The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-03
COMMITTEE GETS MASS or
INFORMATION FROM THE
c. & H. GENERAL MANAGER
James MacNaughton Continues on Stand in Con-
gressionaI Inquiry, Giving Facts on Aid Fund,
Housing, Welfare Work, Underground Conditions
and Other Subjects of Interest

The congressional committee this
morning learned from General Man
ager MacNaughton of the Calumet &
Hecla about temperatures tn the
mines ventilation underground, aiG
fund, medical attendance. housing
problem. welfare WORK ana charitable
features the company provides.
Al the opening of tee SESSION. At
to?rney Rees referred 20 the testimony
Of federation witness who said that
his rights as a votert were infringed
upon by the marking cf his ballot by
an election official, tho object being,
in the opinion Of the witness. to en-
able the mining company To know how
its employees voted. Mr.. Rees read
from the complied laws of Michigan.
that statute pertaining TO the marking
Of ballots by election officials. After
an objection by Attorney Hilton for
the federation was overruled, he read
the Michigan law ON the subject of
arrests, this information having been
asked by Congressman Switzer The
law gives the right TO make an arrest
without "A warrant ON suspicion Of
felony and To break into "a house TO
make an arrest
Mr.. MacNaughton then resumed his
testimony and replying to the interro-
cation cf Attorney a. Il. Petermann
gave some information as to under
| ground temperatures. He said the
average temperature Of air in the G.
& H. conglomerate was SO degrees.
and the highest rock temperature, 81
| degrees. This was ascertained by
! drilling a deep hole, Inserting slow
! registering thermometer and sealing
up the hole for period of weeks or
months. The temperature in an amyg-
daloid vein ranges from Is To 20 de-
grees. The greatest temperature i'm
any OF the mines was found To be in
the Tamarack on the 39th level. i'm Oc-,
tOber 1909, when the temperature reg
istered 50 degrees Under average con-
ditions at this point it is from 81 to
S4 degrees.
The question of ventilation, genera
tion of gases and smoke were next
taken up. The witness stated that
Gas existed in broken rock-prubably
nitrous acid gas-and that when the
damp rock was shoveled into the car
the gas escaped, sometimes giving the
men a headache.
Chairman Taylor asked many qucs-
lions IN this topic. The witness said
considerable experimenting has been
done in an endeavor to get a powder
generating less gas. However. the men
are expected To let the compressed
air blow after a Blast 10 rid the drift
of gas and smoke but it is expected
that air will not De unnecessarily
wasted. In general tho circulation of
air and ventilation ara good be said
He knew Of no metal mines having ar
tifcial ventilation
Concerning the Aid Fund.
Regarding the employees aid fund. !
Mr. MacNaughton gave history o. !
It's organization from 1877 to the pres !
ent date. and introduced a statement /
of the finances. The men gave nifty
cents a month. the company "a similar
sum. and i'm 80 years he contributions |
by employees have amounted to S5O4
SSl.37. while the company contributed.
in the same period, the sum of $G25,-
4S2,SD The amount paid i'm benefits
has been in excess of Sl.596,000 The
excess, above contributions. accrued
from dividends on 472 shares of 4. n
II. stock. in which the aid fund was
invested. For a period of forty months
the men were not required To make
any contributions. The company paid
their share, as well as it's own. and
when payments were again required OF
the men an advance of ~ per cent
was made in wages to take care OF the
aid iund dues. However, no contribu-
tions have been made 10 the fund cith-
er by the company or by the om
rlcyes since July I, 1919 the fund hav-
ing large surplus, amounting at
present To SO, ,933.S0. The rules of the
club have been amended to meet the
requirements of the Michigan COM
pensation act and to allow compensa-
iion in certain cases tot covered by
the act. The c. & H. company is the
only one handling the aid FUND i'm this
mar1ner.
The question of the administration
Il the fund was gone into in much de-
tail. ana the committee manifested
much interest in the entire subject
The question of hospital and medical
service was next taken mp. Mr.. Mac
Naughton explained ;hat each mar
ricd man pays one dollar month. ana
single men pay 80 cents per month,
which entities them ana the families
Of the former to medical service free,
services and medicine. IL al
so was pointed out that the companyl