i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org

Machine miners paid per ton screened in
headings 53
Machine runners paid per day 2.48
Machine runners paid per ton run-of-mine
in rooms 07%
Machine runners paid per ton run-of-mine
in headings 09
Machine runners paid per ton screened 12
Machine runners paid per foot 04
Machine runners paid per hour 19 1 5
The ton used in the above is gross.
SELLING PRICES.—The selling price of coal per
ton of 2,240 lbs. was $1.05 at the mines for runof-mine
coal, a decrease of 27% cents compared
with 1903.
Coke sold for $1.83% per ton of 2,000 lbs., a
decrease of 82% cents under prices for 1903.
MEN EMPLOYED.—The greatest number of men
employed within and about the mines and coke
ovens, for any year, was during the present.
when 45,492 were employed, an increase over
the previous year of 6,040. These were employed
as follows: Pick miners, 18,880; machine
operators, 1,574; machine miners, 6,821;
inside laborers, 9,041; coke workers, 3,511; and
outside laborers, 5,665.
STRIKES.—During the months of April, May and
June of the year there were strikes among the
mine employes in the panhandle counties, or
Wheeling district, which were brought about by
reason of the operators and miners being unable
to agree to a new scale to conform to the Indianapolis
joint agreement between the operators of
the several coal producing states and the United
Mine Workers.
During the same period there was a strike
among a number of mines in the Kanawha valley,
for the same reason.
In the entire state ten counties and 42 operations
were affected, throwing out of employment
2,926 men, and causing a loss of wages to the
employes of $126,032.00 at 17 mines and a loss
to the operators of $23,210.00 at 11 companies.
LEGISLATION.—With the increase in the coal
industry in the state the work of this department
has materially grown. This is brought about by
reason of the increased number of mines requiring
inspection and a growing tendency on the
part of the mine employes and operators to avail
themselves of frequent conferences with the personnel
of the department in relation to matters
for betterments at the mines.
The work of this department has been conducted
with the view of a systematic inspection
of the mines, and an observance of the mining
statutes with the least possible friction.
The duties required of the district inspectors
are such that it has become a physical impossibility
for the inspector to make the required num­
._ COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 37
ber of inspections of each mine. If the inspector
should merely go to the main entrance of each
mine in his district four times per year it would
consume every working day of the year, and leave
him no time in which to make an inspection of
the mine, while there are mines in each district
that are of such extent that it requires two and
three days to make the necessary inspection.
The efficiency of the inspector's work is much
reduced by his having so many mines and so little
time to devote to each. Oftentimes matters and
conditions are such that it is essential that a
mine be given special attention, and in doing so
others have to be given less attention. Important
instructions may be given requiring immediate
attention, and to make such instructions effective
the inspector should return at an early date to
see that the instructions have been executed,
otherwise important matters are frequently neglected
for many weeks or until the inspector
returns to make his regular inspection.
There are not a sufficient number of district inspectors
to do any part of justice to the work
required of them. There are now 630 mines requiring
inspection, an average of 126 mines for
each inspector, necessitating 504 inspections to
comply with the law. Sixty mines is the greatest
number that should be assigned any one inspector.
It is, therefore, highly essential that there be at
least five additional inspectors provided for by
legislation, which would allow 63 mines for each
inspector at the present time.
In the matter of oil for illumination within the
mines, it has been found that greater trouble is
had with the employes in burning mixed and inferior
compounds than is had with the retailer of
oils.
The testing of oils is a part of the duties of this
department and many tests have been made, but
owing to the other duties of the inspectors sufficient
time is not available to take up this oil
matter in a systematic manner.
Owing to the prominent position to which the
coal industry of the state has reached—it being
the greatest commercial industry which the state
possesses, and the future destined to bring the
industry into greater prominence—it appears that,
with wisdom exercised in a proper spirit for the
building up of our state's greatest commercial
asset, it would be proper to give a little additional
prestige to the mine inspection branch of
the state government by giving it a name, such
as the "Department of Mines."
In addition to this the statutes should be so
amended as to place the Department of Mines
under the direction of a chief whose duties shall
be as far-reaching as those now prescribed for
the Chief Mine Inspector.
As the statutes are to-day the terms of office of