Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-11-22
VERY INJURIOUS WORK.
Physicians Testify That Miners Oc'
,84s. cupation Is Unhealthy.

Physicians Testify That Miners Oc.
&ss cupation Is Unhealthy.
Scranton, Pa, Nov. 22.-!The exam
ination of. DR.. R. H. Gibbons of Scran-
ton was Immediately resumed when
the anthracite strike commission met.
He said that the. occupation of miner
subjects man to pleurisy, gout, neu-
ralgia, asthma, bronchitis, sciatica,
and other diseases. He believed the
day would come when men will be sub
jected to medical examination before
they undertake mining. Children, he
said, who have suffered from any form
of disease of the respiratory passages,
bronchitis or pneumonia, should never
be permitted in the mines under the
age of fifteen years because they
should have chance to eliminate the
predisposing factor in the case of So
called miners asthma. a,sl.
DR.. Gibbons then described the sur
face indications: of miners asthma, his
testimony. in this respect not differing
essentially from that given by other
expert witnesses. gg.
On further examination DR.. Gibbons
said he did not mean to be understood
as saying that miners form an un-
healthy class, but they are debilitated
and run down. He spoke of the neces-
sity for improved ambulance service
at the different collieries. a3
The witness was cross-examined. by
James H. Torrey, for the Delaware and
Hudson company. In reply to a ques-
tion DR.! Gibbons said ne did not be-
lieve there was an ambulance in the
entire coal regions that had sterile
blankets or that the vehicles were
sterile. -
81. "In fact" said the doctor, ''they are
bunch of infection. Every ambu-
lance carries death and disease to ev-
cry unfortunate miner who is placed
in it, 1:t
DR.. Gibbons was followed by DR..
Eugene J. Butler, member of the
central poor board of Luzerne county,
who testified that 10 per cent of those
in one Of the poorhouses of Luzerne
county were miners and that 40 per
cent were crippled by accidents in and
about the mines. Many of these,
he said, had been insane through worry
over their aff1iction. "A man who
works a few years as miner, he de-
clared, is not fit for anything else.
s&lI DR.. Butler was excused and the Rev.
DR.. Roberts was recalled to the stand.
He reiterated his belief expressed in
his book that an intelligent and per-
sistent combination among miners for
the maintenance of prices and rates
of wages would secure just share Of
3 fhn Tr0fitS for the WOrlynrS 2f72ss t4g#yEg
$2a After reading extracts from an ar
ticle in a magazine purported to have
been written by DR.. Roberts, the min
ers' attorney, Mr.. DarroW, asked what
I was the temper of both parties during
the five months of the strike. The wit
ness replied that it was a condition Of
war and that both sides were intemper-
ate. DR.. Roberts, in reply to a ques-
tion as to what wages men should re-
ceive to maintain the American stand
ard of living, said that he would place
! the poverty line at $575 per annum.
Under that amount, he said, the min
er and his family would suffer phys
ically, intellectually and mentally.
An Adjournment to Be Taken.
At the close of DIR. Roberts exarnina-
tion Mr.. Darrow, of the counsel for the
miners union, addressing the commits
3 sion, said that there had been consid-
cradle disadvantage in getting the ex-
act evidence and figures which he
knew the commission wanted. To get
at the exact truth he said it would be
necessary to have the due bills Of the
miners running for d series of years
and such information as might be OBJ
e tained from the company books, which,
1T had been stated, would be- gladly
furnished. 1t would expedite the work
of the commission, therefore, he said,
the representatives OF the miners
could have experts examine into these
s figures privately and to do this would
require q little time. There were
B many questions which on their face
seemed to be contested which could be
eliminated.
Judge Gray said that the commission
4 would be very glad to cooperate In
bringing about the accomplishm OF
that end. We have been aware for