The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1922-04-21
MINING COAL NOT EASY TASK
SFREWDNESS AND SKILL OF HIGH ORDER NEEDED DECI ARES
OHIO CONGRESSMAN IN A SPIRITED DEFENSE OF
MINERS BEFORE HIS COLLEAGUES
Condemns Those Responsible For the Propaganda
The Miners Are Responsible For the High Price of

| he must be able to timber the roof of
the mine. All of these, and many
other things, he cannot learn in a day.
1t takes man years to learn to be an
efficient miner.
Il have been flooded with propa-
ganda that the coal miners of the
country are responsible for the high
price of coal. Nothing could be far
ther from the truth. For years these
men have lived on starvation wages
because of lack of work. They
could have made fair living for
themselves and families if they could
have had reasonably steady work
THE press of the country, in pub
fishing the propaganda, has made a
great hullabaloo out of the fact that
the miners are demanding six hours
per day and five days per week If
they were to get that many hours per
day and days per week regularly it
mould mean more than double the
average employment per year, and
would also double the production, and
would make cheaper coal to the people
of the country. The miners do not
work by the day but by the ton.
This proposition does not mean de
mand for fewer hours and days per
week, but in reality it means an IN
crease to them in hours and days per
week, and more equal distribution
of employment to miners throughout
the country.
Down in the Hooking valley, in my
district, right at this very minute,
men, women and children are suffer
/ ing because of the fact that the min
ers have not had reasonable work
during the past year.
Very few men in public life un-
derstand miners, mine work and mine
conditions in this country. Fortunate
/ ly for me | have had actual exper-
ience in the mine and | know person
ally mining conditions in my district
and in a general way conditions
throughout the country
'The miner is surrounded with
danger on every hand. Not only is
this true, but his work is tremendously
hard. He comes out of the mine with
his clothes wet and his body black
with grease, dirt and CRIME. Colds
pneumonia and consumption are prev.
alent among the miners by reason OF
exposure in and out of the mine.
81 have seen them on their way
home from the mine when THEN
clothes were frozen on their bodies
Many of them work in water hall
knee deep, in foul and noxious air
and many times they are compelled tc
double up like jackknives.
"Men working in the Crooksvill,
(Ohio) district never have an oppor
tunity to straighten themselves Of
straighten their backs during the day
until they go out of the mine in the
evening, unless they choose to lie fla
on the floor or bottom of the mine
They enter the mine in the morning
and sometimes have to walk miles il
a stopped position to their work. The.
are freq lently compelled to go through
mud and water in order to reacl
their work.
The miner is always exposed to th
danger of gas and dust explosions, t.
the falling of slate and coal, t.
drowning, to electrocution, to min
damp, to fire, and to being mangle
by dangerous machinery. The maj
who mines takes his life in his hand
the minute he enters the shaft o
, mouth Of the NINE"