The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-21
MINE INQUIRY
IS RESUMED
Concluded from Page 5.)

sample of the excessive price charged
for goods in the company stores. He
further thought that il miners were
paid their wages in cash every two
weeks and permitted to trade where
they pleased they could save 81 in every
$40 they would expend.
MR.. BEAMISH DENIED.
Mr.. Beamish also took occasion to
deny emphaticaly the truth of eX-At-
torney General Palmer's statement that
the saloons absorbed good part of
the miners wages. The small business
that is being done by the saloons, he
said, was in itself a denial of this un-
grounded allegation.
He also believed, but could not of
himself prove, that there was a pool
among the coal companies. The fact
| that there was no competition, that
prices were uniformly advanced or low
cred and that the output was regulated
was, in his opinion, evidence of pool
or combination of some kind. He knew
nothing except from hearsay of any
discrimination in carrying rates.
Thomas j. Moore was the first wit
ness called after dinner. He is the
manager Of the four stores in which
Connell g. Co. are interested, two Of
which are in this city, one in Duryea,
and one in Lee, near ShiCkshinny. Dur
ing his twenty-siX years connection
with the company he never knew an
instance where a man was in any way
coerced into trading in a company
store
In the two stores in this city the COM
pany experiences sharp competition.
One-third of it's custom is from persons
other than their miners. The same
price is charged the credit customers
who are employees as the cash custo-
mers
In Duryea the mine has been working
only about two days a week of late.
Since December 1 last $3,400 worth of
goods has been trusted out among the
employees. None of them are allowed
to want for the necessaries of life. In
the store at Lee the employees have
during the last five months been grant
ed credit to the amount of $l,700.
PRICES THE SAME.
At all these stores the prices for
| goods were the same and these prices
were such, that 33 per cent of the GUS
| tom came from people in no way con-
nected with the company's works. Even
only one within radius of four miles
| the prices are the same as are charged
cash customers in the company's
! Scranton stores.
In Mr. Moore's opinion their company
stores are a boon to their workmen.
In such times as these there would be
untold suffering among destitute ia
| miles If the company did not have a
store where they could get credit To
some families it is more than a boon,
he said, it is a blessing. The families
| he had in mind were those whose
heads would drink up the little wages
that they get if it were paid to them
all in cash.
There is no actual suffering among
any of the employees of his company,
he said, as far as the company officials
were aware of. He had received orders
to allow none of the companys en-
ployes to want for the necessities of
life. There is no regular system Of car
ing for the widows of miners but the
company sees to it that none of them
! are in want.
Mr. Moore explained that the coal
| company and the store company are
| not identical in each instance. The
| principal stockholders of William Con-
nell & Compans works are the prin-
cipal stockholders in the other two
concerns, the Lawrence Coal Company
of Duryea and the Merrywell Coal
| Company of Lee.
Dan Powell, of Dunmore, storekeeper
for o. S. Johnson testified that the
prices Of goods in his company's store
compared favorably with those in
other stores with which it had to com
pete. None of Mr.. Johnson's employees
are required to trade in his store nor
are they asked to, further than that
their trade is solicited as is the trade
of every other person living in the
neighborhood of the store. He felt
that the company store was a benefit
to the miner, but in answer to Senator
Meredlth's questions admitted that it
was not run solely for the miners con-
Venience. AS an instance of why it
was a benefit he produced a note from
the wife of an evidently Incorporate
employe, who asked for another
months grace in the payment of the
rent and promised to see to it that her
husband would not waste any more of
their money until at least they got out
of the company's debt. This, he said,
was a sample of many such notes re-
ceived every month.
SPEAK -EASIES RESPONSIBLE. q.
Mr.. Powell believed that the saloons,
especially the speak-easies which
abound in mining districts are ac-
cOuntable for much of the suffering.
He has known frequent cases, where
men have secured hams and the like
from the company store on credit and
traded them at half their value to
proprietors of speak -easies.
John Law. of ThroCp, manager of
Bellman & Co.'S store, was next called.
The store is in no way connected with
Sanderson & Co.'S mine. he testified,
but nevertheless the coal company
stops the miners store bills out of their
wages. The coal company received no
bonus or percentage for this but did il
as a simple matter of accommodation.
In answer to the query of Major Rob-
, crts, the witness admitted that one of
the proprietors of the store was a
, step son of one Of the proprietors of
the mine. lie also admitted that flour,
sugar and meat are a trifle higher in
Bellman & Co.'S store than in other
stores in the village, yet the miners
trade with them.
NJ. ]. Ruane and Ezra Jones, two
Bellevue miners, were excused when II
was found they were Delaware, Lacka-
. wanna and Western miners and had
T nothing to Cffer except cumulative evil
, dence.
Jacob Jones, a Delaware, Lackawan-
ma and Western gangway man, testi-
fed that he received $207 a yard
worked about seven days month and