Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-27
LESS DRINK NEAR
MINES FOR MORE
COAL IS URGED
Chief Button Tells Retail Coal
Dealers Men Would In
crease Output

Philadelphia. July 27-seward T..
button. Chief of the Department of
Mines OF Pennsylvania, addressing
'he members of the Pennsylvania Re-
tail Coal Dealers Association yester-
day afternoon. advocated stricter
regulation of saloons and other
drinking places in the mining re-
slons OF the state as measure which
would materially increase the output
OF coal. The meeting was the second
and final session of the organizations
annual meeting, held in the assembly
room of the Philadelphia Chamber of
Commerce, Widener Building.
That the danger is realized by
groups of miners themselves, who are
taxing steps to avert 1t, was shown
IN statement issued yesterday by
the anthracite committee.
Miners Can't Run saloons
District No. 8. of the United Mine
workers Union, has started a move
ment to divorce any possible enervat-
ing eHorts of booze from the mines
oy' decreeing that no man can work
III the collieries who is affiliated in
any way with liquor establish
ment," the statement says The by
laws OF the organization state that
persons engaged in the sale of in
toNlcating liquor will not be eligible
to membership
The miners organization further
takes the ground that If a miner
work all day he is not in shape to
come out the next morning and
handle dangerous work after spend 4
ing part of the night in a saloon.
The womenfolk of the mine-workers
are enthusiastically backing up the
movement, for they, from patriotic
and personal motives. realize that So
briety aids in greater output of an
thracite and more pay in the en-
velope.
Mr.. Button in his address further
declared that additional benefit would
be derived by the coal industry il the
miners could be induced to work
eight hours "a day, six days a week.
This would increase the production
by probably 20 per cent. he stated.
Saloons should be closed at an
early hour at night and not be open
ed in the morning until after the
men in the mines have gone to work
Mr.. Button said.
The loss of time by many of the
men being absent Immediately after
the semimonthly payday is another
serious detriment to production. Many
of the workers probably lose six days
month.
Refuse to Work Eight Hours
In a clause of the last agreement
between the anthracite operators and
workers it is agreed that the work
day shall be one of eight hours, but
this clause has not been taken SER
iously by the average mine employe
cutting and loading coal. I have seen
miners come out at noon and even
earlier in the day after working from
three to five hours"
Addresses were further delivered
by John Lloyd. resident vice-presi-
dent of the National Retail Coal Mer-
chants Association, who said that 80
per cent. of the retail dealers are
now making more money than ever
before. and by Samuel Is. Crowell, of
the Federal fuel administration. The
latter announced that the tonnage
for the week ended July was 49,
243, 900 and that in Pennsylvania the
increase was 100000 tons over any
previous week.
The following officers were re-
elected President, Frank ]. Wallis
Harrisburg; president, Walter l.
Montgomery. Harrisburg treasurer
C. Arthur Strunk; directors H. Sam
uel Hays, York; w. II. Kneas, Nor
ristown; Walter Leedom Bristol; c.
Frank Williamson, Media.