xt7ftt4fr060 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7ftt4fr060/data/mets.xml Pennsylvania Tryon, F. G. (Frederick Gale), 1892-1940 National Research Project on Reemployment Opportunities and Recent Changes in Industrial Techniques (U.S.) United States. Bureau of Mines United States. Bureau of the Census 1940 pt. I. Bituminous coal / by F.G. Tryon ... [et al.] -- pt. II. Pennsylvania anthracite/by F.G. Tryon ... [et al.] xiii, 133 p.: 1 map; 26 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries. Call Number Y 3.W 89/2:42/E-4 books  English Philadelphia, Pa.: Works Progress Administration, National Research Project and Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Mines: Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Pennsylvania Works Progress Administration Publications Miners -- Employment -- United States -- Statistics Coal mines and mining -- Employment -- United States -- Statistics Employment and Related Statistics of Mines and Quarries, 1935 text Employment and Related Statistics of Mines and Quarries, 1935 1940 1940 2019 true xt7ftt4fr060 section xt7ftt4fr060 HIMIUJIJHWlI‘lllHillWII‘HinHIHll/IllUHHWIIIJ/Hlll/lll , "
I 1 Y3 IEMPLOYMENT AND RELATED STATISTICS
g as I” 39/2901? MINES AND QUARRIES. 1935 , _ '
' l mm ' 7 ,
' 4 “WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION f
.: : NATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT« ' ,
-‘ - - AND _
".g: 2.] _ - DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR - '
, BUREAU OF MINES . .5 1‘
' ’ DEPARTM ENT'OF COMMERCE 5'7 ,
' = 1 BUREAU OF THE CENSUS . p .1 __A :

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: WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION
} HARRY L. HOPKINS CORRINGTON GILL
:4/ Administrator Assistant Administrator
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NATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT
l e on i
i a" Reemployment Opportunities and Recent Changes ‘
j ’x in Industrial Techniques. 1
‘ f a DAVID WEINTRAUB IRVING mm 1
l/Lr‘ " Director Associate D1reotor j
I, 7 1
i g In cooperation with 1
1

% UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR \
1 BUREAU OF MINES ‘
1' a
' JOHN w. FINCH, Director 1
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i UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 1
i BUREAU OF THE CENSUS 3
i WILLIAM L. AUSTIN, Director . )
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i 7 Mineral Technology and Output per Man Studies

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t O. E. Kiessling, Economist in Charge 3 35‘23 ; :2 g :
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' THE W.P.A. NATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT 1
ON REEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND RECENT CHANGES 'Iir
IN INDUSTRIAL TECHNIQUES r
Under the authority granted by the President in the Execu- /
tive Order which created the Works Progress Administration, ”I
Administrator Harry L. Hopkins authorized the establishment { V
of a research program for the purpose or collecting and ana- .
lyzing data bearing on problems of employment, unemployment,
and relief. Accordingly, the National Research Program was
established in October 1955 under the supervision or Corrington
Gill, Assistant Administrator or the WPA, who appointed the
directors or the individual studies or projects. |
The Project on Reemploy'ment Opportunities and Recent Changes A
in Industrial Techniques was organized in December 1935 to ,/i
, inquire, with the cooperation of industry, labor, and govern~ I" E
mental and private agencies, into the extent or recent changes " , A
in industrial techniques and to evaluate the effects or these :
changes on the volume or employment and unemployment. David i .~..
Weintraub and Irving Kaplan, members 01' the research start 1 ’"‘
of the Division of Research, statistics, and Finance. were ap- \ji‘”
pointed, respectively, Director andAssociate Director or the v _
Project. The task set for them was to assemble and organize ’-
the existing data which bear on the problem and to augment
these data by field surveys and analyses. 1
To this end, many governmental agencies which are the col- I
lectors and repositories of pertinent information were invited
to cooperate. The cooperating agencies or the United States
Government include the Department of Agriculture, the Bureau
‘ or Mines of the Department or the Interior, the Bureau of ' ‘
Labor statistics of the Department of Labor, the Railroad‘ ’
-. Retirement Board, the Social Security Board, the Bureau of
Internal Revenue of the Department or the Treasury, the De- I
partment of Commerce, the Federal Trade Commission, and the
Tariff Commission.
Also cooperating are the following private agencies: the
Industrial Research Department or the University of Penn-
' sylvania, the National Bureau or Economic Research, Inc., the
Employment Stabilization Research Institute of the University
of Minnesota, and the Agricultural Economics Departments in
the Agricultural Experiment Stations of California, Illinois,
Iowa. and New York. , - 3
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 1 EMPLOYMENT AND RELATED STATISTICS 0F MINES AND QUARRIES
E 1935
E
1%“ Part I. - Bituminous Coal
, by
/ F. G. Tryon, W. H. Young, M. E. Wilson,
F1 and F. E. Berquist
E
1 Part II. — Pennsylvania Anthracite
by
F. G. Tryon, M. Otero, W. H. Young,
I and D. C. Ashmead
,4)
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E Mineral Technology and Output per Man Studies
1 Report No. E—u ‘ E
E Philadelphia, Pennsylvania E
E ' July 1937 E
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 1 WORKS PROGRESS AUMiNlSTRATION
1 WALKER-JOHNSON BUILDING
1 1734 NEW YORK AVENUE NW.
5 WASHINGTON, D. c.
1 , HARRY L. HOPKINS
1V ADMINISTRATOR
1 June 29, 1937
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1 Hon. Harry L. Hopkins
1 Works Progress Administrator 1
1 Sir:
1 I hereby transmit a copy ofa report on Employment
1 and Related Statistics oinnes and Quarries, 1.935. This
31* volume covers statistics of coal mines.
it
{‘1 The information here made available on the number
if of workers employed, wages paid, volume of production;
. r"“~“’“ and cost of fuels and suppliesJ will be drawn upon for
p , the forthcoming reports in the series on "Mineral Tech— ‘
T nology and Output per Man Studies.“ This report is
1 I the fourth in this series of studieSJ which are being 1
1 prepared under the supervision of Dr. 0. E. Kiessling
I
1 of the U. S. Bureau of Mines under a cooperative ar— 1
' rangement between that Bureau and our National Research ‘
Project.
Part. I; on “Bituminous Coal", was prepared by
P. G. Tryon; Chief Economist; W. H.YoungJ Analyst;
M. E. Wilson; Statistical Assistant; all of the Coal
1 Division of the U. S. Bureau of Mines; andF. E. Berquist;
1 Special Consultant.
1 Part II, on “Pennsylvania Anthracite"J was prepared
1 by F. G. Tryon; Chief Economist; W. H. YoungJ Analyst;
M. Otero; Statistical Assistant; all of the Coal Division
of the U. S. Bureau of Mines; and D. C. AshmeadJ Mining
1 Engineer.
1
L Respectfully submittedJ
1 , .
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1 Corrington Gill
1 Assistant Administrator

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2 CONTENTS

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{ Section Page
7 PREFACE.................... xi
f SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . xiii
g

i PART I — BITUMINOUS COAL

E I. SUMMARY FOR THE INDUSTRY. . . . . . . . . . . . 1
E Operations in 1935. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
7 Comparisons with 1929 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
i Comparisons with earlier censuses . . . . 4
{7 State summary, 1935 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
r

7 II. WAGE EARNERS AND WAGES. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
?7 Average number of wage earners employed . . . 12
?>1_

I r7 Problems of measurement in coal mines . . . 12
3/ Days of mine operation. . . . . . . . . . . 14
l Numbers employed on days of operation . . . 14
I . Total numbers on monthly pay rolls. . . . . 15
I Effects of shut—down periods on the
7 average number employed . . . . . . . . 15
§ Employment records of Bureau of Mines
E and census compared . . . . . . . . . . 16
{ Daysworkedin1935............ 17
I Distribution of wage payments . . . . . . . . 20
* III. LOCATION OF THE MARKET FOR MINE SUPPLIES. . . . 21
E IV. DETAILED STATISTICS BY STATES AND COUNTIES. . . 26

Scope of the canvass. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Problem of small mines. . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Accuracy of the returns . . . . . . . . . . . 29
i State by state tables . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
1 APPENDIX: SCHEDULES USED AND DEFINITIONS
} ormans.................. 85
1
} Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
i Production. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
1 Value of production . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
7 Other products or services. . . . . . . . . 86
i ‘ Supplies and materials. . . . . . . . . . . 86
I vii

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Section Page
Colliery fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Purchased electric current. . . . . . . . . 87
Proprietors or firm members . . . . . . . . 87
. Salaried employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 l
Wage earners, by months . . . . . . . . . . 88 !
Wages paid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 i
Schedules used. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 i
PART II - PENNSYLVANIA ANTHRACITE 1
I. SUMMARY FOR THE INDUSTRY. . . . . . . . . . . . 95 l
I
. Operations in 1935. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 }
Comparisons with 1929 . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 L
‘v ' Comparisons with earlier censuses . . . . . . 99 f
3
II. WAGE EARNERS AND WAGES. . . . . . . . . . . . - 102 t
f
Average number of wage earners employed . . . 102 .1”.
Seasonal fluctuations . . . . . . . . . . . 102 7
Effect of shut—downs upon the average . . . 102 I
' Days worked in 1935 . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 g
Employment records of the Bureau of Mines . 107 t
Changes in number employed, 1929-35 . . . . 109 i
- s
‘ Distribution of wage payments . . . . . . . . 109 I
. I
‘ III. STATISTICS BY REGIONS AND TYPES OF OPERATION. . 111 I
‘ The Pennsylvania anthracite industry. . . . . 111 i
\ Districts and fields. . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 l
_ Bootleg coal not included . . . . . . . . o . 113 :
small mines and intercompany sales. . . . . . 113
Reports from stripping contractors. . . . . . 114
Accuracy of the returns . . . . . . . . . . . 114 E
Location of the market for mine supplies. . . 115
Collieries and washeries. . . . . . . . . . . 121
‘ River dredges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 1
. Disposal of product . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 .
‘. APPENDIX: SCHEDULE USED AND DEFINITIONS
' OF TERMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
1 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . o . . . o o 125 V
Production. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 1
Value of product. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 2
other products or services. . . . . . . . . 125 '
‘ supplies and materials. . . . . . . . . . . 126
Colliery fuel . . . . . . . . . . . g . . . 126
.:: /, Purchased electric power. . . . . . . . . . 127

 1 CONTENTS ix
! Page
! Proprietors and firm members . . . . . . . 127
i Salaried employees . . . . . . . . . . . 0 127
I Wage earners, by months. . . . . . . . . . 128
i Wagespaid................ 128
I
g Scheduleused................ 129
i MAP
‘7 Figure 1. Distribution of the market for mine sup—
I plies in the production of bituminous coal,
} 1935 24
3 V
l TABLES
:3
Table I. Summary of bituminous coal mining opera-
; tions in the United States as reported
7’ by the Censuses of 1902. 1909,1919, 1929,
3r and1935................ 2
V Table II. Production, total value of products, and
I expenditures for supplies, colliery fuel,
3 purchased electric power, and wages at
f bituminous coal mines in the United States
i in1935,byStates........... 8
i .
, Table III. Personnel other than wage earners and sal—
! aries paid at bituminous coal mines in
E the United States in 1935. . . . . . . . 10
E Table IV. Number of wage earners employed in each
% month at bituminous coal mines in the
United States in 1935, by States . . . . 11
i _ I Table V. Monthly employment and operating time at ,
‘s representative bituminous coal mines in
E 1935.................. 12
'2 Table VI. Production, value, men employed, days oper—
é ated,_ man—days of labor, and output per
I man per day at bituminous mines in the
United States in 1935, as given in the
annual coal reports of the U. S. Bureau
‘ ofMines................ 18
1 Table VII. Expenditures for supplies, fuel, and pur—
:{ chased electric power at bituminous coal
E mines by States and major divisions in
1935.................. 22
J Table VIII. Summary ofall Operations producing Pennsyl—
‘{ vania anthracite, as reported by the Cen—
1 suses of 1909, 1919, 1929. and 1935. . . 96

 x CONTENTS
t'
Page
. I Table IX. Number ofwage earners employed in each month
, in the production of Pennsylvania anthra-
cite in 1935, by regions and types of op-
eration.................. 103 I
Table X. Number of wage earners employed in each
month in production of Pennsylvania an—
thracite in 1935, by counties. . . . . e 104
‘ Table XI. Monthly employment and operating time at I
selected anthracite collieries in 1935 . 106
Table XII. Men employed and days worked at operations
. producing Pennsylvania anthracite in 1935, t
as given in the annual coal reports of the
U. S. Bureau of Mines. . . . . . . . . . 108 ‘
I Table XIII. Summary of production, value of products, . 1
expenditures for supplies, fuel, pur— V
chased electric power, wages and salaries, 1
and number of employees at all operations {
producing Pennsylvania anthracite in 1935 112 .I/
. Table XIV. Production, value of products, and expend— '
itures for supplies, colliery fuel, pur— ’
1 chased electric power, and wages at col-
' lieries and washeries in the Pennsylvania
I anthracite industry, 1111935, by districts 116
I1 Table XV. Production, value of products, and expend—
" itures for supplies, colliery fuel, pur—
\ chased electric power, and wages at col-
lieries and washeries in the Pennsylvania
\ anthracite industry, in 1985, by fields. 118
7 Table XVI. Production, value ofproducts, expenditures
1 for supplies, fuel, purchased electric '
power, wages and salaries, and number of
employees at river dredges in the Pennsyl- 1
Z * vania anthracite industry in 1935, by
- regions................. 120 I
Table XVII. Pennsylvania anthracite shipped, sold 10-
cally, and used as colliery fuel in 1935. 3 /
bydistricts.............. 122
1

 Ii PREFACE -
.»|
I To measure the over-all productivity of an industry, two ele-
ments are, of course, necessary - a record of total output and
% a record of labor expended. Adequate records of total produc-
3 tion were fortunately available for almost all branches of min—
i' eral extraction. The factor of labor expended, on the other
5 hand, was less accurately known. The only complete records of
} the manpower engaged in mining have been those of the decennial
1 [ Censuses of Mines and Quarries, the latest of which covered the
1 year 1929. Less complete data for subsequent years were avail-
: able in the annual reports of the Bureau of Mines. No figures
at all were at hand regarding employment in oil and gas produc—
l tion, and even in coal mining, for which the Bureau of Mines
1' record was most comprehensive, the series covered only the "av-
! erage number employed" during the year and threw no light on the
l ., seasonal fluctuations of employment which are so important to
I the coal digger.
,} It seemed essential, therefore, to develop the employment record
'/ in 1935 on a basis comparable with the Census of 1929 and preced-
[ ing decennial counts. Facilities for accomplishing this purpose
3 appeared in connection with the 1935 Census of Business. The
1 Census of Business was designed to provide information on em— .
I ployment, wages, cost of supplies, and related items for almost
- all branches of American industry and trade. By cooperative
agreement between the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of
Mines, at the suggestion of the Central Statistical Board, these
inquiries relating to mines and quarries were added to the Bu-
; reau of Mines annual report form for 1935, in order to avoid du—
, plication of statistical questionnaires. As the results were
‘7 of immediate concern in the ”Mineral Technology and Output per
E Man Studies", the National Research Project has also collabo-
l rated in the task of compilation.
l The present report gives in some detail the results of this
1 / V 1935 Census of the bituminous coal and anthracite industries,
together with abrief analysis relating the 1935 data to earlier
censuses. The two major divisions of coal mining are presented
1 separately, "Bituminous Coal" as Part I and "Pennsylvania Anthra—
g cite" as Part II. 1
i:
David Weintraub
. , Irving Kaplan
Philadelphia.
June 24, 1937. xi

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1 SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

1

1 The statistics in this report are based upon information courte—
‘ ously furnished by anthracite and bituminous coal operators in
1 response to certain special questions carried on the Bureau of
Mines report form for 1935 by cooperative agreement with the
1 Bureau of the Census.

1' A general Census of Business was taken by the Bureau of the
1 Census for the year 1935. For mines and quarries the canvass
1 included data not only on production and, value but also on cost
1 of materials, fuel and power, wages paid, and number and total
compensation of salaried employees. To avoid what would other-
wise have been serious duplication of statistical questionnaires,
5 it was arranged that these supplementary inquiries should be
1 added to the Bureau of Mines annual return for the year 1935.
The Bureau of Mines has been responsible for their collection
1 and tabulation, and the records have remained throughout in the
'1 confidential custody of its sworn employees. The Bureau of the
5. Census has contributed funds for the employment of supervisory
1 and specially trained clerical workers; theFederal Work Program
1 has provided the funds for the employment of the clerical workers,
1 drawn from the relief rolls, to aid in the compilation.

1 The schedules of inquiry were distributed by mail, and the in— '
5 formation was collected primarily by correspondence. In some
1 areas agents were dispatched to complete the canvass by direct
1 . interviews, and in nearly all areas supplementary information
1 was furnished by the State mining departments.

5 Cordial acknowledgement ismade to the thousands of mine opera-
5 . . tors and to the State officials who have contributed information.
1 H. L. Davies and L. H. Barber have rendered valuable assistance
1 in the office compilations for bituminous coal and H. L. Bennit
1 and R. M. Miller in those for anthracite. John R. Bradley of the
1 Bureau of Mines handled the field interviews in the Pennsylvania
1 anthracite industry.

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PART I - BITUMINOUS COAL

1 .

1 SECTION I

E SUMMARY FOR THE INDUSTRY

OPERATIONS IN 1935

1 The total production of bituminous coal in 1935 amounted to

1 372,253,697 tons. The value at the mines of the coal produced

E was $657,560,722, an average of $1.766 per ton. The value of

E other products or services — chiefly sales of surplus electric

E power — was reported as $913,813, and the total value of all

_ products or services was $658,474,535. The number of mines in

operation was 6,311.

E The mining ofbituminous coal was found tobe by farthe largest

f employer of labor among the mineral industries. An average of

1 435,426 wage earners were engaged over the year as a whole, in-

; cluding shut—down periods, the number on the rolls varying from
‘ 1 400,886 in July, the minimum month, to 460,871 in December, the

§ maximum month. The total wages paid amounted to $402,676,694.

1 In addition, $32,531,000 was paid incompensation to 16,916 sal—

5 aried employees who worked at the mines or in offices directly

E connected therewith.

' The bituminous—coal mines spent $73,704,997 for supplies and

E materials in 1935. The cost ofcolliery fuel was $4,796,141 and

E of purchased electric power, $25,080,359. Comparisons with the

1 preceding censuses are given in table I.

E” COMPARISONS WITH 1929

i

E The changes indicatedfrom 1929 t01935 reflect inlarge measure

E the effects ofthe great depression upon theconsumption of coal.

E Demand in 1935 showed a substantial increase over the low point

E of 1932, but the total tonnage produced remained 30.7 percent

E Ebelow that of theactive year 1929. Prices, which had fallen to

E $1.31 a ton in 1932, recovered to an average of $1.766 in 1935.

3 In comparison with the average of $1.797 in 1929, the prices of

E ,.,, :... 1 :' 1: 1 ;

1 2 2

 .1“: 1‘ :1. ‘(n1 , > 7 . . , / 1, ' 1 I
:11: -1 $22Z€22;{::;2::Z:£LZT{v r11,1,T???ISL-1352;229:171'Pi—Zfiffi, 1 1.1if-‘Iria’7i1i‘i"'<"" I "' '1 1 . ; > ,, " «71.1%.... " s
Table I.- SUMMARY OF BITUMINOUS COAL MINING OPERATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AS REPORTED BY THE CENSUSES OF N
1902, 1909, 1919, 1929, and 1935
(Inclusive of wagon mines producing less than 1,000 tons a year. _The production
of Alaska, which amounted to 119,]..25 tons in 1955, is not included.) [11
Percent '
0f change E ‘ V
1929-1935 5
1-1',‘ Number of mines 1.,826 6,016 8,282 5,620 o 6.511 (c) .2; .-
l‘l’ff,’ Production, not tons 260,020,556 576,952,551. 1.60,1.25,856 557,112,195 572,255,697 -5o.7 E
) ‘ZI: ' Value of products
.; ,, ., Coal, value at mine $290,581.,1.85 $101,555,972 $1,11.1.,522,61.7 $965,707,288 $657,560,722 —51.9 g
.3 Average value per ton $1.118 $1.065 32.1.85 $1.797 $1.766 — 1.7 E
other products or services . -—- $126,962 $1,651.,918 $986,165 $913,815 — 7.1. a 1
:1" :) TOtal 1731119 v - - I o I I o I o o I - I "‘ 31401198219311 $111115 29771565 896606931771 $6583h7h0535 "51.9 g I
:1 , H 2. H . Salaried employees I m V
Number 10.1.13 18,595 55,575 20,826 d 16,916 (d) ..3 1‘
Total compensation ......... $1h,511,92L. $20,9$,2112 $68,669,038 $118,8h0,030 d $32,531,000 (d) a
Wage earners g
Average number, including
shut—down periods 3/ 280,205 138,000 515,798 158,752 1.35.1.26 — 5.1 g ;
Wages paid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. $181,513,208 $282,526 ,639 $682,601,068 $570,800,072 $402,676,691]. -29.9 m -
Cost of supplies $211,780,695 $38,302,218 $112,152,551 $106,158,596 $75,701,997 -5o.8 g
Cost of fuel ................. -—- (f) 325,896,660 37,529,305 $11,796,114-1 '66-} ‘
Cost of purchased power ...... --- (1‘) $11,280,509 $30,733,581 $25,080,559 —18.l.. E
Per-ton expenditures for: g _
Wages $0.697 $0.750 81.1.83 $1.070 $1.082 + 1.1 m .
Supplies ................... .095 .102 .509 .198 .198 -—- ‘1,
Fuel -—- (r) .056 011. .015 —7.1 3
Purchased electric power ... ---- (f) .025 .057 .067 +17.5
‘1‘“ ' v————-—-: — W" > _ < . 4,, _ M ...». ‘ _ 1

 —¢-’~ »‘ ~nnfla _ —--rm.mmw*__r__.w_._fl ’_..~.n_. ......” __..W "V. ,1. .r—M‘W‘ < ~v~————.. _.— — “mm? -.1 .11... r—w—m—w—r—«r ~~’v‘~’”-w~——' ‘HF’ -—~~——~.~.._........,-
,e .
Ratio of expenditures to
total value
Wages ...................... 62.1% 70.3% 59.6% 59.5% 61.2% +2.9
Supplies . 8.5% 9.5% 12.1% 11.0% 11.2% + 1.8
final --— (1‘) 2.3% 0.8% 0.7% -12.5
Purchased electric power ... --- (f) 1.0% 3.27/3 3.8% +18.8
(a) Data reported at the Census of 1902 have been revised by the elimination of 826 small mines, which averaged only 238
tons per year. Mines of this size have not been included at later censuses. (b) Data reported at the Census of 1909 in-
cluded the coking of coal in beehive ovens at the mines. In order to make the figures comparable with other years, data
for coking have been excluded, by estimate. For some items this estimate was made in the Census report for 1919 and for 2
others by the present authors. (6) The indicated increase in number of mines from 1929 to 1935 is chiefly due to more K
complete coverage of small mines in the canvass conducted by the Bureau of Mines, made possible in part by cooperation E
of the N.R.A. divisional code authorities and the State mine departments. (d) The figures for salaried employees in 1935 w
are not comparable with those for 1929. In both years employees at central offices were returnable on a separate form ,<
for "General Administrative Office Personnel" and are not included here; but the line distinguishing central offices in
the two years was differently drawn. In 1929 many employees at separate administrative offices located in the same '2
county or State were grouped with the mine reports. In 1935 only personnel actually at the mine or in offices directly w
connected therewith were included. (6) Represents the number of 300-day workers equivalent to the numbers employed on a
the days when the mines operated. As the mines operated only 230 days in 1902, the average number actually on the rolls
was undoubtedly much greater than the figure shown. (f) The 1909 returns for cost of fuel and purchased power were ap- g
parently not comparable with those in later censuses. H
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 1 4 EMPLOYMENT AND RELATED STATISTICS OF MINES 1
1935, however, showed a decrease of 1.7 percent. The decline in 1
total value of products amounted to 31.9 percent. 1
Wage payments decreased 29.9 percent, slightly less than total
value of products. 1
1 A decrease occurred, also, in expenditures for supplies, fuel,
1 and power. It was greatest in the case of colliery fuel,expend— 1
itures for which declined 36.3 percent, and least in the case of 1
purchased electric power, which declined 18.4 percent. Payments 1
1 for supplies and materials showed a. decrease of 30.8 percent. 1
1 1 1
1 COMPARISONS WITH EARLIER CENSUSES 1
1. In comparing the 1935 returns with those of still earlier cen— 3
V suses, the most significant items are the per—ton expenditures 1
‘ for wages and supplies and the corresponding ratios of those ex— 1
1 . , penditures to the total value of products (table I). No general 1
. census can attain the accuracy of cost accounting, and where 1
per—ton costs are computed, they must be regarded as approximate. 3,
The chance of error, however, is diminished when large numbers
'1 of mines are included, and the ratios here given are believed to 1
1 1 indicate faithfully the long-time trends. 1
'1 It should be noted that many items of cost are not included, 1
11 1 such as the sums paid for contract work or for the purchase of 1 1
1 new equipment, royalties, depletion, depreciation, interest on 1
1 g 1 , debentures, insurance, taxes, workmen's compensation, reserves
1 for uninsurable hazards, and other administrative and selling 1
_' expenses. It is therefore impossible to compute the total cost 1
1 . of production or the margin, if any, between sales realization
1 and cost. .
Per—ton expenditures for wages increased slightly from $.697 1
1 at the Census of 1902 to $.750 at that of 1909. With the sudden 1
1 1 rise in commodity price levels and wage rates associated with
the World War, wage costs per ton advanced to $1.483 in 1919. 1
The decline to $1.07 in 1929 represented, in part, a reduction 1
1 1 in wage scales, especially in the nonunion coal fields, and, in 1
1 part, savings in the man—hours required per ton of coal produced. 1
11 In 1935 the wage bill per ton averaged $1.082, an increase of 1
J: 1.1 percent over 1929. It appears, therefore, that the increase 1
':1-‘ in mechanization has failed to offset in full the advances in 1
s 311‘ 1

 1

1

SUMMARY FOR THE INDUSTRY 5
1 hourly wage rates which occurred in many districts during this
1 period.

2 The changes in per—ton expenditures forsupplies and materials
1 suggest a long-time upward trend, obscured by fluctuations in
; the price of raw materials. Between 1902 and 1909 the average
1 supply cost increased slightly, rising from 9.5 cents a ton to
1 10.2 cents. The peak of 30.9 cents in 1919 reflects the specu—
1 lative levels of raw—material prices characteristic of the war
1 period, and the subsequent decline t019.8 cents in 1929, in the
1 same way, is more anindication of price movements thanof dimin-
1 ished Consumption of supplies per ton of output. In 1935 the
1 computed expenditures forsupplies per ton Were exactly the same
1 as in 1929 (19.8 cents), but if movements of wholesale price
1 levels are remembered, an increase in per—ton consumption is
1 suggested. The steady growth of coal—mine mechanization points
1 to higher supply costs per ton of output.

J Costs of fuel and purchased power can be traced accurately
7 beginning with 1919. Since then expenditures for fuel have de-
1 ‘ clined sharply, partly because ofthe decrease in prices of coal
1 itself butchiefly because of the tendency toclose down isolated
1 power plants at the individual mine andshift to central—station
17 power purchased from public-utility distributors. Conversely,
1 expenditures for purchased electric power have increased. The
1 net change is seen in the decline of fuel costs from 5.6 cents
2 per ton in 1919 to 1.3 cents in 1935, and the corresponding in—
1 crease inpurchased power costs from 2.5 cents a tonto 6.7 cents
1 in the same period. Indeed, per—ton expenditures for purchased
1 electric power have increased despite the depression.

1 Equally interesting is the ratio which the expenditures item—
1 ized in the census returns bear to the total value.' From the
1 viewpoint of accounting, it would, of course, be preferable to
1 relate these ratios to the total cost ofproduction, but as that
1 is not recorded at the census, the only yardstick available is
1 the total value of products. Measured against that yardstick,
1 expenditures for supplies and materials again show a long—time
1 tendency to increase. In 1902 supplies constituted 8.5 percent
1 of the total value, and in 1909 they constituted 9.5 percent.
1 In 1919, when the supply bill, as already pointed out, was in—
1 flated by high raw—material prices, the ratio was 12.4 percent,
1 and at the lower levels of price later prevailing it declined.
1 But the experience of 1929 and 1935, when the supply bill was i

 1 6 EMPLOYMENT AND RELATED STATISTICS 0F MINES
' 11.0 and 11.2 percent of the value of products, offers definite
confirmation that supply costs today are higher than before the
war.
‘ Fuel and power costs, also, show an upward trend in relation
to total value. Because of the shift from local steam to central '
electric power, the items of fuel and purchased power should be
combined in measuring these trends. Combined expenditures for
‘_ the two increased from3.3 percent of the total value of products
‘ in 1919 to 4.0 percent in 1929 and 4.5 percent in 1935.
‘ 1 No other large industry shows so high a ratio of wages to total
7 5 value of products (and also to total cost) as does coal mining.
: In 1889 the wage bill of the bituminous—coal industry was 71.9
:44 percent of the total value; in 1902 it was 62.4 percent; in 1909
p it was 70.3 percent; andat the last three censuses it has hovered
i close to 60 percent. The ratio in the case of wages, particularly,
' -‘ is affected by the fact that our yardstick is totalvalue of prod— ‘
. ucts rather than total cost, and the change fromcensus to census ,
“ is colored by the further fact that some of thecensus years haVe ‘1
‘3 , been marked by boom times and profits and others by serious finan— ‘
fi , cial loss. In 1902 bituminous—coal mining was called on to supply I
3 the deficit in anthracite caused by the great strike of that year ,
‘ 3 and it enjoyed a temporary prOSperity and relatively high prices. I
In 1909, with no stoppage of production in either hard— or soft— I
; H. coal fields, competition was intense, prices were low, and the
T . margin of profit, judged by all contemporary evidence, was small.1
‘ ‘ ~. In 1919, on the other hand, the industry was fairly prosperous,
' V Federal tax returns indicating a net income of $62,259,694 for
‘ the industry as a whole.z The year 1929, in turn, though one of
'1 i: prosperity for general business and of large consumption of fuel,
‘ :1: _ was marked by destructive competition in the bituminous—coal
fields, and the income tax returns showed an over—all loss of
1'_ ‘ $11,822,033.s Income tax data are not yet available for 1935,
but other lines of evidence suggest the probability of a loss in
‘ that year as well.
' Were it possible to correct for these variations in the finan—
‘ cial position of the industry and to show total costs rather
‘ . ‘ 1Edward H. Parker. “The Cost 010031» Proceedings, American Mining Congress,
, 1‘1, :gtligggsslon, 1913, p. 386. (This article analyzes the returns or the Census
‘1 2F. E. Berquist and Associates, Economic Survey of the Bituminous Coal In-
H: ’ dustry Under Free Competition and Code Regulation (N. R. A., Division of
11751.3". ‘ Review. Industry Studies Section, March 1936) work Materials No. 69, I, 63. '
H391“ 73 5Idem- I
. 1 :3le ‘ .
. “ :3??? " 5

 .
E sununt FOR THE INDUSTRY 7 i
E
E than total values at the mines, the ratio of wages to the total
E would be changed little in 1909, 1929, and 1935, b