Award and Recommendations of the United States Bituminous Coal Commission (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 edition. Excerpt: ...and correlated periodically and regularly by some one Federal agency such as the Interdepartmental Board of the Council of National Defense, in order that it may be available for any committee or commission hereafter called upon to investigate controversies between operators and miners in the bituminous coal industry. (12) That operators endeavor to plan their operations in such a way that improvement may be made in camps and housing adequate for the maintenance of the American standard of living, giving due consideration to the physical conditions involved, and recommend that when houses are to be constructed by operators that they shall be of modern type, based upon the probable life of the mine, with good sanitation; that rentals shall be based on the actual investment in houses and land; that the return should include no profit to the operators; that rentals be only sufficient to maintain the structures in good condition, provide for the amortization of the investment cost and proper insurance, and return not to exceed 6 per cent on the invested capital while such sum is invested, and that where the expected life of the operation exceeds 25 years, the period of amortization should be 25 years, but in no other event should the amortization period be less than the expected life of the property. (13) We recommend that the good offices of the miners' international organization be exercised to maintain the principle that has been stated by the mine workers who appeared before us covering their approval of the introduction of labor-saving devices and machinery. (14) That the making of advances on miners' pay be discouraged in every way, and, if for any good reason an advance is asked and made, it shall be made without discount, cither...