Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-18

pound here, sells there for 81 q
pound. Mr.. Blanchard recalls hay-
ing been in that locality when he was
a boy. about l. years of age Then
there was extensive mining going en-.
He went into the mine last January
to work. more out of curiosity. He
wanted to see for himself, the condi-
| tons.
He has no doubt but that there is
more soft coal mined in the country
than is needed. Five hundred million
tons of coal are needed each year:
the output is about eight hundred
million tons. Where no shipping is
done. it makes it doubly hard for the
operator to run on full time.
The air in the mines Is terrible.
Eight hours day of that is too
F., much for any man to stand. The
miners are asking for the shorter
day and more days. The output
would be practically the same If the
miners were permitted to work five
days a week, six hours each day. OF
200 miners, about six or eight are
working by the day. They are the
/ mule team drivers. The only kick
the operators have. is that they are
paying these men for eight hour
days and they do not want to cut
down to six hour days. The miners
would produce as much even If they
did work shorter days. That is
| human nature.
The prices of food affect the din
ner pail. What do the miners eat,
for the most part? He had fire.
quently seen only bread and molasses
in them. They cannot work very
hard on that. If l had family there,
! l don't know what l would do.
Rents? That is the one redeeming
! feature. The miners do not have to
pay rent. They live in little houses
which have been erected at q cost OF
doubtless, about $25. At the mine
adjoining. they put up some houses.
| painted them and fixed them up.
Some Italians and Spaniards were
imported and put to work. AS soon
as they could talk English they got
out; didn't have families to hold
| them.
/ Mr.. Blanchard said that his father
went south in 81 to help free the ne
I groes and Judging from what he has
| been told. he should Judge that those
people there now, are pretty nearly
as bad off as were the negroes. They
n fhpf fhorp fG
, chance for them. They are the most
, destitute, illiterate class of beings,
I that can be imagined. 1t looks to be
a disgrace to the country to have
such conditions.
! Eighty cents a ton is small price
to get. About 80 cents of that is
clear after expenses are paid. Mr..
Blanchard said that he would be
pretty lucky if he did not have lot
, Of dead work, that is. handling rock
> in which there was no coal. The
( Federal mine is owned by small
! company. The smaller mines. more
often. have the better facilities than
the larger ones, are more closely in
spected. rF
Mr.. Blanchard says he would like
to see the thing adjusted peacefully.
Strikers make a great mistake when
, they destroy property. Nothing is
accomplished, except by labor and
| when labor destroys work. it is far
from right. He has talked with min
ers who were going to strike. They
| were for destroying property and he
has done AL he couid to dissuade
them. A great per cent. Of the min
ers are German.
Mr.. Blanchard appeared to state
the conditions as he observed them
in that locality where he worked.
fairly and SniIarelN