The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-27

What the Commissioners Appointed
by Governor Mount Found.

4 llC COMMISSIONERS appointed DY you u
| go INTO the coal mining camps that are shut
down, and to ascertain the condition and
! wants or the miners and their families, re-
| port that, pursuant to your instructions
| they have visited and looked into the needs
| OF the idle miners and their families in the
| camps Of six counties of the State. viz,
| the camps located in Clay, VigO Parke,
! Nermillion, Sullivan and Greene counties.
| AS our duties were limited TO the work Of
| ascertaining the condition and wants OF the
miners we dld not enter into investigation
| OF the causes leading up to them. But as
| we met the suggestions and evidences or
| these on every hand, and as some reference
| to them may make this report better under
| stood, brief reference thereto is made. In
/ this connection il should be stated that the
miners were idle last year for several
| months which had involved them in debt
! for subsistence. During that period of idle
| ness the sums in the treasury of the vari-
| GUS miners organizations were exhausted,
! being paid out for the subsistence of the
| members and their families. The obliga-
| tons incurred beyond such resources left
| many still embarrassed with debts when
| overtaken by the present idle condition OF
| the miners, and SO makes the present needs
| more urgent than usual. In many of the
| mines for months past miners were given
| work only three days in the week, thus
| earning about SO week. This, OF course,
| has added to the present condition.
THE chief cause leading up to the present
| distressed condition of the miners has been
| occurring for several years past in the
| largely Increased production of coal and
| the opening of many new mines. Sharp
| competition among the mine owners and
| operators mas leo IneIQ TO lower anu lower
! prices on coal to customers, and in turn this
| has led TO cutting down the wages of min
! ers, finally to the lowest point ever reached.
| Some of the operators of the mines who
| sought interviews with us. themselves said
| that this was the chief cause of the present
| condition and distress among the miners.
| To use the words of some of the mine
| owners, we are the cause of all this trou-
| BILE, and have acted very unWisely To OBJ
Kan Kan tof Thee coa one So do bu
either shut down the mine or tell the men
they will have to work cheaper. What we
should have done v as to act honorably with
each other not tamper with each others
| customers, and kept the price of coal at
rate that would have enabled US to pay
words volunteered to the commissioners by
prominent owner and operator of mines,
| and corroboration of the statement was
observable at every turn.
1.-THE present strike and shutdown was
found to be remarkable in it's leading as
poets, in comparison with previous ones.
There seems to be a very clear apprehen-
sion of the causes referred to leading up
to it, and there seemed to be less bitterness
among the miners than heretofore known
on such occasions At no point was there
any evidences of unlawfulness or disturb
ance among the miners no disposition to
harm property or disturb the peace ana
quiet of the local communities.
your commission went into the houses
of the miners, frankly explaining their
mission, asked the miners and their wives
and saw for themselves the evidences of the
real condition in many instances. They
with township trustees and other local au-
thorities and disinterested persons in each
county visited, sitting the statements Of all
classes to learn the facts. 1T IS needless to
refer to the fact of instances of individual
cases of improvdence and bad manage
ment for these exist among other classes
besides miners. Instances were found
where like disturbance of industry had
prompted savings to the extent of acquiring
little homes by miners the planting of gar
dens and other provisions against the day
of want
steady work. in health and other condl-
tons, seemed aside by your commission
ers, when they saw want and prlvaton
among the families. In some Of the min
ing camps there is considerable sickness
among children, and there could be little
wonder at It, for there. is great want for
nutritious food for those in delicate
health. For many months on such time
| and wages, the struggle has been purely
| for bread, for mere subsistence, in many
Of the camps not by al, but py many.
| The State requires intelligent citizenship
capable of self-government and yet there
| are conditions which have existed for
many months forbldding it. There are hun
| dreds of children that have neither cloth
| ing nor shoes fitting them for admlttance
| to the public schools in their midst;
"'trhe local communities surrounding the
| mining camps have lately been contribut-
ing to the immediate wants. ana some OF
| the merchants have shown much generos-
| ity in this direction but the burden VIII
| soon be too great. The miners told your
| commissioners in many instances that the
| stores of the operators had been fairly gen
| erous in help and credit, carrying the bur-
| dens of many. We also learned from the
| miners themselves that at nearly all points
| the company stores made prices on pro-
visions etc, about the same as the other
! stores. one camp reported tnat company ny
| store charged their men more than the
! market price on some things. AT one camp
| the operators had not paid their men for
| two months AT nearly all the camps II was
| learned that cash was paid by the opera
| tors as rule twice a month, instead OF
| payment in goods from the, stores, II the
| = fhni
| where they did not the bills were dis
| counted to 10 cents on the dollar
LAS already stated, immediate RELIEF has
| been afforded by local communities. In
| nearly all the camps relief committees OF
| reliable men have been appointed to dis
| tribute provisions, etc, to those in want,
| and they make careful investigation of
| each case before help is rendered. Your
commissioners obtained the names OF these
| relief committees and believe them to be
| made up of honest and careful men for the
most .9Wd part baiieve as already indicated that
| outside relief will soon be necessary. To
| obtain something as definite a s possible, we
| sought the future necessltles IN TINS regaru
| especially among the families of the miners
! obtaining as nearly as possible the number
| of such as would require relief. The fam
| lilies average from four to six persons each
! Considering the necessities on the basis of
| families we found that If the present con-
| dition of idleness shall continue much long
| err the idle mining camps in the six coun-
| ties will have 1,947 families in need of re-
| lief With an average of four to the family
this would require that relief be furnished
| to 1883 persons to say nothing of the min
| ers having no families, many of whom are
| also in hard lines.
| .'The commission believes that their du-
! ties are discharged with a report of the
| condition of the miners and their families
| and the foregoing statement or facts. Ihey
| cannot, however forbear adding that the
| people of a great and prosperous State,
| with bounteous supplies for relief, possess
sing thousands of happy and luxurious
| homes, cannot afford to be Indifferent spec
| tators of the portending distress among the
| weak and helpless of their fellows