PAPERSPAST

Blackball Economics

One Blackball miner working at the fac« will, put out on an average say nmo skips (about six tons) per day. A ton of coal is brought to the surface at Blackball at, a total cost of something under 6s. Indeed, 6s. is a very gejßerous estimate from the mine-owners' point of view. ,A ton of coal sells at the pit's mouth at Blackball for, say, 16s. Por this ..ton of coal, the miner receives 2i-.. 44., out of .which he pays about 3d. ior-.e-xplosives; the wheeler, the management, and all other charges account for say 3s. Sd.; and the exploiters—out of one miner's work oh one ton of coal —take 9s. If the miner works a. full day and wins six tons of coal, the selling price will be £4 10s. Of this the miner will receive 15s.,'out of which he will pay say ls. 6d. for explosives, which will leave him 18s. Gd. net for his labor; tbo wheeler and other charges will account for 215.; and the exploiters will receive £2 14s.—on the labor of one miner plus the wheeler and all lother charges for one day.

If the Blackball miner works a full week (five days), he will put out 30 tons of coal. Sold at the pit's mouth, the price will be £22 10s. The miner's share will be £3 10s.—-out: of which fl« will pay 7s. 6d. for explosives— £3 2s. 6d. net; the wheeler and all other'charges will account for and as a result.of one miner's work,' plus the wheeler and all other charges, for five days—tnc exploiters xvil) receive £14.

If the miner works one year of say 40: weeks—allowing 12 weeks for lost time, holidays, etc.—he will produce 1200 tons of'coal. Sold at 155., its price will be £900. The miner will get £146, of which he will pay cay £15 for explosives—leaving him £135 net, or about £2 12s. a, week for the whole year; the wheeler and all other charges will account for £205; and on one miner's output for one year of 40 weeks of five days each the exploiters will make £550.

■ At the Unity Congress, the numerical sirongtb of tho Blackball Miners' Union was stated to be 390. We will assume that 200 of these 390 work at the face. If 200 men worked 4.0 weeks of five days each, then, their total output would be 240,000 tons. Sold at 15s. the price of the year's output would be £180;000. ' Of this the miners would receive £29,000, out .of which they would pay about £3000 fer explosives—and a large portion of. this £3000 <would, represent profits. The wheelers,' management, and all other charges would account for, say, £40,000. The .exploiters (who neither toil nor ; . spin nor risk their lives ,in .the Jrajne's depths), from tho'werk of. 200 miners, plus the wheelers, aud other necessary labor,' for-one year of 40 weeks, would reap a rich harvest of £110,000—without having, done a tap to-earn..out. '.'..

When the people own and control the mines and work them for use, and not for profit, the.miner' 6 life will be worth living. - ■ ■■•••■

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