Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-12-18
ALWAYS IN DEBT.
Anthracite Investigation Shows Up
Bad for the Companies.

Scranton, Pa.-The miners, having
finished their attack on the Coke
mines in the Hazelton region, have
turned the attention of the coal strike
commission to the collieries of g. B.
Markle & Company, in the same To-
callty. The witnesses for the mine
workers scored what appeared to be
telling points with regard to wages
and other conditions prevailing in the
mines of the independent company.
The attorney for the company was
not prepared to ~cross-examine the
witnesses on all things they testified
to, and the commission has granted
the company the privilege of recalling
the witnesses to the stand for the
purpose of crosS-questioning them
on some of the statements made.
The principal witness called against
the Markles was James Gallaher,
who worked in the Markle mines for
thirty years. He claimed that the
wages were so low that he was al
ways in debt to the company and that
in seventeen years he only once re-
Ceiyed money in wages, and that was
$50. He further testified that he had
to deal at the company store, the
only place where the miners could get
credit, and the prices were from 10 to
20 per cent higher than in other
places. He said he had made large
wages and wiped out his debt, but
the company would then give him
such bad work that he would imme-
diately go into debt again. He was
evicted from his house and refused
work, but he did not know why en-
ployment was not given him.
The witness, who is about 60 years
of age and a native of Ireland, kept
the court constantly in good humOr by
his wit and sharp answers to thrusts
by lawyers. He said man is never
called hurt in the mines until he is
half killed. He was half killed twice,
he said, which brought out the re-
mark from Chairman Gray that il he
was half killed, then he was now
dead This caused much merriment,
but it was turned into a roar OF
laughter when the witness replied
that the first half was healed before
the other half was injured.
A 12-year-old breaker boy was call
ed to the stand and gave testimony to
show that he was working at the Mar
kle mines to pay off the debt incurred
by his father, who was killed in the
mines eighteen months ago. He re-
ceived no pay, but was given due bills
showing how much his mother owed
the company. The due bills also
showed the debt his mother was IN
curing, such as house rent, etc., was
growing faster than he could reduce
it, as he was only getting 4 cents an
hour.
The conditions prevailing at the
Lehiigh Valley Company mines will
be taken up next. The miners have
a large number of witnesses whom
they desire to call and there is at this
time no Indication when the hearip"
will be concluded. Some Of the oper-
ators desire to place witnesses on the
stand in their defense.
Unless some agreement is reached
on many of the points at issue, it is
likely the hearing will run into next
month. While settlement talk is
still heard here, nothing Of an author
itative nature has come to the surface.
There is still BELIEF prevalent that
an agreement on some points will be
arrived at before the commission is
ready to make its award.