The Cordova daily times., 1921-09-30
SENATE INVESTIGATION OF
 WEST VIRGINIA MINING WAR
 RECALLSPROBE OF YEARS AGO
cBy International News scrvice)

CBy International News Scrvice)
 WASHINGTON, Sept. 3O.-"The in. vestigation disclosed that large quan- titles of ammunition. pistols, shot guns, rifles and machine guns were brought into the district by both parties to the controversy and freely used. The conditions existing for many months were deplorable. .. There was much violence and some murders Pitched battles were fought by the contending parties. Law and order disappeared and life was inse- cure on both sides. Business practi- cally ceased"
 The foregoing is not q portrayal of the civil war in the West Virginia coal fields, which recently compelled the intervention of federal armed troops because of the helplessness of of the state government
 It is from the report of the condi- tions found in West Virginia in 1913 by senate Investigating committee, which was submitted by it's chairman, Senator swanson. Democrat. of Vir- ginia. to the senate in March. 1914.
 Eight years ago this senatorial in vestigation, centering around the Cabin creek and Paint creek mines. in the wooded Kanawha valley, revealed conditions similar to those which an. other senate committee is now en- gagged in uncoverinE in Mingo, Logan and other turbulent West Virginia counties.
 Battles have ragged about mine and mountain. truccs have been l''angea, only to be broken; disputes N1v" been settled with the rifle and the revolver, and violence and sudden death have always urked across the path of men, women and children-since the miners and Cperators "hroke" on the fret day of April. 1912, more than nine years age
 FEuOALIsM IN REALITY
 A state of feudalism amazingly like tha. of the Darl; Ages has prevailed in the rought mining region of West Virginia, where men stalk men to kill them. and whole families are the ten antry ofthe wealthy who own every strip of thickly-timbered mountainside and every patch of richly.veined coal land
 Before the first senate Investigating committee that sought an answer to the perennial question, What is the matter with West Virginia" 2" it was testified on October 20. 1913. that "furiners" owned large tracts of rich mining land on which the people of the state were permitted to live only if they obeyed the mandates of the lords of the domain"
 One of these "fur'iners' was George P Westmore. formerly United States senator from Rhode Island. He owned many of "outsiders" which acquired 21 900 acres of rich coal deposits in West Virginia for $3OO,OOO in 1901. It's value in 1913 had jumped to $S7O,- 900.
 A Brooklyn. N Y. member of the company was griled by the commit l tee
 You realize that these 2l.O0O acres are a veritable domain; if you tell : man to get off your premises, if he 1, happens to be in the middle of them, 1 it would he practically like telling him i to get off the earth?" the witness was . asked Would it meet with your ap- . probation if notices were posted. "Pri- ! vate Property and 'Trespassers For i bidden' over tract of 2l.000 acres?' ? "I do not know what the lesees would conclude was wise for them to do" was the reply. They would prob ably have the right to do as they pleased"
 Senator Kenyon Republican, of i Iowa. chairman of the senate commit tee now engaged in probing West Nir- ginia's sore spots, sat as member of the former committee when it lis tened then to the story of how a group of wealthy New Workers and Ne" Englanders bought up these 2lOoo acres and. through hired agents and oversccrs. ruled the people who had lived upon them for years.
 PERENNIAL QUESTION
 The average man cannot go out and buy 2t 900 acres" Senator Ken