Report of the Bureau of Mines of the Department of Internal Affairs of ...

400 REPORT OF THE INSPECTORS OF MINES. Off. Doc.
On account of a disi)utc between the miners and operators about
the price of miuinji-, a strike was declared hy t\u- miners on July 4,
which lasted until about September 10; durin^- this period. oi»erations
at most of the mines in the district were entirely suspended. In
view of the fact that the miners and their families had been in a deplorable
condition financially for several years past, the strike was
fully expected for some time before its occurrence, and it could hardly
be expected that the .men would consent to see their families liviu*;-
perpetually in a state borderinj;- on semi-starvation without raisinj;- a
protest and participating in a struggle to better their c(mdit ion. The
usual methods adopted by the statistician of computing the amount
of wages the laborers would have earned had they continued at work
instead of going on strike, as a dead loss financially, will hardly ai)]»ly
in this case, for their earnings were barely sufficient to keep the wolf
t'idiii the door, and through public sympathy their wants were supplied
during the strike about as well, if not better, than (hey would
have been had they continued working under the old conditions.
Neither is it very jirobable that any considerable number of the
operators suffered any great financial loss as a result of the suspension,
for it is well known that the market price of their coiumodity
was such that it was becoming a serious problem as to whether it
would not be bettv'r to allow llie coal to remain in the gi-ounrofit. and it is allogethei- jtiobable
that those engaged in the mining business sntferearlies who wi-ic de]»rived of eniploynient
and the protit
supi»ly being susi>ended.
from their business on account of the legnlar coal
As a i-esult of the general suspension, during a period of nioi-e than
two months in the busiest season, we would naturally expect a large
falling olf in the total annual production, but the decrease is not as
great as might have been exi)ected, for, after the resumjition of ojx'rations.
lailioad cars were rushed forward in sufficient
number to keep
the majority of the mines in full opeiaiion until the close of hike navigation,
and the total product ion is only ()24,450 tons less than tluit of
the pri.'vious year, and were it not fcu' the fact that several huge mines
were closed down thi'oughout the entire year, the production would
not have been fai- short of (hat for the year 1896,
Number of tons, run of mine, of coal mined
r).()(K),:{7r>
Nund)er of tons of coke produced
4.r)(K)
Number of mines in district 72
Number of employes inside 0.1 10
Number of employes outside S14
Total number of employes
0.03'?
Numlx'r of persons killed in and about the mines 22
Number of non-fatal iujui'ies 58