The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-04-16

7
Record, legislative committees OF investI-
CATION do not investigate where any
serious abuses are to be uncovered; but
the committee To inquire into the condi-
ton of the miners of bituminous Goa! IN
Western Pennsylvania has proved an
exception From the Investigations OF
the committee 1t is seen that the COM
panv store abuse Is p.acticed in the hi
luminous coal mines around PittsbuTg
with a rapacity and contempt for the
rights of the workingmen seldom OBJ
served elsewhere in the State. Indus
trial employers of labor, no matter how
harsh, would be ashamed to treat work
ingmen with the iniquity practlced upon
them by some mining corporations.
There is less excuse for this company
store abuse in and around Pittsburg,
where stores of every description supply
consumers at the lowest rates.
1t appears from the testimony of wit
nesses before the committee that every
species of wrong known to the company
store system is practiced by these privi-
legged corporations. Forehanded work
ingmen vino demand payment of their
wages in cash set an example that is
most injurious to the truck system, and
a pretext is soon found for discharging
them. The prices of all commodities
go b;rbar Of tho comnapy StOraS than
elsew here, as without the opportunity
for extortion upon helpless miners there
would be no inducement for maintain
ing these concerns. In order the more
successfully to practice the system,
more miners are employed than are
needed; and this brings more customers
to be plucked at the corporation store.
Thus what with short work and the
plundering store system the miners of
Western Pennsylvania exc out an ex-
tremely precarious existence. 1t is
worthy Of ob:e vat on that the lnudest
yelps for Protection to American
Labor" come from corporation mana
gers who do not hesitate to practice the
most Infamous method of filching from
workingmen a large share of their hard
earnings.
For many years the Legislature OF
Pennsylvania has endeavored from time
to time to extirpate the company store
iniquity; but in vain. The Courts, IN
their Jealous guardianship of the right
of private contract, have overturned all
effective legislation on the subject.
Yet in this case the only right of con-
tract on the one side is the privilege of
being plundered. The company store
system is as contrary to public policy
as are contracts to pay gambling debts
or LIQUOR bills: but the Courts that have
refused to enforce all such contracts
have found no difficulty in maintaining
the implied contracts under an iniquit-
Gus device for robbing workingmen.
More than fifty years ago the Parliament
and Courts of England put the brand
on the store system of paying wages in
truck as hostile to humane and en-
lightened public policy.
There is no question that the coal com
panies which have been under legisla-
tive investigation in Western Pennsyl-
vania and other corporations that are
guilty of like practice have violated the
spirit of their charters. But if these
| charters should be forfeited nothing
would be easier than for the managers
of these corporations to go to Harrisburg
and for a hundred dollar fee take out
other charters under new names. Hence
the mere forfeiture of the charter of &
mining corporation for exceeding it:
privileges would do little toward rniti
eating the profitable company store
| abuse.
But while all mining corporation
which evade the laws by selling goods
should be prosecuted to the forfeiture o
the charters, the Legislature SHOULD
pass a declaratory statute putting tht
I
est labor of its wages under the ssm,
ban with contracts to pay gambling
debts, election bets and liquor bills a
equally hostile to sound public policy
1t would then be seen whether tn
Courts, while refusing to enforce a con
tract to pay poker debt or a whisk,
bill, would be so inconsistent as to main
tain compulsory obligations of poo
miners to receive their wages in tn
truck of corporations as an ALTERNATIVE
to total loss of employment and starve
alton. Let the privileges of mining
corporations to cheat labor out of par
of its wages be brought to the test again
and again in the Legislature and in tn
Courts until the decision shall be final
made on the side of justice and human
ity!
IN an exhaustive discussion of tn