Evening star., 1928-03-08
COAL PRICE CUTS
c|TEDAT HEARING
Miners Head Holds Railroads
Lead Movement to De-
press Wages.

By the AssOcjated Press.
Continuing his scorchinz indictment
of the bituminous coal industry, John
l.. Lewis, president of the United Mine
Workers, today attributed conditions In
the coal fields to . conspiracy among
the railroads TO depress miners wages.
Testifying before the Senate interstate
commerce committee, he said, "Tfe
walls and the lamentations that rise
from the women and children OF the
fields seem to have no effect on the
leaders who direct the policy Of the
railroads"
Lewis submitted to Chairman Wat
son, for the Record, an original copy
Of the Jacksonville wage agreement be-
tween miners and operators. saying:
This Is the contract which was
violated. abrogated and trampled upon
by the Pittsburgh Coal Co. and others
In that region"
Cites Coal Price Cuts.
The union leader also entered statis-
tics on declines in coal prices paid BY
railroads, which he said was a result
Of the railroads campaign to depress
wages at will"
"The story of their success Is written
in the degradation in the coal fields OF
Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia"
he declared.
Answering Senator Wheeler. Demo-
crat, Montana, the miners executive
said he understood that the Pittsburgh
Coal Co. was a Mellon concern" He
mentioned Secretary Mellon as . for
mer director" Of the company and said
that he understood interests we're also
held by r. B. Mellon. the Mellon Ma
tional Bank and the Union Trust Co.,
the latter Mellon concerns"
Lewis told Senator Goodtng, Repuo-
iican. Idaho, that the methods OK min
ing in America were vasteful and con-
stitute a great handicap to the tn
dustry.
He painted a picture Of "pauperized
conditions" among miners In Pennsyl-
yania and West Virginia fields, citing
the company stores" as places where
miners wives often spend the money
earned BY their husbands as fast as 1t Is
made.
Wait to Get Credit.
In the West Virginia field. he said.
wives have stood beside the place where
coal Is hoisted to wait until a load
mined by their husbands or sons comes
up, so that credit for the work might
be entered OH the record.
They then 90 to the store and spend
those wages for beans and bacon and
coffee" he added.
Lewis said that w. G. Warden, chair
man Of the board Of directors Of the
Pittsburgh Coal Co., had told him in
1928 that he wanted TO make good
record In his position and the best way
to do Ii wS,tld be 70 get a wage redue-
ton, which action. Lewis said. meant
Ito extort from the wages Of miners
additional profits for the Pittsburgh
Coal CO.
He said Warden told him r. B. Me-
lon had had q bad year IN 1924" and
that he wanted 70 make UP for that
after having been newly elected chair
man of the board.
Lesher Denies Charges.
Denial of Lewis charges was made
By C. E. Lesher, vice president OF the
Pittsburgh Coal Co.
Senator Wheeler. Democrat. Montana.
asked Lesher who held stock In the
Pittsburgh Coal Co.. but the witness
said he was unfamiliar with those rec
ords. He assured the committee that
he would put the records at Its dis
posal
Lesher said the net income OF the
company In 1923 was about $500. 900.
and In 1924 1t vas S3sl 900. In 1875.
he said. the general wage Of the miners
was reduced and the chairman Of the
board announced the policy. The re-
duction In 1925. he said. was from the
$3.50 Jacksonville scale to IS. He said
all union mines were closed the middle
Of 1925 and the 6rSt non-union mine
was opened. Nineteen such mines were
now operating, he said. Two OF the
companies mines. he said. always had
been non -union.