Evening star., 1928-02-24

"Applesauce." and says he's heard that
stuff before,
One visit is like another. Close
crowded rooms. overrun with children
| the miners never seem to have less than
| five: a front door that looks out on
| black slime into which has been thrown
several months accumulation Of house
hold rubbish and garbage. and In which
mobs of children are playing. dirt. pov-
erty. suffering. and the man OF the
house standing deiectedly looking on,
smoking q cigarette. All OF them tell
the same story How many children
they have. the support they get from,
the union. the cruelty of the company
police. the behavior of the dirty scabs.
Most of the children seem we'll clothed
for there are gifts from relief societies
of cast-off raiment of all descriptions
All of them look hungry, some of them
are enaciatcd and pale.
Committee Visits Parish Priest.
The committee is led by the union
officials to the home of a parish priest
Rev c. F. Fehrenbach of Nativity
Church. Curry. tells the investigators
of distressing conditions among his
flock; praises their peaceful behavior
in the face of what he charges have been
efforts by the operators to incite them
to violence: says reign of terror stories
were exaggerated. and he warns that
such conditions are making fertile SOIL
for the sowing of radical seed. Father
Fehrenbach tells of his own action to
prevent aid from the l. w. W. men,
bcrs OF which came with offerings OF
food money and clothing to the strik-
erS. Chairman Gooding asks him II
such a condition can continue without
grave danger of radicaliSm. and the
priest says it cannot. He describes the
strikebreakCrs as riffraf and loaferS.
contrasts them with the miners now
on strike. who lived thriftily and peace
ably before the trouble began,
Senator Wheeler asks II the Red
Cross has done anything to alleviate
the suffering that is seen everywhere.
The priest responds emphatical!y-
They have mott"
The Senators ask the union officials
il they have brought the situation to
the attention Of the Red Cross They
reply that they have on several oc-
casions.
Rev. Edward W. Glennon of St.
Francis Church. Finleyville, tells the
Senators they have an opportunity to
place before the country the dangers
of an industrial situation which gives
every inducement to ultra radicals for
spreading their propaganda.
Strikebreakers Make Little.
In small. smoke filled room two
negro strikebreakers. picked up by a
suspicious constable. tell their stories to
The committee. They came from Ohio
to seek work in the mines. They relate
their experiences in vermin-infested
bunkhouses and the high point IN the
testimony of one of them was his re-
mark. in response to a Senator's ques-
ton as to what he made mining coal:
"Ah dunno as can say I made any,
thing. sub. Seems lax what you owe
de comp'ny done overrun what you
make"
The committee was especially inter-
ested IN following this line of question:
ing among strikebreakers. There was
wide divergency OF testimony.
Some OF the strikebreakers said they
made as high as S35 for two weeks
work In the mines after their board and
lodging at the company quarters were
deducted Others testified they cleared
only IS. while some Of the negroes in
,erviewed were unable to point TO any
profits. explaining they owed the COM
pany more than they made. Union Of
flcia!s told the committee that a miner
who attempts to leave owing anything
to the company is arrested and sent
back TO work out what he owes No
operators or company officials were
questioned about this
Senator Wheeler had the super.n-
tendent Of Horning No. mine OF the
Pittsburgh Terminal Coal Corporation,
produce his pay roll for the last two
weeks and read of the gross and ne:
amounts due the men. For two weeks
work money due seven men follows: