The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-14

known IN scranton, or, James NC
Guinness, superintendent of the
pasting and folding department as he
is known at Harrisburg, was the sprag
which temporarily but effectively
blocked and delayed the work of the
legislative Anthracite investigation
committee in this city yesterday.
The senator is a lieutenant of Sem
ator j. C. Vaughan, of this district,
and was quite naturally selected to
come on to Scranton to subpoena the
witnesses. He was started on his mis-
sion from the state capitol Tuesday
night but failed to reach Scranton un-
til late Wednesday night. He left his
home on Water street early yesterday
morning but without any effort to
serve his subpoenas and the result was
that it was nearly noon when the
wheels of investigation of the big COM
monwealth began to move and then
only through the aid of Detective Nc
Sweeney, Of the firm of Barring &
McSweeney, who was engaged by the
committee to summon witnesses, the
desired sources of information.
The committee was in session in the
writing room at the Hotel Jermyn.
Thanks to Senator" McGuinness' mys-
terious disappearance only two wit
nesses were examined. They were w.
II. Storrs, assistant general coal agent
of the Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western company, and Captain w. A.
May, the Hillside Coal and Iron COM
pany's superintendent. The committee
finished with these two at 1890 O'Clock
and then adjourned to meet an hour
later. 1t was found, however, that no
adequate examinations could be fin
ished in time to permit the committee
to catch a train for Philadelphia and
so the session ended in a postponement
to next week.
MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE.
The committee is composed of SEN
ator w. b. Meredith, chairman, of Kit
tanning; Senator II. w. Haines, of
York; Representative j. Roberts, jr.,
of Wilkes-Barre Representative II
u. Dunlap, of Philadelphia, and Repre-
sentative j. C. Campbell, of Westmore-
land county. With them were T. Larry
Eyre. sergeant at arms. of Westches-
| ter, and Edgar l.. King, stenographer
of Harrisburg.
The committee has already visited
! coal centers in the Schuylkill region
| and Wilkes Barre.
The witnesses who were to have beer
| examined here were as follows: r. j
| Beamish, o. S. johnson, John Jermyn
| j. c. Mcclure, w. II. Storrs, A. II
! Vandiing, t. V. Powderly, w. A. May
| w. j. Burke, Frank Toole, NJ. ]. Ruane
| Thomas Hogan, p. B. Calpin, Dennis
Judge, M. II. Sheridan, Michael Dome
| gan, Ananiah Evans, Alfred Powell
John T. Jones, James L. Thomas, ia.
| cob j. Jones, Richard Shevlin, r. A
| Maloney, +. d. Hayes, Michael Nc
| Govern, Griff. Richards, John McMana.
NEE and Griff. Jones. These will be
| subpoenaed to appear before the COM
mittee next week.
At $50 o'clock the committee left via
! the Delaware and Hudson and Lehigt
Valley railroads for Philadelphia where
they will join the members of the sen.
ate and house and participate in the
ceremonies attendant upon the unveil.
| ing of the Washington monument
They will return to Scranton next
Wednesday night and continue theil
Investigations on Thursday morning
at the Hotel Jeimyn.
THE FIRST WITNESS.
Mr.. Storrs was the first witness tC
be sworn. His duties as assistant gen
eral coal agent, he explained, con
sisted of a general supervision of the
shipments of coal by the Delaware
Lackawanna company. The company
! operated twenty-three mines in thi!
and Luzerne counties. Its output las
| year was about 3,500,000 tons. Tn,
shipments this year have been compar
ployes are higher now. much higher
than in past years. Inside laborer.
earn from $l61 to $z05 per day, ant
outside laborers about $1.45 per day
About 1900 men are employed in ant
about the mines. OF these the major
ity are largely foreign. The Ameri
cans, English, Irish, Scotch and Ger
mans, whether foreign born or not
are in the majority. There is no dis
elimination in wages for or against tn
Poles, Slavs, Hungarlans, Italians, etc
MIR. Storrs could not tell how mucl
1t cost his company to put ton o
marketable coal on a car at a breaker
The necessary figures could only b
obtained at the New York office. Tn
tonnage rate charged individual com
panies TO tidewater is st ~ - tol
from Scranton.
The mine law of 1882 said Mr.. Storrs
had not changed the efficiency Of labo
employed. 1t is the exception whe
even q small proportion of the EN-
ployes of a given mine cannot spea
English. Houses are rented employe
for 20 per cent. less than they woul
have to pay individuals. Coal is sol
them for less than to other persons.
AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS.
During January, February, Apr
and March the average working day
per month were-7 7-10 days. Miner
have recently been earning about 81
per month, and company hands a Iii
tie more. 1t was hardly possible h
thought for the miners TO have live
within their pay recently, though tn
laborers, on account of extra insid
work. might have done so. He ha
heard of but comparatively few case
of destitution. The Moses Taylor hos
pltal treated free ali patients from tn
company's mines and railroads.
Very few of the employees were nc
at work when the mines We're in oper
alton. Mr.. Storrs explained the en-
dowment of the Moses Taylor hospita
The witness in response to a gues
ton wished to quolify later his in
formation on the tonnage rate to tide
water. Individual operators are nol
paid 60 per cent. of the market rat
returned by the Lehigh Valley com
pany. Later Mr.. Storrs appeared an
gave the tonnage rate as S1.6O. II
knew of no combinations or trust!
The output of the mines was regulat
ed by his supervisors. The falling o.
in sales In 1896 as compared with 1856
was due to business depression, tn
. | nan of nrna cnnnnatltinn Nuith IN