The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-10-26

greater convenience were the lav corr
pIleu with and the checks redeemai,la
III thlrty Gays instead of in ten years
Ii the company redeemed their checks
III thirty days as requirea by law t,en
miner who didu't want to buy goods
at the company store could sell tis
checks at par. Now that thew are not
payable for ten years he can only oct
80 cents for dollar check. 81 mvsejf.u y
continued the commissioner, ..bougbt
these checks at 20 per cent. discount.
A farmers wife told me that she never
bought goods at the company's store
unless she was first able TO buy checks
from miners at 10 cents on the dollar.
She said that $5 at outside stores
would 90 as far as Sc at the company's
store, SO that unless she used checks
at 20 per cent. discount she could not
afford 10 deal at the company store.
have the name of this lady and will
give it if the occasion arises. L have
also an affidavit of a miner stating that
the company had refused to redeem
their check in cash and that the price
list OF the company was, on many arti-
cles 70 per cent. higher than the price
list OF stores in the neighborhood. The
same miner states that OH one occasion
the company posted written notices
torbidding farmers and peddlers from
selllng provisions, ETC., to miners tam
lilies AT the doors of the miners homes.
ihese hotices have 10 great extent
driven OFF farmers and others, forcing
the miners in measure TO obtain their
supplies at the company's store. For
merly the checks were made PAYABLE
In one year, but some of the miners
were go unreasonable as to keep their
checks year and demand cash for
them Tue company have put q. stop
10 thht unrekoona1j34 pfaeficc bt cx-
tent1fnk The fIsoe 81 their SbccI<s Is Tn
years. There Afes1,fbb46f} rot MA -.
miners who VIII keen 36oic checks <l39f
long" "f the law forDidding chs
practice is so plain how comes il that
nothing nag been done before this?,--
was asked the commissioner, az do not
know" replied Mr.. Meriwether. 1.-The
Jaw Is plain and the penalty tor infrac-
lion heavy. L am informed there are
other mining companies besides the
Mendoza which are violating the law,
all OF which will be Investigated in
due time. In my interviews with
miners and employers l have stated
what the law is governing the opera
lion of mines, and invited tuIl state
nent of all the facts from both sides.
One operator urged me to say nothing
10 his men, declaring that it they
thought any one sympathized with
them they would 60 on strike in ten
minutes. This gentleman could
scarcely have been aware OF the force
of his remark. | told him that if the
situation in his town was such that q
mere inquiry by an officer of The state
as to whether the laws of the state
were being obeyed and statement of
what the law was, would cause a strike
the condition must be critical indeed
and such as to make it necessary for
the labor commissioner to make com.
plete and searching investigation.
"What is the character OF the miners
in Missouri" l have found the miners
OF this state an exceptionally inteli-
gent and moderate class of men. They
make their pleas to be paid in cash,
and to be allowed the privilege of buy
ing where they, In q moderate manner,
choose. have seen nothing to justify
the fears of the operators that their
men would become unreasonable and
go on g strike If informed what the law
| is and asked whether or not il is
obeyed. The penalty imposed By the
| offenses OF which, according to the ties.
timony secured by the labor commits.
sioner, the Mendoza Coal & Mining Co.
are guilty, is fine of from $40 to $500.
Mr.. Meriwether will deal fully with all
these matters in his report to the gov.
ernor; but he expresses himself as of
| the opinion that the wholesale imposi-
tion described should not await official
reports. The commissioner has ad-
dressed letter to the prosecuting
attorney of Putnam county calling his
attention to the practice of the MeDdofs
Company, and it is probable that the
end of the chapter is yet to De reached