Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-11-22
DISEASES or MINERS.
Inc Coal Strike Commission Listens
to Expert Testimony.
VIEWS ON POVERTY LINE,
The Asv. DR.. Roberts Declares Thai
Anthracite Miners Should Not
Receive Less Wages Than
1916 Per Annun.

Il
ton was Immediately resumed when
the anthracite strike commission met
tor It's daily session. He said that the
occupation of miner subjects a man
to pleurisy, govt, neuralgia. asthma,
bronchitis. sciatica and other diseases.
he believed the day would come when
men Will be subjected to medical ex.
animation before they undertake min.
ing.
children. he said, who have suffered
from any form of disease of the respira-
tory 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
90 called miners asthma.
DIR. Gibbons then described the sur.
race indications of miners asthma. his
testimony In this respect not differing
essentially from that given by other
expert witnesses. On further exam.
1nation DR.. Gibbons said he did not
mean to be understood as saying that
miners form al unhealthy class but
that they are debilitated and run down.
| DR.. Gibbons Cross Examined.
The witness was cross examined by
| James II. Torrey for the Delaware
and Hudson company. In reply to a
question DIR. Gibbons said he did not
believe there was an ambulance in the
entire coal regions that had sterile
blankets or that was sterile itself.
I'm fact" said the doctor. they are
bunch of infection. Every ambu-
lance carries death and disease to
every unfortunate miner who is placed
in it,
DR.. Gibbons was followed by Or.
Eugene J. Butler, member of the
central poor board OF Luzerne county.
who testified that 20 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 become insane through worry
over their affection. A man who
works few years as miner he de-
clared. is not fit for anything else.
McClintock Takes = Hand.
A. H. McClintock. representing the |
Lehigh and Wilkesbare coal company,
cross examined the witness and asked |
if it was not true that a large number |
of the professional men and merchants |
in Wilkesbarre were men whose |
fathers and grandfathers had been en- |
ployed in the mines
IF that is So" the witness replied, |
"the fathers and grandfathers were /
the vice fellows who got out in time.
They were NOT men who worked for !
twenty or twenty-five years in the
mines" 'f.
. DR.. Butler was excused, and the ReY.
DR.. Roberts was called to the stand,
his examination being conducted by
Mr., barrow for this mine workers Is
reiterated, his belief, expressed in his
book. that an intelligent and persistent
combination among miners for the
maintenance of prices and rates of
wages would secure just share of the
profit for the workers.
"Anthracite Syndicate"
In answer to Commissioner Clark
Or. Roberts defined the use Of the
words Anthracite syndicate" in his
book by saying he had reached the
conclusion that there was an under
standing among the operators to ad-
just the prices and regulate the trade.
This conclusion he had reached from
personal investigation.
I'm view Of the last strike" Mr.. OAR
row asked, land everything that has
occurred since, have your views as to
the desirability of collective bargain.
ing in the anthracite regions been mod
ified or strengthened or have they
changed at alp Strengthened decid-
edly," the witness replied.
After reading extracts from an ar
ticle in a magazine supposed to have
been written by DR.. Roberts Mr.. Oar
row asked what was the temper OF
both parties during the five months OF
the strike. The witness replied that 1t
was condition of war and that both
sides were incorporate.
DR.. Roberts in reply to question az
to what wages man should receive =,
to maintain the American standard OF
living said that he would place the /,
poverty line at $575 per annum. Un-
der that amount, he said, the miner
and biz family would suffer physically,
Intellectually and mentally. =
AS the commissioners have decided
to request both sides to provide them
with certain documentary instead of
oral evidence, adjournment for the day
was now taken in order to give the
commission an opportunity to consider
the amount of time they may deem
necessary to permit Of the preparation
Of the documentary evidence they de-
sire.
It was learned during the afternoon
mat efforts are being made or will be
made to settle the differences existing
between the mine workers and the op-
orators outside the commission ap
4 10 q q