The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-09


mred under contract although the
wages were not stated until II was
found what the men were worth. He
said Il would be practically impossible
10 comply with the weekly payment
and do business for the men were OF
such class that Il would be hard to
keep them together on the job, He
seid that he thought II would be bad
thing for the men 10 have their money
weekly as they could not spend II and
had no place 20 keep Il,
Attorney J. T. Amey questioned sew.
eral witnesses put on to tell what they
knew Of the business. A store keeper
from Stratford was questioned as Co
the cashing OF checks and be said that
he had never charged cent for this.
He showed record Of where he had
eashed checks To the amount Of many
thousand dollars in a month.
Then Attorney II. y, Amey read sew
cral statements from men IN the towns
where the numbering interests were
carried on and from foremen in the
woods in which they stated that the
men did not need any money, that they
we're addicted TO the use of intoxicating
liquor, and that Il would work very
much TO the detriment of the employer.
Upon questions by Attorney Howe he
admitted that he had drawn up the
statements from the knowledge Of
numbering affairs that he had himself
and had given them TO the men TO
sign, after deliberations, II they saw fit.
The articles tended 10 show that tae
men for the most part were without
families and that the necessities of
life were provided for them, that they
were roaming lot Of men and hard 10
keep together in suitable condition
fov work II they had any opportunity
10 get drunk.
Judge Parsons Of the Fitzgerald Land
& Lumber Co., threw the most light
on the subject file used TO pay of
monthly altogether but for the past
two years he construed that law made
Il necessary for him TO pay weekly on
demand. He said that it was impracti,l
cal and unsafe to live up to the letter
Of the law. He would never dare TO go
into the woods regularly on a set day
Of the week with large amount of
money on his person 70 pay of as they
never knew what sort OF men they were
dealing with. lie said that as far as
the bookkeeping were concerned II
would be possible TO pay weekly pro-
vided that the men were compelled to
come to the headquarters in the town
but that would take from one TO three
days according to the distance Of the
camps and would, therefore break, up
tho work. When one man was gone
or drunk il broke up crew.
Attorney Blake took up the otner
side OF the question and be contended
that while there was no complaint of
the way the Fitzgerald Land & Lumber
Co. took care of their men that there |
bad been about the Connecticut Valley |
Lumber Co., and he said that probably |
100 law suits had come under his per.
s0nal observation against this com |
pany. He told story to illustrate
the way the men feel on the subject |
and finally intimated that the men
signed the petition because they were /
afraid Of losing their jobs il they
didn't and told of a conversation he
heard on the train to substantiate his
contention.
One of the superintendent in the
woods for the Fitzgerald company tes-
titled that they had had more trouble
with intoxication among the men in
the past two years than they had had
before. He stated that it would be al
most Impossible for the men to come
in and get their pay each week without
Il working great injury to the bust
ness and he said that there was no ho
tel or boarding house that would put
up the men over night because they n
bad what he termed "the erickets" and
they would simply have to sleep in
box cars over night
Those who took a prominent part in
asking questions we're Chairman kins
lev Of Rntland. Mr.. Davis of Fairfield,
Mr.. Fletcher OF Cavendist and others.
Hon. z. NJ. Mansur Of Burlington said
hat he had been in the lumber bust
ness and be knew what the absence
IF few men meant to crews. One
If the letters read by Attorney Amey
sas from i. w. House who represented
Bloomfield in the legislature two years
lgo.