Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-04-26

The greatest travelling humbug that
has struck the region in several years
was at Hazleton last week, when the
legislative investigating committee held
forth in that city. The commission is a
grand farce from start to finish, and
while some of the legislators composing
it may be earnest in their desire to
ascertain the extent of the involuntary
poverty in the coal regions, the methods
taken to ascertain the real condition of
affairs stamp the whole proceeding as
fraud, gotten up for the purpose of
hiding the truth and to give few sena-
tors and representatives IL junketng
tour at the expense of the taxpayers.
The first session was held on Thurs
lay in the parlors of the Central hotel.
d. j. Mccarthy, special agent of the
Drifton companies, was the first witness.
lie swore he know of no destitution,
gave some information regarding the
number of days worked at his compuny's
colleries and refused to answer any
questions which might have Il tendency
to show where the coal companies and
the carrying roads make their profits.
John j. Mccarthy, Patrick Malloy,
John Potsner, Peter Shoylin and An
thony WashkowitZ, all of whom are en-
ployed in Drfton mines, were satisfied.
Nearly all have steady work John C.
Stroh refused to state his salary or give
any information that would detract
from the goodness of his employers.
Peter O'Donnell, Dominic Kelly, Alon-
10 Woodr.ng, John l.. FOwle", Peter
Hockberg and James Leyan, not rep
resentative miner among them, are well
pleased wish the conditions which sun
round them.
In the afternoon several Lehigh Val
ley miners were heard from, and through
some mistake Of Rhone Trescott, the
Lehigh Valley Company's special officer,
who Subpoened the witnesses, there
were few present who were rather
careless of the company's interests.
They knew of want and poverty, but in
general were satisfied themselves.
L. j. Brennan, McAdoo school
teacher, told the committee that the
men they had heard were not selected
from the common working classes. but
were people who had steady work at
good wages, and even these feared to
tell what they knew, as they would be
discharged ii they did.
On Friday the most important witness
was Poor Director Schwartz. He told
of the hundreds of applications for relief
which come to him monthly from miners
in Drifton, Freeland, Jeddo and all other
towns in the region, and stated that
over 300 people are now on the relief
list. His testimony completely shatter-
ed all the oathS that had been taken to
the effect that no destitution prevailed.
Other testimony was given by bosses,
understrappers and favored men who
have steady work.
The superintendents of the company
stores and their assistants were called,
but refused to throw any light on the
workings of the pluck mes" Book
keepers refused to give any idea of what
it costs to place ton of prepared coal
on the surface, also refused to state
what it cost their companies to ship it
to tidewater.
Mayor Altmiller, of Hazleton, was the
last witness. He refuted the allegation
that the miners condition was due to
drink. He knew of many cases of
poverty caused by the dull times.
The whole investigation was useless
and will have no effect in bringing relief
to the hundreds of povertystricken
families of the region. 1t gave, how
ever, chance to several of the agents
and lackeys of the corporations to prove
how faithful they are to their masters
and how lightly an oath is considered.
Much sympathy was expressed for such
OF the employees as were called upon to
Testify. Their position was hard one,
but they did the best they could under