The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-03-15
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Inc ElLCSDuESu OOdl NOu"
pany instructed its mine super
intendents to "dress up" the
non-union camps in prepare
ton for the visit Of the special
Senate coal committee which
Investigated the mining camps,
according to a memorandum
presented to the Senate Inter.
state Commerce Committee by
Harry T. Brundidge, reporter
for the ST. Louis Star.
Paid $26 For It
Brundidge said he paid an en-
ploye $25 for the document which
was printed on company sta
tionery.
1t follows:
''The United States Senate In
vestigating committee is now visit.
ing the Pittsburgh district. Clean
up all unsightly conditions. Keep
our police in the back ground.
Avoid all arrests. Instruct our men
to keep out of trouble. If the
committee desires to question any
of our employees, see to 1t that you
present men you can trust ana
who can be depended upon TO give
the right kind of answers. II you
are examined by the committee do
not answer any questions you think
might be harmful to our interests.
The company will protect you.
1.-THE company has mailed q
spirited letter to each individual
employee. If you know Of any un-.
satisfactory condition in company
camps or barracks see that it Ia
eliminated at once"
Immoral Conditions
Brundidge described alleged i'm
moral conditions at the Moon Run
camp Of the Pittsburgh Coal Com
pany and Horning No. mine of the
Pittsburgh Terminal Coal Corpora
ton. He said he found bootleg
ging, gambling and houses Of pros
titution" in camps he visited.
At Moon Run he declared he pur-
chased three half pints Of corn
liquor"
At Horning he said he saw black
men dancing with white women"
Gambling, he added, was flourish
At starvation Camp" near
| Avilla, Pa, he reported he inter-
viewed IS families that didn't have
enough money to buy shoes for
their children. This is a union bar
racks
some of the mothers told me that
truant officers were threatening 20
get out warrants because the chill
dren were not going to school" said
Brundidge.
Brundidge explained that he led
the subcommittee to the home OF
Mrs. Charles Barr, who testified last
week that her husband had been
fired because she talked "too
much to the committee. Pitts
burgh Coal Company officials had
charged Mrs. Bars testimony had
been framed for the committee.
Held Like Slaves
Strike breakers at the Coverdale
mine of the Pittsburgh Terminal
Company are held virtual slaves in
the camp, Brundidge declared.
Conditions couldn't have been
worse there" said Brundidge. The
men can't leave camp without =
pass, and a request for a pass -
usually met with a punch in the
jaw. I never saw such filth as ex'
listed in the bunk houses.
Brundidge was turned over Tor
cross.examination to Don Rose
counsel for the Pittsburgh Coal
Company.
Did union strikers refer you to
the Barr house?" asked Rose.
YES" replied Grundidge.
Would you be surprised to know
that For the last fourteen and a half
months Barr received about $50
month";"
mo, they told us he earned about
that, but never got anything Tor MS
| work"
Rose asked Brundidge to furnish
the addresses of the disorderly
houses in the Moon Run camp, be.
cause I am sure the company
doesn't want anything like that in
the camp"
mittee is that liquor and women
are being used to keep strike
breakers in the camps" inter-
iected Senator Tess (R.) of Ohio.
IF that is true I think it is in
defensible.
IF it is true agree with you"
said Rose, but 1 think our evil
dence will convince you 1t isn't true
so far as our company is con-
cerned.
"I'n say we found plenty Of evil
dence of bootlegging in the camps"
said Senator Gooding (R) Of Idaho,
chairman of the subcommittee.