Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

production of coal in the Soviet Union in 1928-29 was about one-
quarter of a ton, compared with about 5 tons in the United States.

The production of coal in the Donetz Basin in 1929-30 was 36,000,-
000 tons, while the official plan called for a production of 40,000,000
tons.14 It may be noted, however, that only the smaller, though an
increasing, part of the output of the Donetz Basin consists of an-
thracite, the output of anthracite in recent years being as follows:

Russian production of anthracite, 1917 to 1928-29 1

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

1926-27
1927-28.

1928-29.

3, 307
5, 411
7,732. 9

9, 338. 7

Efforts are being made to develop new mines, but many difficulties have arisen. An insufficiency of engineers, as well as of skilled and common labor, exists. The largest Russian coal fields are in Siberia too distant from Russian industrial centers for economical exploitation. The opening of new mines has been delayed.15

V. COST OF PRODUCTION OF COAL IN THE DONETZ BASIN

The Russian statisticians devote much attention to cost of production studies, and such studies of coal are facilitated by the unified governmental control of coal districts, detailed reports being required by the Russian administration. The rapid expansion of the coal industry, accompanied by a certain amount of confusion, recognized by soviet publications, has probably impaired the accuracy of the statistics. The cost figures published by the Soviet Government are the only ones available. According to them the cost of producing a ton of coal by the Donetz coal "trust" was 10.54 rubles in 1927-28 (the fiscal year ended September 30, 1928) and 10.41 rubles in 1928-29.16

In the last quarter of the year 1929-30 costs of production increased owing to decreased efficiency of coal-cutting machines, and the disorganization of labor.17

Wages were 51 per cent of the costs of production in 1927-28 and 54 per cent of the cost in the following year. The costs apparently include the usual items. A charge is made for "rent," but it is not known exactly what this is.

Russian costs expressed in rubles can not at the present time (1930) be stated in gold values.18 The above figures have therefore only a limited significance for international comparisons.

1 From 1917 to 1926-27, U. S. S. R., 10 Years of Soviet Power in Figures, Moscow, 1927, pp. 244-245; last

2 years, U. S. S. R., Statisticheskii Biulleten, June, 1929, p. 14, October, 1929, p. 18.

14 Russian Economic Notes, Dec. 5, 1930, p. 1.

18 Cf. Department of Commerce, Russian Economic Notes, July 18, 1930, pp. 3-6; Sept. 12, 1930, pp. 1-2; Nov. 7, 1930, p. 2.

16 Gorni Zhurnal (The Official Soviet Mining Journal), Oct., 1929, p. 1761.

17 Russian Economic Notes, Sept. 12, 1930, p. 2. Translation of an article from Izvestia, Aug. 17, 1930. 18 See Introduction.

8

VI. QUANTITY and Value of ANTHRACITE COAL PRODUCED IN THE
DONETZ BASIN

The Soviet Government publishes statistics of the monthly production of anthracite coal in the Donetz Basin and gives the value of this production at what it calls the current price. From these statistics can be calculated the current value in rubles per ton placed upon anthracite by the Soviet Government.

The following table gives these statistics from February, 1929, to February, 1930. Later statistics are not at present available.

Anthracite coal produced in the Donetz Basin-Quantity, value, and value per ton1

The

point States

1927-28 1928-29 Octob

[blocks in formation]

February.

Total

Metric tons

Value in Value per
1,000

ton

A

rubles

rubles

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]
[blocks in formation]

1 U. S. S. R., Ezhemesiachnii Statisticheskii Biulleten, February, 1929, to February, 1930.
2 Statistics for May not available.

According to the above figures the average domestic price of Russian anthracite for the 12-month period shown was 9.63 rubles per ton.19 It is presumed that this was the price at the mine although no statement is made on this point by the soviet publication from which the figures were obtained.

The average price at which Russian anthracite was imported to the United States during the same period is shown in the following table: Anthracite coal-Imports for consumption from Soviet Russia 1

[blocks in formation]

Total.

Long
tons

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

1 No imports from Soviet Russia in Asia. Data furnished by U. S. Department of Commerce.
19 See introduction as to ruble conversion.

VII. OCEAN FREIGHT RATES ON ANTHRACITE COAL FROM SOVIET
RUSSIA

The freight costs to transport Russian anthracite from its principal point of export (Mariupol) to the North Atlantic coast of the United States are given by soviet publications as follows (per ton).20

[blocks in formation]

According to a statement issued by the coal division of the Department of Commerce, the ocean freight rate on Donetz anthracite to United States ports north of Hatteras ranged from about $3.50 to $4 through the early part of 1930. A bulletin called The International Coal Trade Situation, issued by the United States Department of Commerce quotes later ocean freight rates on Donetz anthracite to ports north of Hatteras as follows (dates shown are dates of the bulletin):

[blocks in formation]

In 1929 a commission composed of representatives of the Soviet Government, labor unions, and other interested Russian groups made an investigation of the technical conditions of the Donetz coal mines. The report was published in the Russian official mining journal 21 The following account is an abstract of parts of this report, and also includes information published (apparently under the auspices of the Soviet Government) in a monograph 22 by an experienced Russian observer.

1. Machine mining.-A very great effort has been made to introduce machine mining in the Donetz Basin. Machine production increased from 200,000 tons in 1922-23 to 5,515,000 tons in 1927-28,22 and to 7,620,000 tons in 1928-29. The percentage of Donetz Basin coal mined by machines has been as follows:

1927-28 21

1928-29 21

1929-30 23

22.9

30. 2

39.8

The following table shows, up to 1927-28, the number of coal-cutting machines in the Donetz Basin, and the average annual output per machine.

20 Quoted by Russian Economic Notes, Dec. 27, 1929, p. 3. Converted from English currency at par or $4.8665 to the pound sterling.

21 Gorni Zhurnal, October, 1929, p. 1757.

22 Liberman, Lev; Trud i Byt, Moscow, 1929, p. 98.

This is a monograph based on personal observation

and the study of records of numerous investigations. The author had before the World War written reports of Russian coal mining.

23 Russian Economic Notes, Dec. 5, 1930, p. 1.

Coal-cutting machines and production per machine in Donetz Basin 1

[blocks in formation]

24

2. Other equipment. -Mechanical means of hauling the coal from the mines are inadequate. In 1927-28, of 5.515,000 tons of coal mechanically mined, only 930,000 tons are hauled out by electricity. The mining commission found the electrical motors in bad condition. They are not in general properly protected. Seventy per cent were in a dangerous mechanicsi state or dangerously placed. The hoisting and drawing cables were also defective.25 Good arrangement for disposal of waste (rock and other foreign matter displaced in the procurement of the coal) was absent in 80 per cent of the mines (of three large centers investigated). There is an insufficient supply of timbers, and insufficient timbering The clevators (hoists) in 27 per cent of the minos investigated were 't need of replacement or repair. A continuous supply of power for moving the elevators was available in only half of the shafts,"

3. Ventilation. Vontilation does not keep pace with mine development. There is a marked absence of duplicate ventilation. Of 42 working areas observed, 64 per cent had insuficient ventilation, 62 per cent had no substitute ventilation, and 50 per cent of ventilation lacked sufficient power. Great inoilicioney was observed in the use of available ventilation equipment.

4. Gas, dust, and explosives, die. In oight months of 1928-29, 18,000 stoppages of work were caused by excessive density of gas. Workmen do not properly obey the rules for the protection against gas. In the first quarter of 1928-29, of 449 reported cases of breaking regulations, including smoking in mines, discipline was administered in only 256 cases.29 Sixty-nine mines of those investigated were found to be dangerous because of dust. The dust is dampened in only 15 per cent of the mines. Explosivos are stored and transported in an unsafe manner and the men who use explosives in many cases do not know how to handle them. Electric light is insufficient in all mines, and available lights are often buproperly placed. In the mines investigated 71 per cent of the workmen did not have individual lamps, and the lamps that are used have many defects and many require repair. Repairs are very inefficient.

31

[blocks in formation]

32

5. Water supply.-The water supply is insufficient and bad. Not more than 10 per cent of the supply is potable, and all the water is hard. The open wells used by the miners are insanitary. On the basis of 50 liters per capita per day, the water supply in the Donetz Basin is not equal to 44 per cent of the present requirements.33 The present distribution of the water is extremely inefficient.34

IX. CONDITIONS OF LABOR IN DONETZ COAL MINES

36

1. Labor supply.-The average number of workmen employed by the Donetz coal mines increased from 78,000 in 1921 35 to 175,000 in the second quarter of 1928-29, and to 185,000 in August, 1930.37 There is a large turnover of labor. In 1924-25 an average of 89,000 workers was maintained. In the same year 117,000 workers were hired and 129,000 quit or were discharged. The average number of workmen maintained in 1925-26 was 126,000, requiring the hiring of 172,000 new men, mostly to replace the 149,000 who left. In 1926-27 the number of workers on the job averaged 140,000, involving the hiring of 191,000, while 182,000 had left during the year. 39 The total number of workmen hired during the first half of 1929-30 was 195,239, while the number leaving their jobs was 178,830.40 Undoubtedly many of the workmen reported as leaving are hired again during the same year. The turnover, in any case, is asserted by numerous Soviet sources to be enormous and to create a serious problem, since there can be no proper training or discipline of workers with such a changing supply. At present the demand for workmen in the Donetz Basin exceeds the supply.

41

2. Technical workers.-In the Donetz Basin there is a decided shortage of foremen, technicians, and other skilled workmen. However, a good deal of foreign technical assistance is being utilized. Three United States engineering firms, in addition to European concerns, are assisting the Donetz coal industry. It is stated that foreign technical experts are paid as much as $10,000 a year.

42

Four years ago the maximum pay for any communist was 225 rubles per month. Now the law has been changed so that the compensation for communist engineers and technicians, as well as noncommunists, may be greater than 225 rubles and may be even a thousand rubles a month, according to the individual abilities they display in their work.43

In 1928 the average monthly salary of the highest general class of technical personnel in the Donetz Basin was 391 rubles.46 The middle grade received 259 rubles and the lowest grade 185 rubles. The average was 243 rubles.47

[blocks in formation]

40 Russian Economic Notes, June 27, 1930, p. 6.

41 Russian Economic Notes, July 18, 1930, p. 4.

42 The American companies are Stuart, James and Cooke; the Roberts and Schaefer Co.; and the Allen and Garcia Co. (Economic Review of the Soviet Union, Apr. 15, 1930, p. 149.)

43 Hugh L. Cooper in Williamstown Institute of Politics. Proceedings, Aug. 1 and 2, 1930, p. 8.

46 It is not known whether foreigners were included in these statistics.

47 Gorni Zhurnal, March, 1929, p. 333.

« AnteriorContinuar »