The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-03-19
FACTS BROUGHT OUT IN
COPPER INVESTIGATION
GENERAL MANAGER OF MINE
HAS PERSONAL INTEREST
IN EMPLOYEES.

James MacNaughtOn, general man.
ager of the Calumet & Hecla, and Of
a dozen companies subsidiary to that
company, gives the congressional in
vestigating committee much interest
ing information about the great bust
ness under his control, says the Min
ling and Engineering World. He is the
star witness thus far, and the attor
|neys for the strikers improved to their
utmost the opportunity to give him an
exhaustive grilling under cross exam
nation. The chairman of the commit
tee even felt under the necessity Of adj
monishing Attorney Hilton, who has
gift of sarcasm, to be "as polite as he
cam"
Mr. MacNaughton made the asser-
ton that he took a deep personal in
terest in the miners, that he had many
warm personal friends among the I'M
foreground men, whom he greatly adj
mired, and that he felt sure the en-
ployes had no scruples in going to him
direct for the redress of grievances,
Congressman Casey had his doubts
whether a workman with 10, II or y
children (families even run as high as
l6 here) would want to take chance
on losing his job by going to the big
chief himself with a kick.
Manager and Men.
"You don't know our men," respond
lad tD,a "Ip wDnld
,ome and bring all his children, even
borrowing few others, if he didn't
have enough of his own"
1t was evident from the testimony Of
Mr.. MacNaughton, in reply to ques-
ions, that the properties he represents
devote a great deal Of attention to
dynamite gases in the loose rock, for
Instance: Mr.. MacNaughton said 1t
seemed to be a nitrous acid gas from
the powder, which was released when
he loose, damp rock was stirred up,
land caused headaches among the men,
He said that great deal Of expert
lmentng was done to meet the demand
Of the mines for a powder that would
not give off such gases, but in the
meantime the men are instructed after
la blast to let the compressed air that
Iruns the drills blow to drive out the
!smoke and gas. He maintained that
in general the air and ventilation are
good.
Another thing touched on was the
Temperature in the mines. In the con-
glomerate it is hotter than elsewhere
The company has made study Of this
subject. Deep holes have been drilled
and slow registering thermometers
have been sealed up in them for weeks
and months. In the Tamarack mine
the hottest record was found in Octo,
Der, 1909, on the seth level. 1t was 81
degrees. The ordinary temperature
here is 50 to "a and in the amygdaloit
veins IS to 10.
An Easy Landlord.
As a landlord the company is prett!
easy. 1t owns 764 houses, appraised a.
$9S1,5OO, although they cost abou
$3.50, 900 more. The average annua
expenditures for repairs is $61,22S.97
and the income from rentals Is SCI,
S63, leaving a net annual income o
1894. Employees who wish to buil'
their own houses can lease large 10
for IS a year, which includes garbage
removal. There are about 1000 sucl
, leases. The company has also bull
, IL school houses at cost of s352,270.3
and leases them to the school distrlc
for s11,026.6S--about per cent. Ther
, are some very fine stone churches Il
, the copper country and the compan
has helped to build all of them.
, There is a great deal more of it, bu
, 1t would be a long story. For instance
= employees Of 20 years service, on reach
: ing the age of co. are pensioned'
, given jobs which amount to pensions
e The company carries charity accour
8 and spends 800 a month just in maui
ing free coal to widows. Every wido
is kept track of.