Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-19
VISIT TO SCRANTON HOMES
Wives and Mothers Complain They
Cannot Save Anything.
STRIKE SPIRIT Is PREVAILING
Men Declare Their Demand for Rec
ognition Of the Union Must
Be Granted.
BY GEORGE H. GORDON.

SCRANTON, March 19.-There Is proba-
bly, none better qualified in the cities of
Scranton and Wilkesbarre and the valleys
of the Lackawanna and Wyoming. In
which these two cities lie. respectively, to
express an authoritative opinion on the
material status of the 10000 mine work
ers in the anthracite region than the Ro-
man Catholic clergy.
| was fortunate today in securing such
an expression from one of the most emf
nent OF these prehistoric who is very
close to and enjoys the intimate conf
dence OF the Rt. Rev. Michael j. Hoban,
Bishop OF Scranton, himself a lifelong
friend of the miners, and for years an
,insistent advocate Of an eight-hour day.
This is one of the principal demands now
made on the operators by the officials of
the United Mine Workers
Like so many business men and officials
of the union who are fearful that any
public statement by them may upset the
pending negotiations in New York, this
clergyman consented to talk only on con-
dition that his name be not used at this
time.
Il 'haveS every confidence in President
White of the United Mine Workers." he
said. Il did not have much use for his
predecessor. Tom Lewis. He was fiirt
ing too fast and free with the Western
Federation of Miners, which is revolu--
tionary in it's methods. / believe that the
miners are justified in their demand for
doubt that they are. equally justified in
asking for an increase of wages. They
have seen all classes of workers around
them obtaining substantial increases in
pay. Yet they are working under an
agreement entered into in 1902, when con-
ditions were far different and the cost
of living only a fraction of what 1t is
| today.
Have Enjoyed Peace.
TT is true, however, that since the
Roosevelt peace commission settl. the
last big strike the anthracite valleys have
enjoyed a period of peace and quiet and
prosperity which they had never known
before. The workers have, with very
few exceptions, kept the contract then
entered into, and it has been twice re-
newed.
Men are working more steadily-that
is, more days in the year-than ever be-
fore, and their money income is larger.
That they have perhaps to work harder
because Of the fact that the thick veins
are worked out and they have to go down
deeper and take the thin veins is prob
ably true
lone Of the benefits which the miners
dIlu ldUoIcIS cuJOy lOudy Is tile pIoSlfSdl
abolition of the company store Yet l
have known company stores which treat
ed their men SO fairly that the men
| would swear by them.
Take, for example, the store kept by
Mr.. Connell years ago. He was a real
friend of the men.
There is no doubt that the miners feel
| that with the agreements Of both BIZ
| ing April 1, and because OF the strikes
| in Europe and the shortage Of coal here,
| they have a tactical advantage, and the
United Mine Workers officials know
they must make an effort to put it to
good use or they will lose their scalps.
Typical Quarter.
1 asked Secretary Mark K. Edgar of
| the Scranton Board Of Trade to direct
me to a distinctly representative min
ing quarter of Scranton, so that I might
see for myself under what conditions
the miners OF 1912 live. He suggested
| Scranton. in the vicinity OF Luzerne
streets terminal l was rather sur
prised when prominent official Of one
of the branches Of the United Mine
Workers, In response to a similar re-
quest, suggested the same place.
| Its not the best nor is it the worst"
he said. You'll find some of them liv
ing in very humble homes, but. while
they are not very handsome, they are
comfortable. If l wanted you to see the
| worst I'd send you to some of the outly
ing towns, like Old Forge. You'll find
| miners living there in company huts
which are unfit for a doghouse."
| So I took the advice coming from two
such widely separated sources and rode
out to the end Of Luzerne street.
| It is very niue hthe same in appear
| ance as the outskirts of hundred Amer
lean cities, where mill workers make
| their homes The streets are unpaved
and several inches deep in mud. In
houses there are no sidewalks, and one
has to get through two inches Of gummy
mud as best one may.
Could Not Speak English.
1 visited several Of the housewives.
| who, for the most part, cannot speak
English. In several instances I was
able to talk to them through the chill
dren, who invariably speak excellent
English and make exceptionally bright
and competent interpreters.
| In this vicinity I visited the homes
| of Stanley Wasczoski, Alexander Vase
| linski. John Washinski George Wasko.
Albert Warko, Thomas T. Walsh, John
B. Walsh, Frank Trynoski John Suplin-
ski, John r. Reilly, William Nowackwa,
John v. Jones Anthony Gillespie and
Mike Nowak.
The homes are. l believe, thoroughly
representative of the mine workers of
today Between so and 80 per cent of
the men who work In the mines are
| Poles, Lithuanians Greeks, Magyars and
Italians. Yet in every one Of the homes
I visited found the same complaint.