The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-09
Coal River colIeries Formed
BY Engineers With Big
Investment

!.
CLEVELAND. June e.-Revolu-
ffonizing the coal mining indus
Try through the establishment. Of
"a coal company with a soul
This IS the aim of leaders OF
the Broth erhood of Locomotive
Engineers, which has just enter
ed the coal mining business by a
5000 900 investment in West
Virginia and Kentucky coal mines.
And they make tflis venture,
ssswi tfouts fear of financial loss, at
"a time when the coal mines Of the
country are tied up by nation
wide strike. They feel that they
have solved the problem OF labor
s:disputesS and will have no trouble
at their mines now or In the
future
Three main points in the brother
hood IS program are
ILLUMINATION of watered" STOCK:
fees, and preferred
stock in the formation Of the
deal#Iiving and working con-
3sdftions for the min ers and con-
and general discomfort.
illumination of mtddlemen's
profits in distribution. This is to
3ba done by enabling consumers to
Eorganize their own cooperative
local yards and to sell to them
selves at cost.
ss5sThousands Own Stock
The Coal River Galleries. as
u the d ew company is called, is
Sowned by several thousand loco
motive engineers throughout the
country, who subscribed in small
amounts for the $4,000. 600 stock
The hna6n problem Yin coal
mining is men. Coal mining IS
dirty, hard and dangerous work.
yet coal miners for centuries nave
been among the poorest paid OK
manual aborers. In addition TO
:sinadeQuate wages. they also sur
Sfer from irregular employment
These are the main reasons why
miners strike and why the indus
tries the nation periodically race
fuel famine
This statement by Warren S.
stone grand chief of the brother
hood and chairman OF the COLI
sSertes board OF directors is basis
sforrschanges made in the system of
:iunni ngd Coal Rf3er tCullieties.
Fright at the outset, before the
company is even paying dividends.
miners there are receiving a dol
lar a day more than the highest
wage scale asked by the union IN
sneighboring mines.
Mod ernized Mine
Labor has been lightened by the
ainstaIlation Of modern mining ma
schin cry wherever possible.
1.-THE brotherhood has substituted
for the average dilapidated and
8drab mining town, model villages
with handsome little homes,
schools churches, stores, amuse :
ament buildings, thorough santa
tion. and, all the facilities of a
small city No cattle are allowed
Ito roam the streets Garbage IS
regularly collected without charge.
Even the porches have been
screened at company expense
Why 1t Was Done
This. say 1he engineers, is
good busingess as we'll as good
policy. Model living conditions,
ample wages and machinery to
3lighten the labor will attract the
highest type Of miners, who in
h turn Will produce more coal than
would men who are sullen and u2-
sdernourished.
The brotherhood has shown
good record as a business organ
sization in entering new fields
They erected and made a paying
Xproposition of a skyscraper in
8Cieveland; obey established the
first cooperative national bank in
isAmerica and short time ago an
&nounced the organization of mil
8iton dollar investment compsh1, as
an auxiliary to the bank. This too
lis now a success.