Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-15
CALLED BY COMMISSION
T. F. Torrey Tells of Cost of Fuel
y jr. the Metropolis.
MANY DAYS LOST BY HOLIDAYS
Witness Tells the Habit of Miners to
Take HoIidays-one Company Said
to Have Lost 1858 Ten-tleur Days by
Observance of HoIidsyD

Observance of Holidays%
Philadelphia, Jan. 13.-The first wit
ness called before the strike commits
sion today was Thomas F. Torrey, of
New York, general coal sales agent for
the Delaware & Hudson Company, who
told as far as he knew the prices of
coal at New York. He said that the
company has no control of coal prices
in New York and derived no benefit
from the abnormal price received at
retail for the coal.
Tells of Benefit System.
George Anderson of Scranton, a
clerk in the coal department of the
company, presented numerous statis--
tics bearing upon the issues before
the commission. One of the statements
showed 2,3SS Of the company's 1928
employees have been working in or
about the mines from ten to sixty
years. He produced data showing the
workings of the company's relief fund,
with which more than 5000 of the
company's employees are connected.
The workers pay to the fund one
days pay each year. the company con
tfibuting an equal amount. Men who
are injured receive S. week for
three months, and in case of death
their heirs receive $50 for the funeral
expenses
The widow receives SO a week for
one year, and 81 a week for one year
for each child under Il years of age
The company fixed $21S as the
amount contract miner should con-
tribute as a days wages.
Hours Lost by Holidays.
Mr.. Anderson also presented
statement showing that the twenty
eight collieries of the company lost
36S ten hour days in 1901 for which
the employees were responsible. OF
these lis were lost on account of pic.
MICS and other holidays Fifty-nine
on account of Mitchell day" and 9th
er days, and 1914 days ON account of
strikes and suspensions. Another
statement offered by the witness
showed that since the strike ended in
the latter part of October the twenty
eight collieries lost ITO days, reducing
theTcoal production of the company
95,5S1 tons.
Restrictive Rules of Union.
Thomas R. Thomas, outside foreman
at the Jermyn colliery of the company,
told of the difficulty he had in induc-
ing the men to mine more coal He
produced'a paper alleged to have been
drawn up by local union 1875, which
stated that any man loading more cars
in the headings than are loaded,t,O
the chambers would be expelled da
the union. Two men, he said, WONG
ed this alleged rule of the union alS
their tools were destroyed and one o.
their houses was dynamited as re-
suit of not restricting their daily OUT
put.
He said that contract miners aver.
aged about four hours per day.
Henry Birkbeck, inside foreman of
the Vonstorche colliery, told of the in
jury of boy in the mines and of his
discharging the man who was respon-
sible for the accident. The union men
in the colliery, he said, struck for the
reinstatement of the dismissed man,
but he refused to take him back.
William H. Dettrey of Nou1emburg,
the newly elected president of district
No. Z of the miners union, against
whom it was testified last week that
he said non-union men should have
their Threats cut or should have
good humping, was summoned to
the witness stand by the miners. He
denied the charges absolutely and sew
eral witnesses were called and corrob-
GRATED his statements.
Limits Set For Loading.
David Davis, foreman of the Lang
cliffe colliery; H. T. Hughes foreman
of Plymouth No. S colliery; and Fred
erick Badman, foreman of Plymouth
| No. 3, all testified that since the strike
of 1900 the miners and laborers will
not load as many cars as they did
prior to that strike. The men We're
willing but were afraid of expulsion
| from the union.
Mr.. Badman told of difficulties he
had in filling place where union
man had been discharged. He said it
was the rule of the union that no
union man should take anothers place.
James P. Dickson, freight agent for
the Delaware and Hudson company at
Wilkesbarre. handed up a statement
showing the prices of groceries, meats
and other necessaries. The figures.
| he said, showed that the prices were
only slightly above those of 1900.