The sun., 1918-08-06

ways willing to take them on the field
I OF battle. II there Is n dangerous FIRE
| In mine, particularly II there are any
men inside whose lives may be In dan
| ger. II Is the easiest job in the world to
get volunteers TO go down. The trouble
usually lies in showing back men who
| are not needed.
Men want to Fight.
So. badly as men are needed for cut
| ting coal there Is always appreciation
| OF their attitude on the part of employers
when they insist on going to war. This
| Is true. even though the coal companies
since the Wllkesbarre meeting. have
been making formal appeals to the draft
| boards for deferred classification of mine
workers drawn for service.
II Is to the credit of the, miner that
he has contempt for a Stacker. even
though his ideas on that point may seem
| to be on a wrong basis. Numbers OF
| men for whom deferred classification has
| been asked have refused to accept this
| exemption. Some threaten to quit the
mines anyhow and enter non-essential
| lines. so that they will be taken. Others
simply quit and volunteer. Still others
slip around to their boards and qualify
for first classification.
| Down in the Henry Clay shaft. 500
; feet or 50 below ground, n husky young
miner stopped long enough to remark
that he expected to enlist. He was nd-
| vised to remain where he was and cut
coal, but he merely shrugged his Shout
ders. At another mine, near Mount Car
mel. hoisting engineer who had been
put In deferred class quit last month
to go to war.
He wouldn't give anybody chance to
say he had been Stacker, he said. or
to intimate that he had lodged a fight
under the cloak OF necessity. This Is
the attitude universally taken.
Back Government Literally.
In every way these men have shown
their support Of the Government In this
crisis. Virtually every coal region town
oversubscrioed Its bond quota. Just one
OF the Ave banks In Shamokin. centre OF
40. 900 Inhabitants. sold more than $780,
900 OF the third Liberty Loan The
Reading sold sl,a50.000 to its own en-
ployees through coll!ery offices Schuyl-
kill county. with an allotment OF 81 .000,-
900, subscribed 100000.
In space Of four blocks In Shamo-
kins Little Italy" every window dis
plays at least one flag of the third Lib
erty Loan. Many have two or three. and
almost every window displays Red
is no question OF the miners enthusiastic
loyalty, and it is almost pathetic to hear
some of the foreign born rejoice in
broken accents over the way we are
living up to our ideals In France.
1t is this loyalty which would seem to
Simplify the situation. II the miner
were explicitly directed nv the Govern.
ment TO mine coal instead OF going to
war he would do It. particularly II his
daily work were recognized as a military
service. r A. Quin. general manager
OF the Susquehanna, advanced the idea
that the miners service in the mines
should be recognized Officially by the
Government and expressed the belief
that beneficial results would be noted
Immediately. tbs view is shared by
other mining men.
Increasing Production.
There have been number Of meet
ings under the auspices OF fuel admin.
istrators throughout the region designed
to impress upon the miners the need oil
increasing production. The results are
problematical There Ia always plenty
OF patriotism. ard there Is usually 8
good talk by some returned Canadian OF
American soldier, giving experiences on
the battlefield 1t seems to be a Ques
ton whether the picture Of slammnf
the Kaiser does not appeal more to tn,
listening men than the rather perfume
; tory plea, tackled on at the end. to main
tain the defence lines in this country
President Frank J. Hayes OF the United
Mine Workers has been touring the re
gion addressing the men. but while h,
has pointed out the good work done ir
the past 1t seems to be the impression
that not very much stress has been laiC
on the present and the future. On tn,
whole. relations between men and en-
ployers are very good. and ]. p. Hollis
ter. a union official in the Shamokir
district. at fuel production meetini
made the statement that miners anc
operators were in closer harmony and
working together better than ever be
fore.
hvir. and Working Conditions.
Part OF this good feeling is Of course
; due ~ the consistent efforts of min,
owners to improve the surroundings an,
working conditions OF the men. Miner
living in company villages are nov
housed comfortably IN good dwellings
ually equipped with electric lights ant
more often than not having a mo1orI
, bathroom to replace the old time wasl
shanty.
jewellers in the villages can usually hav
the vsc OF all the company land the!
: want for the asking The miners ar
? doing good work along this line. and a
some mines flower beds have been roote,
out 10 make way for vegetables growing
; beside farmhouse. an engine house o
, other building.
Personal inspection Of four mines 4
, The Shamokin district showed the area
, improvement in inside working condi
ions In every case ventilation was ad
: mirahle. and the smoky oil lamps of tn
old days have been replaced by acety
I lenc or electric lamps Around man
, mines, particularly Reading mines. gras
Is planted where it used to be black dir
and junk. Commodious bathhotses stan
/ near the opening of almost every min,
Men can come to work in clean clothes
which are hosted high in perfect ventil
alton all day. and when the men return
n grimy after the days work, there are no
. and cold showers ready for them. We
: and dirty working clothes are the
a hoisted on individual ropes into dry an
= airy places. so that they are warm an
3 comfortable next morning.
' First Aid Hospitals.
Z First aid at tho mines Is no longe
= new. but still II came az n sort OF SUI
prise, down in the Burnside mine OF III
e Reading. to have the foreman unlock
a door in the side rock. turn on an electri
d switch and display what is really a
n admirable hospital The room has bee
s blasted out of solid rock and the jagge
n walls. coated with glistening white, hav
G n great attractiveness, An operatin
l. table stands In the centre and at tn
t rear there are closets sunk in the roc