The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-03
MAC NAUGHTON TALKS
. FOR MINE MANAGERS

HOUGHTON. Mich, March 2.--pe-
terioration of the quality of the rocA
and the extreme depth at which copper
is now mined in this district require
that every facility for reducing the
cost of production be employed, james
MacNaughton, general manager oil the
Calumet a. Hecla company, told the
congressional investigating committee
of the copper miners strike today.
MacNaughton was the first witness
for the mining companies, and counsel
announced his examination had hardy
begun when the hearing was adjourned
for the day.
The contract system Of pay was eXX-
planned by the witness IN detall;;
Formerly, he said, the miners were paid
by the hncal foot and tho CUBIC
fathom for rock removed, but because
OF numerous complaints OF over meas,
urements, the Calumet & Helca had
adopted the tonnage system.
Under the old system, the witness
said. the miners entered INTO three
months contracts. but no measurements
! were made until the end of this period,
the men being advanced 500 to $40 a
month for the first two months work
and being paid the difference when the
contract expired.
4 system of monthly contracts was
employed now, he SAID. Under ques-
tiops MacNaughton admitted that as
there arc some 75O or 500 nine bosses,
some of them might be dictatoTlal and
unfair TO tue men.
MacNaughton read circular issued
by the company In 1891, informing the
men that they could obtain redress
from higher officials. If they were dis.
satisfied with their treatment, llc said
many men had come TO HIM with pro.
tests during the thirteen years he has
been general manager. He also said
! that the miners understood that they
| could appeal 10 him either singly or
| through a committee, and that IL would
not be held against them.
The witness said than the use OF the
onc.man drill. to which many strikers
| objected. was au economic necessity be-
cause all competitors were using it.
| Also because il was necessary to 20
deeper for rock that yielded only about
twenty pounds Of copper to The ton,
1t has been stated here that no
one-man drills are used in the Mon
tana district. Representative Peter
mann said. The witness asserted that
he bad been told by a representative in
| Butte that 1900 such drills were used
in those mines. Experiments with these
| drills had been so successful, he added
| that the companies were considering do.
ing away with the two-man drill alto
| gether.
MacNaughton also said that all the
companies are complying with the law
requiring miners 10 work within lj0
! feet Of each other. lie said that q
miner could call on a trammer or any
one else for help.in putting mp his drill
Explaining the bonus system now in
vogue, MacNaughtou said miner YVES
paid a minimum Of s32j in the
! awygdaloid mines, and $3.50 q dav in
! the couglomerate mines, which were
harder TO work. This pay was based on
a fixed tonnage OF about 900 tons a
month; bonus of 10 cents ton was
paid for excess rock, but 10 deduc.
tious were made if the miner happened
to fall below this standard. The mining
captain had the discretion to make the
minimum s3 "A day ii he thought the
man had loafed on the JOB.
suppose the miner habitually failed
to reach the desired standard? 70 asked
Representative Swit2er.
| . He would be let out -
/ Mac Naughton said trammers were
paid fixed wage of : 60 in amypdn
loid and Sl75 in conglomeratc mines
but also were paid bonuses. They
could work on contract Vi they desired
| he said, as many Of them did