WELSH COLLIERS' EARNINGS

Grey River Argus, 15 May 1912, Page 8

WELSH COLLIERS' EARNINGS

I have before me a list of the average net earnings of the colliers in a aumber of collieries with the work-.-..g of which I am closely associated. During- th e last • fortnight tl» average QoJhers' earnings pe.r day, afterpayment; of the wages of the boy«, working with them,were:— Cambrian 7 S 6.10 d, Glamorgan' 7s li-95d, Naval 8s /4.81 d, Britannia 7s 9d, Fernhill 8s 4.49 d, Duffryn, Rhondda 8s 1.45 d, Cuynon 8s Id. i And the actual average weekly earnings of all persons employed above and below ground of all ages— that is including boys of fourteen and upwards -were (the Duffryn pit excepted,. for whiich I havenot the figures) respectively 36s 6d,- 35s Id, 33s Bd, 32 8 5d 33s lid, and 395. If the men and boys had worked ful] time, which, they did not, in many cases the average figures would have been respectively 38s ldi 36s lid, 37s lid, 355. 9d, 35s 1.98 d, 40s Id, and 41s lOd. It can easily be seen that the question of a lining does not come into this dispute at all. Three of the above mines last year, were worked at an actual loss to the shareholders. ■; - Speaking- only ' for myself, the

threats to bring , in a Bill embodying the principle of a minimum wago will aot in any degree influence our decision, or induce us to accept the proposals of vhe.-,Government. We regard the stnjggio as one. of life and death to. the comerce of South Wales, and. be. it. remem.bereci that ' our crade is .mainly a foreign trade, in which we are : in competition with the coal producers of Germany and the United States. The cost of they minimum, wage, owing to reduced- output, wil .Liinvolve.usrin. an increased cost of production of several shilliivgs per ton. , TKe cost of production has al-ready-increased by 75 per cent, during .'the last- fifteen years.