REPRESENTATIVE COMMUNITY A.

CHAPTER XI.

INTRODUCTION.

Summary description of the community-Industrial history-Inducements and obstacles to immigration.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMUNITY.

Located in southwestern Pennsylvania and lying in a rough, isolated, mountainous region, Community A has an elevation above mean sea level of about 1,600 feet. Bituminous coal mining is the principal industry; union labor is not recognized; and out of an estimated population of 10,000, representing about 25 nationalities and races, nearly 75 per cent are foreigners and a large proportion are of recent immigration. One industrial concern, employing from 4,000 to 4,500 men, controls the mining interests and operates 12 mines, which, together with their locations and other subcommunities, are grouped around an urban center. From an industrial standpoint Community A is about 12 years old.

The community is drained by an affluent from the Ohio River system, is very healthful, and has climatic conditions characteristic of the mountain regions of western Pennsylvania. The deposits of coal are of the bituminous class and found in large quantities, the profitable veins running from 4 to 6 feet in thickness and very near the surface. The mines are all underground workings and are drifted according to the course followed by the coal veins; they are free from gases, and no precautions are needed in the use of combustible materials. Explosions are not possible under the present system of ventilation. The main courses of the majority of the mines are lighted by electricity, and in the working rooms of the mines

NOTE. In addition to the direct influence upon the mining industry of the employment of recent immigrants, the presence of a large body of immigrant employees in a mining district has a significant bearing in a more general way upon the character of the locality. In order to throw a more concentrated light upon certain economic aspects of immigration, as well as upon the effects of immigration upon American life and institutions, two representative communities, designated "Community A" and "Community B," have been selected for intensive study. The names of the towns or communities are withheld because their publication would be of no value for present purposes and would serve to identify the persons and establishments furnishing the information upon which the reports are based. These communities are typical of the average mining town in western Pennsylvania. Community A is representative of the class of towns which have come into existence during the past ten or fifteen years, as new mining territory was opened; there is no labor organization among the employees of the mines. Community B is typical of the older towns where mining has been in progress for a considerable number of years; all of the employees in the mines belong to labor organizations.

open torches are carried by the miners. Electric tramways are used in the mines in the principal runs, while, in the spur runs connecting the main line with the working rooms, the loaded and empty cars are moved by hand. The majority of the coal mined is shipped directly to Atlantic coast ports for the transatlantic trade. Transportation facilities are afforded by the branch line of a large trunk system connecting the community with the chief markets of the country. The general character of the community may be quickly seen by referring to the map on page 472, in which the center of population is called "urban center," the minor towns are marked "subcommunity" numbers "1" and "2," and the mines and their colonies are denominated "mine location," and to each is given a letter, "A" to "M."

INDUSTRIAL HISTORY.

The industrial history of the community dates from 1897, when the mining company began operations with about 1,500 men secured from other sections of the United States and from England. In the short period since the opening of the mines in 1897 the community has made rapid strides, both industrially and commercially. The mining company has expanded, and with the exception of the recent period of industrial depression, has employed larger numbers of men each year; the railroad has been successful and has undertaken extensive. improvements, and several smaller industrial establishments have been opened which offer employment to a limited number of persons. The first of the accompanying charts shows the annual coal production of the mining company for the years 1898 to 1907. In the year 1898, 739,576 short tons of bituminous coal were mined in the community and in 1905, 3,385,277 tons. The total tonnage for 1906 and 1907 shows a distinct decrease in the amount of coal mined which is accounted for by the recent industrial depression. The number of wage-earners employed by the mining company has increased or fallen off with the coal production, as shown in the second chart.

INDUCEMENTS AND OBSTACLES TO IMMIGRATION.

Mining offers employment at present to about 4,000 men, including underground and surface occupations. The combined industries other than coal mining employ about 800 men under normal conditions. The main, and practically the only, inducement to immigration offered by Community A is the opportunity to secure steady employment in the coal mines which afford work for the greater portion of the male population in the locality. The industry in this section is free from all danger of explosions resulting from gaseous accumulations in the mines, and work is steady and, as compared with other mining localities, not so seriously affected by industrial depressions confined to the United States, for the reason that the bulk of the coal mined goes to the coast for the transatlantic trade. Machine mining is the method of operation in the locality and may also be included in the list of inducements to immigration. Under the system of machine mining the raw miner can secure a more profitable position without serving an apprenticeship than under other systems.

The reasons why the machine is used so extensively in the district

are:

(1) The coal is very soft, thus rendering the machine more adaptable to the work than is the pick.

(2) The use of machines makes the cost of operation much lower than if pick mining were followed.

Obstacles to immigration are dependent upon the one chief grievance of the loaders, who form a large percentage of the mine employees. In this occupation the men are obliged to haul their own cars in the rooms of the mines, a distance averaging 150 feet, which decreases their efficiency in the loading and increases the arduousness of the labor. For this reason and because the operating company extends no recognition to organized labor, it is in prosperous times embarrassed on account of lack of men. Due to the fact that the operations in this community are little affected by industrial depressions, the company at such times is besieged with applications for work. Steady employment is provided for all who choose to avail themselves of it. When, however, work is plentiful all over the country, large numbers of immigrants leave the district and enter localities where they do not have to haul their cars in the mines and where they may enjoy the benefits of labor organizations.