The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-10

companies. "rhat is in the record"
replied Mr.. Rees.
Further extracts from the same sem
ate document relating 20 mine wages
We're read into the record by Mr.. Rees.
Expressing a willingness To defer the
completion of this reading until some
other time, Mr.. Rees was told by Judse
| Hilton that the latter would prefer -
have all of this matter read into the
| record AT once, SO the chief counsel for
the operators continued at some length
To read statistics from the government
report relating To the earnings of min
crs i'm the Calumet 4 Hecla, and also
for the entire mining district. Mr.
Rces also read statistics prepared bv
| Guy r. Miller for Special Agent Pal
mcr showing the comparative number
OF DAYS work i'm year in coal mines,
as compared with metal mines. show
ing that metal miners get much more
work There was a good deal more of
the government report read into the
record. including comparison Of the
number of men on one man and two
man drills, the law requiring miners
To be not more than 1850. feet from each
other, the benefit in earnings TO the
men using the one-man drill, which
increases the efficiency of men thirty
three per cent i'm stopping and 9l.S per
cent in drifting.
Discuss Local Conditions.
AS To whether the men received their
due proportion OF the increased profits
from the use OF the one-man drill, Mr..
Rces said in reply to the chairman
that he thought they did, as the cost
of supplies, moving the rock, etc. had
To he considered, and replying To Mr..
Kerr's assertion that dividends were
increased more than wages, Mr.. Rces
said that as a matter Of fact dividends
had decreased; and responding To am
other criticism, he said that no stocks
in other companies had been Bought by
the Calumet & Hecla since the one
man drill had been put in.
Another important quotation from
the Department of Labor report WAS
with reference to the prices of COM
modities, and prices were given as de-
termined 10y the Tamarack Cooperative
store. alleged to Ice the largest in the
United States. with $500 stockholders
mostly mine employees.
Mr. Kerr said that the stockholders
got back the profits of the business
and that they would not, therefore,
have any objection even if prices were
,,,t ;yl .1,t
regarding the few company stores eX
isting on the Copper Range and the
government report said no complaints
were heard against ovcrcEarges n
those stores. Data regarding company
houses and rents then were submitted,
showing the very low rentals enjoyed
by employees who are fortunate enough
to enjoy the use of such houses.
In the main, did you look on the
facts presented in that report as rea-
sonably accurate asked Chairman
Taylor, Yes" replied Mr., Rees, "Wo
consider the report, i'm the main, very
fair.
we had selected portions of the re-
port of the Copper Country CONNER
cial club which we wished to put i'm
the record, but ! feel that we are oc-
cupying more time than we should, and
/ shall ask for permission to introduce
this data at another time"
Testify For the Militia.
Officers and men of the Michigan
National Guard who were ON duty I'm
the copper country during the early
days of the Western Federation strike J
appeared before the cammttee yester-
day afternoon and denied all charges |
OF violence and other unlawful acts
preferred against them by the strikers.
Erigadier General Abbey. former
chicf-of- staff for Governor Ferris, tes-
titled that it was the governors wish
that the situation should be handled
with great forbearance toward the
strikers and that he had tried to carry
out this policy.
During the first few days said
General Abbey, the trouble seemed
largely due to disgruntled men outside
the guard lines throwing stones. After
that the trouble was in the nature q:
with men going To work."
General Abbey denied that he had is