The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-08-28
|IERs HOME LIFE POOR
|PFRATORS' RULE HARSH 81.
oc1cE VIRTUAL CENSOR
OVER LIVES OF WORK
D.. 'ru REPORT ALLEGES.
ElpvINC CONDITION REVEALED

ERTLNG CONDITION REVEALED
Nav Call at Time of Death,
n.' otherwise Only Doctor, Dray-
Ou' and Undertaken Are Allowed
/ n .ln'' the Premises of Employees
c.,.tl;rg conditions in the coal fields
4 'I p.nnsylvania, West Virginia and
t,m. are revealed in a report sub
'..J to the United States coal COM
NV .'oo bv an independent committee
' comment clergymen and educa-
IT,. coaI commission had asked TOR
hence Of improper conditions in the
Il mines and coal mining communl-
and the committee, after inVesti-
ion forwarded its report, support
eu t o4;davits, to Thomas B. Mar
" W former vice president, and a
/ . Sni Of the coal commission.
Many Restrictions.
& The report first covers conditions m
i ro.I fields of Fayette county, Pa.
The 'O' allegation is made that miners
~. nv live in houses owned by the
r'[ and situated on company
to r-er One company, W. J. Raj
II Inc, the report says, gives the
I;1er the privilege of inviting only
rse persons into the house or on the
These I,, three are the physician to at
I nd any member of the miners lam
when sick; the drayman to move
bousehold goods when he changes
1,idence; the undertaken when any
8ember of the family dies.
I'M lease gives the additional right
1 invite to the house friends in case
4 death Of the lessee or any member
4 his family"
\ The company stores owned by the
sring companies also are raped IN
committee report because OF the
kofts exacted. The mining towns in
kneral were condemned in the re-
brit which says;
l"These towns are the continuous
ssidence place Of scores of thousands,
not hundreds of thousands OF peo-
=. e They stand to them for homes and
whatever degree of community
/ and existence these people (the
siners) possess. 1t is this fact that
Ives to the control exercised by the
/ al company and to the lease, which
L submit with this report, their pc
lIiar significance. 1t is over the con-
lhuouS home and social life OF miners
td their families that these leases cast
shadow of supervision and even OF
fnsorShip."
Pay Deputy Sheriffs.
The report next attacked the arm
|g and payment OF wages to deputy
heriffS by coal companies. Shifting to
bmerset county, Pa, the committee
bid that the sheriff of that county
ELECTED between $4,000 and $4,000
personal reward for assigning dep
y sheritfs to coal companies.
A fee was levied against the COM
enieS OF from so cents to 81 a day
4 each deputy.
In another county in Pennsylvania
L sheriff swore in 6,1S0 deputies
fring the coal strike last year, the
port afirms.
|Anent conditions in Alabama the
gmmlttee finds that former sheriff
Jefferson county commissioned 74l
fputleS in one month, who were
lmed and paid by the coal compa-
ltS. The former sheriff made affida-
to this effect.
these men intimidated the miners,
+ report says, and exercised virtual
|plonage in the mining towns. Being
PPld by private interests, they were
fllned to be partial to the compa-
F. paying them whenever a miner
group of miners were hailed before
court.
ne report lastly detailed conditions
[tvalllng in certain counties in West
|Tgma. Particular attention was paid
Logan county, which is not union
ne report alleges, and the allega-
p Is supported by affidavit, that
miner was beaten up by deputy
I5TlhS Tor simply asking why Lo-
county was not union?"
Told Ministers to Leave.
anIother instance of tyranny prac-
E5a by deputies is cited by the COM
nee Several ministers, attending
conference of the Free Will Bap-
", IN Dlngus Run, Logan county,
way were told to leave because
y nad come from Coal River, a
on district. The deputies informed
MINISTER'S that they were suspect
III Oeng IN sympathy with the
Pl9n cause.
Dg'aliS and afidavits covering zoe
ESs Of alleged interferences with the
EiS OF individual miners and as
VIZ On them were forwarded by
NJ Somn1ttee to the coal commission
1 mig commission explained that no
,nl''It was necessary, that the evil
,o ivy spoke Tor itself. Dates, names,
:, .'s' names Of witnesses and other
q was given in each case, as called
u the request of the coal COM
' =, Tor evidence.
"S United States coal commission
Deen engaged for months in in
Elds 0oiluitions IN the coal
>. Slgners All Prominent.
ny committee report is signed by
- p,,a4 Ghafee, professor of law
I, 'sIa University; Professor Her