The variations in the length of the waiting period in the benefit funds of local trade-unions are great. Waiting periods of as long as 28 and 30 days were found in two organizations. Slightly over one-third (55 funds) had a waiting period of 14 days. Not less than one-half of all (89) had a waiting time of 7 days. About oneseventh (23) of the funds, however, report benefit payments beginning immediately upon the occurrence of the disability. In more than one-half of all the funds reporting (100) the maximum length of the benefit period was 12 to 13 weeks. The relative maximum of the benefit periods of individual funds are shown in column 3 of Table 3.

The records of local-union funds with a waiting period of seven days were equivalent to a membership of 82,173 for one year. This membership was subject to 7,405 cases of sickness, an average of 0.09 per member. This shows that less than 1 member out of every 10 was subjected to a case of sickness per year.

The average annual number of disability days per member shows considerable variations in the different funds, ranging from less than a day in several cases to as much as 14 days in one fund. The average cash benefit per week for all the funds was $5.45, an amount rather small, in view of the fact that none of the schemes except two furnished any sort of medical benefits.

The average per capita cost of maintaining the funds varies widely in the different funds. Reference to column 11 of Table 3 will show the extent of this variation.

PRODUCTIVITY OF LABOR IN THE ANTHRACITE COAL MINES.

BY PAUL F. BRISSENDEN.

By the terms of the wage agreement entered into on May 5, 1916, the workday in the anthracite coal fields was reduced from nine to eight hours. This change, which constituted an 11 per cent reduction in working time, went into effect on May 9, 1916. The eight-hour workday was, therefore, in effect for 7 months and 23 days and the nine-hour workday for 4 months and 8 days during the year 1916, and the nine-hour workday during all of the year 1915. Immediately upon the introduction of the eight-hour day the output of the majority of the anthracite coal operators was considerably reduced. It has been asserted in some quarters that this diminished output was due mainly, if not entirely, to the decreased production of labor caused by the shortening of labor hours, and the suggestion has been made that the present national emergency necessitates a return to the ninehour standard. The facts at hand do not bear out this assertion. The deficit in total production in 1916 as compared with 1915 was due to the fact that fewer men were engaged in mining operations during 1916 than in 1915.

During the months immediately following the adoption of the eight-hour day there was a considerable reduction not only in output but in the number of men employed in and about the anthracite mines. In fact, there were fewer men employed in the anthracite fields in 1916 than there had been at any previous period since 1904. According to the reports of the United States Geological Survey, in 1915 there were 176,552 men employed, whereas the Federal Trade Commission reports for 1916 only 159,456 anthracite workers. Comparing the output for the five-month period from April to August, 1916, with the corresponding period in 1915, we find that for the 12 leading railroad coal companies, whose output constitutes not less than 70 per cent of the total anthracite output, the production had decreased from 22,323,134 gross tons in 1915 to 20,330,485 gross tons in 1916, or nearly 2,000,000 gross tons, constituting a reduction of 8.9 per cent. The following table shows in detail the gross tonnage production of these 12 companies during the five-month period, April to August, in each year and indicates the increase or decrease in gross tons and in rates per cent.