The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-08-20
No State Doing More
Along This Line Than
VIVA.
.MAHY AG.E!NG!ES ACT!VE.
Not Permitting organiza-
tons to Disintegrate
During Slump

HoRGANToWN, W, Va, Aug. 20.
Tho local operators OF West Viz.
ginia are not stacking their efforts
% further the welfare Of their EN-.
.fployes and their families In the
Various mining towns Of this state,
despite the shortage Of coal orders,
according to reports Of inVestiga,
aons Just made. The shortage Of
orders has resulted In complete
thntdowns In some cases while in
others It may be limited to three
-four days work each week. Sci.
dom are mines found working full
time, although there is slight i'm.
pfoyment noted this week. But
inc coal companies are still back
ing the picture shows, club houses
md the various other things that
aeip 10 make mining town life moro
pieasant. One OF the biggest oper'
TORS says that his motion picture
shows will continue as long us q
man lives in one OF his towns.
The report on conditions now ex-
sting shows that no state in the
Union Is doing moro In quiet, IN
sssuming way for It's mining com.
nnnities than West Virginia. Mil.
Tons Of dollars are spent every
year BY the coal operators for this
nnfpose. The fact that such work
,elps TO hold tho men justifies the
expenditure In tho opinion OF the
coal operators. At Gary, the United
States Coal and Coke company
teeords show many OF their men
have beeA on the job for fifteen
years; while there are some who
hayes been there since the mines
first opened. One coal company
declares that the wages Of It's so.
ial welfare worker are paid by the
aYtng in cost Of moving employees
familips, s
rho different agencies through
wlfieha.the coal. companies have
worked include the Y. M. c. A.. Y.
q, Al, public school, various re.
kfgious social workers and special
trained workers brought in by
the coal operators themselves.
The Young Mems Christian Assb.
ciation works With the lsIant
Greek Coal company at Monaville.
Holden, Mallory and other points.
large building, erected by the
operators and In charge OF a "Y'
secretary. Is at each place. contain.
Ing picture shows, barber shore
pool room, bowling alley soda foun
tain, reading rooms aud lodge hall.
Here the women hold Red Cross
1 meetings. festivals or dances. A
9Amar, the Young Mems Civic AS.
Eooiation has charge Of similar
building.
"The Young women's Christian
Association" says Miss Helen
Hutchinson. mining town secl etary,
at present has workers In Fayette,
Hsleigh county. In mining town
york That county now has four
workers and hopes to have six
Camps for the girls are being held
this month at cottonhill and Beck.
With under her direction. This
camp project has the approval OF
the United Mine Workers Of Amer.
ica and a nurse and trained corps
ot workers will teach the girls
health, service and SO on.
The nurse In soma cases exer.
cises a purely medical function. In
others, she is social visitor and
sees that the company property is
not abused.
In some Of the camps OF the Con,
solidation Coal company, the
nurses are employed who, in add.
tion to their purely nursing duties
and office work with the doctors,
encourage organizations among the
girls such as the Campfire Girls"
the little Mothers League" etc
Such organizations exist In Marion,
Logan and Fayette counties. The
recreation houses have tho usual
general purpose. while Fairgrounds
Z with swings, slides and similar
equipment are for the small chill.
dren. Tho Logan Mining company
has two workers, social visitor
and q nurse. The Aracoma Coal
company and the Thurmond and
Argyle Coal company OF Logan
county, both employ nurses as does
the Leche Coal company. The Po-
cahontas Fuel company employs
nurses and has q free dental clinic,
The social religious worker IL
not so numerous as the nurse.
{ There IS one at Whitman Creek, Lo
! gan county. another at Mallory and
4 third at Gilbert whose wages are
paid by the Presbyterian church,
which in turn is reimbursed by the
coal companies where they work
They form girls clubs and giYu
them instruction in sewing and
cooking. Miss Mabel Sutherland
has done welfare work for, the Sol,
Say company at Kingston for the
past three years.
The schools are proving splendid
helpers. In several instances the
school principal is hired for twelve
months and he often has charge Of
boy scout or other boys organiza.
lions. This Is proving particular.
II effective when the teaching star
organized so that each teacher
tountiunse oa paEe stEao