You are viewing the article: how much did coal miners get paid in the 1950s at Cheraghdaily.org. From, Earnings forveterinarians with governmentjobs, in scientific labs, in sales, or working as. Shows dollar amount and % of total budget spent on various categories of goods and services, broken out by urban/rural families. West Virginias drift mines were cut into the mountains horizontally and its slope mines descended gradually into the earth. Source: BLS, Shows the cost of various foodstuffs in the Riga markets. Source: Appendix in. Data gathered by the National Industrial Conference Board (a group of industry associations) which used European government publications for information. Source: BLS. Coal mining is a dangerous job requiring skill and judgment. That the presidents persistent nostalgia for a yesteryear America had such visceral effect on rural voters only betrays the entrenched anxiety of a region where decline is a multi-generational way of life. Source: BLS. Following legal tradition, companies usually placed blame and responsibility for injuries on the workers. Wages on pages34-40. Typewriters, school supplies, office supplies, fountain pens, more fountain pens, books, drawing sets, home office furniture. The correct use of explosives depended on the miners skill and knowledge of how to drill, how much powder to use, and how to damp a charge properly. Shows mining wages in Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Wages are shown in both US and English currency. In West Virginia's colliers, miners were paid 49 cents per ton of clean coal, compared with 76 cents in the unionized mines of Ohio. By 2003 that number had dipped to just 70,000. The miners dressed in overalls, or bank clothes, for working the coal banks and wore cloth caps fitted with small oil lamps that lit their way in the tunnels. Shows the income of each member of a Zurich household and the amount that household spent on various necessities like food, clothing, rent, etc. Veteran colliers knew competitive individualism bred greed, hostility, thievery, and a disregard for mine safety. Chart indicates hourly earnings ranges for piecework at automobile manufacturing companies in Germany. Source: BLS, Shows the cost of foodstuffs, clothing, and other necessities in Hungary. Retreat mining required the rapid destruction of these pillars, each containing tons of valuable coal, before the mine collapsed. This was the world Frank Keeney entered as a boy. Shows the average retail prices of staple foodstuffs in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Shows the average daily wages of Japanese and Chinese workers in various occupations for the South Manchuria Railway Co. Wages are shown in both contemporary yen and US dollars. In West Virginia, where mineswere cut near the mountaintops, the overburden was looser and more prone to collapse than in the deeper shaft mines of the North. He later recalled his terror at being lost in a maze of underground rooms when his lamp went out. Arthur Lewis. Source: This table provides average yearly wages per industry or trade type, including transportation, education and agriculture, among others. Another statute required employers to hire pit bosses to examine every working place in the mine, but only as often as practicable. A third rule required the managers to water the coal dust, but only when they detected a dangerous level of gas. This article reprinted from a January 1923 edition of, This source quotes medians (the mid-point, with 50% falling below the line), first quartiles (25% falling below) and third quartiles (75% falling below). Expressed in dollars and also as a percentage of the property value. Source: Shows wages by occupation in Belfast, Cork, Glasgow, Dundee, Cardiff, London, Manchester and more. Board a ship to cross the wave; in FOREIGN COUNTRIES, FOOD continue to render these kinds of occupations obsolete. When young Frank Keeney walked through a mine portal in 1892, perhaps an older miner, maybe a neighbor, offered him some words of consolation or, at least, instruction as they traveled in and outof the mine on what was known as a man trip. Or he might have heard some words of warning from the older boys who led the mules and coal cars back and forth through the door he tended. Source: BLS. Provides foreign wage data in native currency alongside the U.S. dollar equivalent to assist in comparing the rates. 408, Shows the wages of a variety of occupations in the capital of Argentina. Prices are shown in contemporary US dollars. Source: BLS. When a miner and his helper approached the entry to their room, danger lurked in almost every move they made. A strong, skilled coal loader might fill five or more cars in a day. TRANSPORTATION Details the price of clothing for men, women, boys and girls on pp. 412. Describes the labor policy of Mexico in the 1920's and throughout the rest of the early 20th century. (Click image for detail), Marie Concannon, Government Information Librarian Includes drug items, toilet items, and miscellaneous items. Shows the daily wages for 11 different occupations in Parahyba, Brazil. The Miners' Strike of 1984 was a turning point in British history. As the men removed one pillar after another, the wooden posts used to support the mine top would be strained as the roof started getting heavy. The wood would then creak and groan and then splinter as the miners heard the roof working above their heads and planned their retreat accordingly. School and office supplies: Source: BLS, Shows the average wage rates for 19 different occupations in Hamburg, Germany. Shows the average daily wages of various occupations in Athens and Piraeus. Details the prices of appliances, furniture, and more household items on pp. "The fees and cost of books, instruments, board, room, laundry and incidentals will hardly be less than $400 per session of thirty-two weeks." Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin #682, chapter 9: "Monthly earnings of professional engineers," pp. Coal operators enticed workersmany African Americanto move to West Virginia from Virginia and the Deep South. But on some weeks, a miner might work only two or three days because the railroad failed to supply enough coal cars, or because the mine needed repairs. Miners spent their entire shift underground, taking lunch, drinks, and snacks with them. Shows average charge per case for appendicitis, childbirth, heart troubles, cancer, dental problems and more. Source: Report of the Salary survey commission to the Pennsylvania General assembly, 1929. Wages are shown in contemporary U.S. dollars. Tells cost of public transportation and railway fares as well. Bathroom: The industry has been in slow decline ever since, compounded along the way by the rise of steam engines, mechanized extraction methods, and competition from oil and natural gas, and now renewable energy. (Jack Corn/EPA) A ppalachian coal production has been on shaky ground almost since the industry's inception in the mid 19th century. 2-4. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Data is separated by sex and age. Source: BLS Monthly labor review, Apr 1926, Shows the average retail prices of various foodstuffs throughout Switzerland. Source: Table shows 52 years of time-series prices on individual foods, such as. In 1900 almost 2 percent of Americans were coal miners. Since money wage rates of foreign countries have little meaning for economists in America, only the real wage rates are given.", Shows the average hourly and weekly wages of various occupations for both skilled and unskilled laborers. Even in a good week, there was unpaid work to perform: propping up newly opened rooms with wooden posts, laying track to his room, and lowering the floor of the main tunnel so loaded coal cars could pass through. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin, no. Source: Shows the daily or monthly wages of 13 occupations in the treaty port. Expressed in pounds, shillings, and pence. A standard tune in miners lore began with lyric, Youve been docked and docked again, boys / Youve been loading two for one, and asked what the miner had to show for working so hard. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set vol. He also learned not to scare the miners beloved pigeons or to be afraid of mine rats, because these creatures could sense danger coming before it struck. Describes the labor policy of South Africa in the 1920's and throughout the rest of the early 20th century. ), athletic gear, boxing, baseball, & tennis supplies, Prices of articles bought by farmers, 1909-1924, Prices paid by farmers for household items, 1910-1960, Clothing prices paid by farmers, 1910-1960, Women's clothing catalog - B. Altman & Co., Summer 1920. Full chapter extends from pp. Retreat mining was a risky business, but at least the miners engineered these cave-ins. 45-57. During the early 1900s, roof falls in the bituminous coal mines killed an average of 886 workers every year, as compared with the 274 deaths per year caused by explosions and fires. By 1850, approximately half of Kanawha Countys slaves worked in the salt industrymany mined coal to fuel the furnaces. Source: Lists results of 22 studies that show the % of family budget spent in various categories (rent, food, health, etc.). Coal Miners Between 1880 and 1920, southern West Virginia's population grew from 93,000 to 446,000, due almost entirely to the coal industry. From the Louisiana Department of Labor and Industrial Statistics Biennial Report for 1929-1930. Wages are shown in Spanish pesetas. 90%. Shows compensation for individualjudgeson the U.S. Supreme Court, circuit courts and district courts. Part of a section on Negro women's wages. Dining room furniture, silverware, dish sets. Source: Howard University, States "the average student probably spends about $700 per year for a college education" and shows, This source shows the cost of funerals and burial in 18 states and in 10 major cities. 8836. Shows the average weekly hours and hourly wages for workers in the boot and shoe industry. All of these mines included a main entry, or portal, and a second tunnel, or monkey drift, which provided workers with ventilationa barely adequate suction through a surface grate created by a coal fire that burned all day. The pit closures the miners had fought so hard to prevent began in earnest. Describes the labor policy of New Zealand in the 1920's and throughout the rest of the early 20th century. Source: BLS, Shows the cost of foodstuffs and other necessities in Greece. Source: National Education Association of the United States. Source: The cost of living in twelve industrial cities, p. 63. An experienced miner would often work calmly under conditions that would terrify a novice, wrote a veteran of the bituminous mines. Use the following hyperlinks to see values for AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY. Source: BLS, Shows the retail price of various foodstuffs and other items in Prague following Czechoslovakian independence. Taken from Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. by STATE Shows wages and hours of workers in the cotton industry over a 23 year period. Salary data for teachers, principals and school administrators in New York City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago and Kansas City. Tables are broken down by type of job, gender of employee, and geography. See quartile, "Women in Alabama industries: a study of hours, wages and working conditions," Women's Bureau Bulletin #34 (. They designed complex ventilation systems with fans and interior doors to keep dangerous gases from causing explosions. Data gathered by the National Industrial Conference Board using foreign government sources. Shows annual salaries for all school personnel in Texas without breakouts for occupation, years of training, years of experience, etc. Fearful of the danger, frightened by the blackest darkness he could imagine, and repelled by the coal dust that clung to him like a layer of skin, Washington vowed to get an education and rise out of the coal pits, just as he had risen up from slavery.. MORE PRICES in the U.S. Wages shows in 1930 US dollars. Occupations wages shown in 1930 US dollars. Beds and mattresses, bedroom furniture, pillows, bedding. Source: page 13 in. See data considerations for explanation. A good blast could bring down a ton or more of coal from the fractured face. Managers liked immigrants because they worked for low wages. After the top fell, they returned to break and load the fallen coal before another layer of the top came crashing down with a tremendous roar. Smoke from explosions of black powder,the reek of oil lamps, and the pervading coal dust made breathable air something of an obsession with the miner, one miner recalled. Wages are shown in both Hungarian gold crowns and contemporary U.S. dollars. Indicates prices per kilowatt-hour by areas and cities. When the smoke cleared, the collier and his buddy would swing their picks to break up large clumps of coal and shovel the smaller lumps into a mine car; it was back-aching work made more painful by the narrowness of the room. Source: BLS, Shows the wage scale for various occupations for Japanese and Chinese workers in Dairen. Coal miner Bill Keating composed the ballad Down, Down, Down to break my loneliness and to show my mule I was in a friendly mood., President John L. Lewis, United Mine Workers, convention badge, 1936. Women's: 59-71. This mammoth work lists typical earnings as well as job descriptions and working conditions for thousands of occupations just before the Great Depression. Source: 1934 Statistical Abstract of the United States. Farm laborers in Missouri earned an average $41.90/month in 1921. Shows data on the number of nursing school graduates from 1880 to 1929 as well as salary information. Lists wages paid to auto mechanics, office workers, window cleaners, barbers and hairdressers, bartenders in saloons, domestic servants, people working in social agencies, and more. This bibliography lists reports that show income, budgets, consumer expenditures, etc. "75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935" Source: BLS. Source: BLS, Shows clothes prices paid by working class families in Great Britain. Infant's: The workday ended at 5:30 in the evening when the sunlight had already faded over the mountains. Shows the weekly earnings for 9 occupations in Amsterdam, Haarlem, the Hague, and Rotterdam. Income statistics of full time professional women were published in study by the Association of Business and Professional Women. After they loaded coal from the fallen pillars, the colliers and their helpers pushed their cars out into the main entry as fast as possible before sections of the roof collapsed. Table shows average 1929 and 1931 weekly wages of full-time store employees, managers, and supervisors by kind and size of chain and location. Source: U.S. BLS. over the years. Unskilled labor hired by cities for construction, repair or cleaning of streets. These deposits could produce firedamp, which contained methane and sometimes carbon dioxide that seeped out of the coal seams. Covers occupations in the building trades, metal trades, printing trades, coal mining and more. Lists the price of bricks, flooring, framing lumber, rough boards, Portland cement, roofing material, house paint and more. Montgomery Ward catalog shows prices of radios and radio supplies on 60+ pages. But Appalachian coal production peaked in 1918. $15 - $30. Survey covered only white families over a certain. The region's first coal miners primarily were African Americans, both enslaved and free. The regions first coal miners primarily were African Americans, both enslaved and free. Shows starting salary and increases granted based on marital status and number of children. These were the underground attitudes Frank Keeney absorbed as he entered manhood as a coal miner. Milk cost an average 33 per half gallon in 1920. Coal mine owners and superintendents rarely went underground. Constitution Avenue, NW Covers more than 1,200 cities. 1920, Home plans and costs to build in California, 1920, Retail prices of building materials by city, 1922, Building material prices paid by farmers, 1923-1924, Cost to construct houses, by type of material - 1921, Building material prices paid by farmers, 1910-1960, Farm real estate - Average value by state and county, 1920, Price of farm land by county in selected states, 1912-1924, New England farms and land - Average value by county, 1920-1930, Farm real estate values in Midwestern states, 1912-2019, Land in Missouri - Cost to rent or buy by county, 1922, Rents in working class neighborhoods in Cincinnati, 1920, Household heating fuel costs and expenditures by city, 1927, Electricity - Average monthly bill, 1924-1950, Household electricity costs and expenditures by city, 1927, Changes in retail prices of electricity, 1923-38, Car prices with illustrations, 1900-1920s, Gasoline prices andtaxes, and annual consumption per vehicle, 1920-1939, Horse-drawn carriages, buggies and accessories, 1920, Horse and mule prices by state, 1919-1920, City transit fares in NY, PA, OH and MA - 1927, Streetcar, omnibus and subway rates, 1926, Passenger train fare in the U.S., 1871-1933, RR ticket prices between NYC and Chicago, 1910-1944, accessories (diapers, baby bottles, etc. Source: U.S. Federal Trade Commission report. Shows wage rates for engineers, conductors, passenger baggage men, coal passers, firemen, switch tenders, hostlers, signalmen, station agents, telegraphers, machinists, car cleaners, and more. Dresses, dresses (in color), coats, bonnets and coats, hats, shoes, girl's toys. Report published in 1923 tells wages by race and by industry. Occupations included are limited before 1916. Shows average public employee pay for each state. Dresses, skirts, blouses, suits, patterns for sewing frocks,, dress gloves, shawls, sweaters, silk undergarments, pajamas, union suits, corsets, gowns, stockings, hats, winter coats, fur coats, winter gloves and mittens, shoes, purses and bags, diamond rings, necklaces and jewelry, brooches, perfume, wigs.