The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-16
THE INVESTIGATION.
Testimony Taken Yesterday Afternoon at
Mahanoy city.
From a star Correspondent.

Mnhnnoy CITY.
From a STAFF Correspondent
MAHANoY CRY, April i6.-The proceed.
ings at the session yesterday afternoon Of the
Legislative committee appointed to inquire
into the condition and causes Of the cOndi
ton Of anthracite miners was productive Of
but tive prominent results. A useless array
Of witnesses and, secondly, a senance Of
single tax theory by the irrepressible Mr.
Guyuan. The latter is no doubt a student Of
what lac advocates, and is perfectly sincere
in all that he advances, but his enthusiasm
will Hrnsh his Judgment II ii has not al
ready done so
Mr.. Guyuau is sincere in what he advocates
but ne is evidently not open TO any argu
meuts other than concur with his views
Like Robert ngersoll, he has his hobby.
The HERALD yesterday reported all the in
vestgation upto the examination Of William
II. James, whose testimony was Of a very
uninteresting character, as well as brief
Samuel Reynolds was the noSt witness aud
the most important of his testimony was an
explanation of the beneficial fund, which re-
suited in thc statement that there were iu ex-
istencc beneficial societies that paid the same
amount paid in monthly, but did not pay
dollar day to widow for year after the
death of the husband.
Daniel r Foley was the next witness and,
in answer TO questions, stated that when
there were labor organizations in this region
men received better wages than they do now.
He said there are no organizations now be-
cause the poor people arc afraid to join them.
@ DO you think that il the coal shipped
FROM here TO the market was sold at less
money that there would be more coal sold
and mined ?
A. ! believe that.
Frank Quinn asked that he be called to
the witness stand, as he had been standing
too long and wished TO 60 home. He was at
once called and sworn, and allowed to 70
upon the statement that he was s4 years Of
age and had worked in the mines close upon
So years.
Ralph Fisher, a barber Of AIahanoy City,
testified that he was member Of the poor
relief committee and that between 600 aud
700 or about one-fourth the population Of the
town, had been relieved When asked as to
tie cause Of the condition he answered,
The freightage for one thing; and, another
thing, two years previous to this time all
engines under the Reading Company have
been burning anthracite coal; now they have
got cheaper methods and run soft coal in
I
The witness testified that he knew Poles
and Hungarians could get job In preference
TO Americans.
Assembymen Dunlap; You stated that the
Residing Company was burning bituminous
coal in its engines, in preference to anthra-
cite. DO you want this committee to infer
that the bituminous coal can be delivered in
Mahauoy Cty for less than the company can
produce anthracite?
A Yes, sir.
Q. Then, where is the trouble in the case
/ A. ! think they have a scheme with the
corporations in the soft coal regions.
/ Neil Brennan, Justice of the Peace, Park
Place was sworn. He testified that he heard
an officer of tho Lehigh Valley Company had
said that he could buy bituminOus coal for
engine use at Delano at 25 per cent cheaper
than coal could be shipped from the mines in
this vicinity The main cause of distress he
thought was that the corporations who own
and control the railroads are discriminating
in freight charges.
/ In reference to company stores Senator
Hanes asked, Do you buy as cheap there as
in the Mahauoy City stores2
/ A. Some articles are a little up, but, as a
rule, they are superior to articles we buy
cheaper in the cash stores.
| O. You said the company store charges a
/ little more for goods but the goods are
cheaper, IS that true2
/ A Yes, sir. l don't mean to say that they
charge more for all goods. They charge the
same in proportion as in the credit stores of
Mahanoy City. In the cash stores in Maha-
uoy City you can buy much cheaper than at
| the Park Place store, or in the credit stores
of Mahanoy City, but the cash stores Of
Mahanoy City sell an article that are not
near up to the standard of the credit store, or
company store of Park Place.
Q. That is your opinion?
A. No, my experience.
Upon being pressed on the question of
prices the witness said 81 won't go into
details about prices in either stores other
than to say that the company store at Park
Place is really a necessity, because in the last
four years the breaker was burned down
twice and there were in the neghborhood of
six hundred families at Park Place, and during
all that time they were rebuilding the breaker
the company carried the families through
Those people went in debt and they have got
to appreciate thing of that kind. If they
were dealing in Mahanoy City l cannot see
how they would have been carried through.
The witness admitted that the Park Place
| Company employed the people in rebuilding
the breaker as much as it could and to that
extent the labor was an offset to the credit,
but said that not more than 20 per cent. Of
the men employed before the fire were en-
gagged in the erection Of the breaker.
Thomas Carney testified that he was a
! saloonkeeper and-sold on credit.
James AlcCOol Of Jacksons testified that
he was tax collector Of Mahanoy township
and found difficulty in collecting taxes the
past year and it appeared to be growing
worse.
Hon, John Tahaney, of Jacksons, ex-mem-
ber of the Legislature, took the witness stand
and testified that be was a miner working
for the z. q r. & 1. Co. and got so cent,
per car, and his working time at present was
averaging 10 hours week.
O. If your wages for the last two weeks
were 40 or so dollars, what would be the re
sult2
A. / would expect to be chastised to the ex
tent that / wouldn't have that much pay
again. They may not reduce the price AT
that time, but curb the method Of cutting
tho coal and not give me the cars.
The witness admitted that it is not the
price coal brings in tho market upon which
the wages of miners is based, but upon tn,
amount of coal they can produce.
William Downey, Of Jacksons, min,
laborer, said he believed the whole trouble
was that there were too many mines and to,
many people.
l. a ls N r,I a 20