, 1896-10-12
MARK HANNA'S RECORD.
A WORKINGMAN HAS SOME FACTS
TO PRESENT TO THE
PEOPLE.
The Miners in Hanna's Mines at Ish-
peming Testify as to Their Treat
ment-Land Furnished Them Rent
Free and the Highest Wages Paid
Charges Are Groundless.

Chicago, Oct. 11.-Mr. William A..
Karney, an iron worker of Pittrburg,
has been identified with the cause Of
organized labor for many years. He is
now first vice-presfdent of the Anal
gamated Association of the Iron and
Steel Workers, and he was four years
vice president of the American Fedora
ton of Labor. He was at the Mccoy
house in this city today, and when ask
ed II he had seen Robert Askew's recent
attack on Mr.. NJ. A. Hanna, said:
Yes, l have read Robert Askew's re-
cen attack on Mr.. Hanna, and, in COM
mon with the great mass of working
men. l consider it purely a political
document, gotten up for the purpose of
injuring Gov. Mckinley and the cause
Of protection and honest money. If Mr..
Askew had wanted to enlighten the
public concerning Mr.. Hanna's treat
ment of his employees why did he not
give a history OF the Winthrop mine
during the six years that the firm Of NJ.
A.. Hanna & Co. have controlled 1t? In
stead Of doing that he makes, upon his
W unsupported authority, a number
Of charges relating to the affairs Of a
mine that NJ. A. Hanna & Co. have con
trolled only abc,S a year.
81 began looking into the charges
against Mr.. Hanna some weeks ago in
the interest OF labor and not of politics,
except as l wished to see the triumph
Of the cause of protection. At my re-
quest Mr.. Horace J. Stevens Of Ish-
peming. Mich, gave this subject a thor
Dug investigation, and In the course Of
a very full reply to my question he
says:
1.-THE first interest secured by Mr..
| Hanna or his firm was in February,
1890, when the Winthrop mine was
bought by NJ. A. Hanna & Co. and Mr..
Fred Braastab, a leading merchant OF
Ishpeming. Previous to its purchase
that mine was called the "man-trap"
on account Of its danger to life and
limb. but under its present ownership
1t has become one Of the safest mines
in the district. The number Of acct
dents have decreased, although the
force employed and the output have in
creased
ut has been a custom in this dis
trict for the mining companies to build
houses to be rented to employees, land
being rented also to those who wished
to build for themselves, at an annual
charge of $40 a year. Many Of the EN-
ployes Of the Winthrop mine had built
little homes and paid an annual ground
rent until the Winthrop company, I'M
der Mr.. Hanna's direction, RENTED this
rent, since when they have paid moth
ing for the use Of the land. This
change from the established policy Of
all the mines in the district vas made
by the company, by Mr.. Hanna's ex-
press order. long before the panic had
compelled other corporations to reduce
their rental
"'Mr. Hanna believes that it makes
a better citizen of a man to W his own
home, and therefore he gave to those
miners who wished to build a home the
full use of land. These lots are gen.
orally more than an acre in size, some
Of them four and five acres, for which
not one penny of rental Is charged.
while other mining companies charge
$50 a year for a much smaller piece Of
ground
1.-The first strike that took place in
this district since Mr.. Hanna became
interested here a in October, 1890,
the question in dispute being one Of
hours Of labor. The second strike &C.
Cured in 1895, IN the question Of wa
ges. The miners where the strike
originated visited the other mines In q
body. inducing the men to stop work.
The manager of the Winthrop mine,
Mr.. Braastab, was absent, but upon his
return all was satisfactorily arranged
in a short time by mutual concessions
and the men returned to work. They
had been idle but "a hours. The men
from all the other mines remained out
for three weeks, and Their returned to
work without having gained their
point. These tlcts are still fresh in the
minds of most Of the miners Of the Ish-
peming district. I endeavored to 80
cure mutual CONCESSIONS among the
miners and manAgers during this
strike. but was unable to do 20, ii.
though that result wa reached IN TN
case Of Mr.. HannA's property without
the intercess3oa q outside parties
The second and last strike m III
district took place Inst summer. begin.
ming July Is. 1895. and continued hvs
weeks. The miners 1t the winthrop
wers satis0sd With their wages, but
walked out On account of the strona
pressure from other mines. After q
c~onfeeeacs between the manager and
the men. the miners Of the Wiathros
unantmously decided to return to theil
phcss, but were prevsntsd from doina
20. - ~ miners X the other mines
~ 6sciosA taAt all should 90 TO work
a. nooA. &ve0kually the mines of Ish.
49,