TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 1173 
3. Sliding Scales in the Coal Industry.' By Professor J. H. C. Munro. 
There are at least eight sliding-scales in use in the coal industry, viz.: the Dur- 
ham scale of 1884; the Cumberland scale of 1884; the Northumberland scale of 
1883 ; the Monmouthshire and South Wales Association scale of 1882; the Ocean 
scale of 1882; the Ferndale scale of 1882; the Somersetshire scale of 1876; the 
Bedworth scale of 1879. 
The following scales have now been abandoned : the North Wales scale of 1880; 
the South Staffordshire scale; the West Yorkshire scale of 1880; the Shropshire 
scale. 
The number of miners in the United Kingdom is about half a million, and of 
these 125,000 have their wages governed by sliding-scales. A sliding-scale is based 
on two standards: (1) a standard price of coal, and (2) a standard of wages, the 
latter being payable when the former is realised. As the price of coal falls above 
or below the standard price, wages fall or rise above the standard wages. A certain 
agreed variation must take place in the price of coal (e.g. 4d.) before any variation 
occurs in wages; accounts being examined every three or four months in order 
to ascertain if any variation has occurred during the previous period. 
The different standard prices adopted by the existing scales are as follows:— 
Durham, 3s. 10d. and under 4s.; Cumberland, 4s. 6:19d. and under 4s. 7°69d. ; 
Northumberland, 4s. 8d. and under 4s. 10d.; Association, 7s. 8d. and under 8s. ; 
Ferndale, 8s.: Ocean, 10s. and under 10s. 44d.; Somerset, 10s.; Bedworth, 
under ds. 6d. 
The variations in pices that result in variations in wages are as follows :— 
Wages are to rise or fall 
merit For every 
rise or fall |Hewers, Engine- Other 
of men, Mechanics, eer panier 
Cokemen, aie 
and Banksmen 
s. d. Per cent. Per cent. 
Durham (Standard 3s. 10d. and under 4s.) . 0 2 1+ 1 
Between 5s. 10d. and 6s.10d.. . .| 0 2 24 2 
| Northumberland(Standard 4s.8d.& under4s.10d.) | 0 2 14 1 
At 6s., 6s. 4d., 7s. 2d., 7s. 8d., 83. 6d. & 9s. 0 2 24 2 
Hewers. 
Per cent. 
} Cumberland (Standard 4s.6d.19) . .. . 0 14 14 
Above 6s. 6d.°19 hte t 0 2 1: 
Association (Standard 7s. 8d. and under 8s.) 0 4 24 
Ocean (Standard 10s. and under 10s. 44d.) 
Under the standard . . .. . oO 4} 23 5 
Above the standard Q 43 ii 
Pmomriete re. WME EO! FEN 0 4 24 
At 1ls.4d.and11s.8d.. . . 0 4 14 
Bedworth (Standard under 5s. 6d.) . 0 3 1d. per day. 
Somerset (Standard 10s.) 
For every rise or fall in price, wages 
are to rise and fall at the rate of .| 1 0 7% per cent. 
in some districts allowances are made to the miners in addition to their wages. 
In Durham and Northumberland hewers receive a free house and firing. At the 
? Published in extenso by John Heywood & Co., London and Manchester. 
