the night and the men knew nothing
about the matter until they reported for duty the
following day. Following is a copy of the notice
to which has been added the former wages paid for
the different kinds of work:
New Old
Rate. Rate.
Mining and loading room and rib coal,
100 bushels $1-20 $1.10
Mining and loading heading coal, 100
bushels
37
I-
125
Mining and loading wet heading coal,
100 bushels 1-45 1-30
Drawing coke, 100 bushels 70 .63
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 29
Drivers and rope riders (shafts and
slopes), full run 2.40 2.20
Drivers and rope riders (drifts), full
run 2.30 2.10
Cagers, full run 2.40 2.20
Tracklayers, blasters and timbermen
(shafts and slopes), a day 2.40 2.20
Tracklayers, blasters and timbermen
(drifts), a day 2.30 2.10
Assistant tracklayers and inside la-
. 1.75 1.60
Dumpers and tipplemen, full run... . 1.80 1.65
. 1.70 1.60
Carters, a day
. 1.60 1.50
Leveling, an oven
•11% •10%
• -04 V4 .04
. 1.85 1.70
Forking cars, 40,000 pounds . 1.50 1.40
Forking cars, 50,000 and 60,000 lbs. . 1.60 1.50
Forking cars, over 60,000 pounds. . . . , 1.75 1.60
ILLINOIS MINE WORKERS MEET.
At the recent annual convention of the United
Mine Workers of Illinois it was decided that a
building with storerooms, offices and halls, should
be erected in Springfield at a cost of $300,000.
The auditing committee's report showed that on
August 1, 1904, there was a cash balance on hand
of $698,934.50 and that during the year $164,-
397.54 was paid into the treasury. The officers
elected are: President, H. C. Perry; vice-president,
W. E. Smith; secretary-treasurer, W. D.
Ryan; national board member, Thomas Burke.
Among the subjects taken up by the convention
was the bill providing for shot firers to be furnished
by the mine operators. It was discussed
in executive session and the work of the legislative
committee was commended. One of the most
important resolutions presented related to alleged
discrimination of operators against members of
the miners' organization in giving employment.
It was decided that the resolution was not in harmony
with the agreement now existing between
the miners and the operators. A resolution to
send five delegates to the so-called national labor
gathering in Chicago June 27 provoked a warm
debate. Eugene V. Debs having signed the call,
the miners suspected that the movement was for
the purpose of promoting socialism. The signatures
of other socialists added to the heat of the
debate. It was finally decided to send delegates
from the state organization to ascertain the purpose
of the gathering. The Illinois miners' union
is the first labor organization in the country to
send delegates to Debs' convention. It was decided
by the convention that it would be a violation
of the constitution for local unions to use
their funds in conducting co-operative stores.