New Britain herald., 1924-02-23

ward F. Hall of the board of finance
 and taxation that he will not accept the republican nomination for mayor, eliminates from the race one man
 who has been considered a leading contender for the honor. MT. Hall is
 secretary of Landers, Frary & Clark
 and is a busy man. He feels that he
 cannot spare time for the office of
 mayor and is frank enough to say so. | It has been whispered along the street that MT. Hall could have the
 nomination if he would say the word.
 He would make a good executive, the Observer believes, because he is of
 conservative temperament, is familia| with city business, is an accountant, 1 has level head and is a man of high i honor. This should not be taken as
 Gisparagement of Mayor Paonessa but
 is simply an attempt to analyze the
 hest man yet mentioned for the re- l publican nomination.
 Alderman William H. Judd declares
 that he has given no thought to being candidate for the nomination. This
 may be true, but others have con-
 sidered the subject. It has been ru- mored that the machine" intends to
 name Alderman Judd, if it can do so. and his assertion that he is not candidate will not suffice to still the tongues of those whose thoughts turn to politics. Mr. Judd is recognized as the spokesman for the machine" in the common council. He is not wide- ly known because he has been in poli- tics for only a brief period and it is
 doubtful whether he could defeat
 Mayor Paonessa, if the latter received the democratic nomination.
 Alderman John F. Gill is said to
 have a large following although he
 has made no declaration concerning
 his intentions or ambitions. Whether
 he would be acceptable to the ''bosses" is a problem which must be considered. During his incumbency Alderman Gill has been of independ.
 ent mind and voice. When he thought the men higher up needed to
 be criticized he did not hesitate 10 speak what. was on his mind. Some of his speeches have been features of the council meetings. His barbs sank deep into the hide of the leaders in the republican party and it was claim ed that he had forfeited his chance to promotion by his caustic state ments. Perhaps Alderman Gill would stand in a stronger position with the public because of his attitude toward l the machine" which, 1t is said, is fast losing favor with the rank and 1 file of the republican brethren.
 
 It was an interesting address given | at the Rotary club luncheon last Thursday by Byron Newton of the | Anthracite Coal commission, but there were many things Mir. Newton did not tell.
 It is true that the contract miner is well paid, but all miners are not con- tract miners. There is another class of miner known as the company miner" who does not earn between s2,5OO and si,0O0 a year and who works every day the colliery works
 Mir. Newton did not say anything E about the many days work the miners lose because of the old familiar cry, No cars" It is true that the miner hassabout : holidays in the year, but it is just as true that sometimes for month after month, Sundays and holi- days are the only time he ever secs his home in the daylight unless he stops work about 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Then he must wait his turn at the bottom of the shaft, h- nally get hoistcd to the surface, and covered with coal dirt and grease, black as the coal itself. he must walk sometimes miles over the mountain to lis home, where his wife makes him undress outside in the "shanty' and take a thorough bath before coming into, the house.
 Mir Newton's statements that the miners arc high priced, men and that if they worked oftener the price of coai would be cheaper, undoubtedly are true. and. so far as the tendency to strike is concerned, there is no question that the labor situation in the anthracite fields today is a na- Lional disgrace.
 \ person who has lived in the ccn- ter of the 500 square miles Of anthra- ,ite coal producing country in Penn sylvania does not marvel at the in- famous Herrin, Ill.,, massacre. It is which would have happen ed over and over again in Pernsyl- vania, many people believe, were it not for the fearlessness Of the won lerful mounted constsbulary that state maintains.
 As boy of i2, during the famous strike of 1902 the writer saw soldiers with loaded guns parade the streets Jf his home town. and pitch their ents on the hillside 10 protect life md property. Since the organization ,f the state constabulary he has seen many riots suppressed.
 Between the mining towns Of Ash and and Centralis. Pa. motorists to- lay can see little stone huts. so small hat the miner today could not use hem for garages. where q generation igo the miner was forced 10 live. And anywhere one gOfs on the out skirts of the larger towns. thc hill- tides O. this section of Pennsylvania arc dotted with little villages, the houses all built exactly alike. each ,nc painted a dirty rcd and rominis- sent Of the days when the miner gorkcd from daylight until dark. took 4is bath every night in the wash tub n the "shanty," had no pleasures and title recreation except Sunday morn- ng hall games. bought his food and siothing from the ''company store ,n credit and had his rent and store Jill extracted from his pay envelope Jy inc corporation for which he worked.
 Villages where every house was ex- ictIy like its neighbors. except one title better. known as the bosses