Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-03-13
Railroads Refuse to Buy
Union Coal, Senate Com
mittee Is Told
MINES CLOSED
Astonishing Situation Re-
vealed by Witnesses in
Investigation

WASHINGTON, March IL R,-
ConfinNng its attention to charges
by the United Mine Workers that
the railroads are in conspiracy to
break unionism in the coal fields,
the senate committee Investigating
the bituminous industry today OBJ
tanned the first testimony aimed
to support that allegation.
Thomas Sagle, general manager
of the RoSeville, Ohio, Coal COM
pany, declared the Pennsylvania
railroad s'wilfully and maliciously"
sought to put his concern out of
business by Withdrawing a siding
near it's mine and disseminating
purchases of its fuel mined by
union labor These actions occurred,
he said, after he had been told by
Henry Owens, purchasing agent,
that the railroad would not pay
any price, for coal to any operator
which would make possible salaries
in accordance with the Jacksonville
agreement
Chester Penrod, Crooksville.
Ohio, president of the Robinson
Coal company, testified that Owens
had notified him by telegraph from
Chicago that no coal mined by his
firm would be purchased by the
Pennsylvania railroad unless notices
were posted at, the mine that the
United Mine Workers would be
recognized in no way"
Frank j. Bender, union officer
at GAINESVILLE, Ohio. then detailed
the situation in the Crooksville dis
trict, declaring that several coal
companies there had signed agree
ments with the union in the hope
of renewing operations after the
strike called on April /, 1927.
when they tried to have their
tracts renewed" he added, they
were either informed by the rail
road company or the broker who
sold their coal for them that the
union mines could not get fuel con-
tracts from the Pennsylvania rail-
road company.
other coal companies in the
iJCrooksville district operating on
the New York Central, Bender con-
tinued, "were furnishing this rail-
road with fuel orders and the price
was cut so low that the coal COM
panies were compelled to close their
mines because they could not meet
the low price set by the railroad
company"
These mines," he said, "are not
equipped to load other than run of
mine coal, which is the grade
mostly used by the railroads for
their fuel. Other concerns do not
want this grade of coal. Therefore
the operators of these mines had
no other alternative but to close
their mines"
Bender maintained that most Of
the Crooksyille mines would be in
operation today under a contract
with the United Mine Workers, +"
had they received the same con-
Isideration from the railroads re-
garding fuel prices that was ac-
corded prior to April, 1927. He
said the Columbus Coal and Min
| ing company, operating in Coshoc-
! ton county, Ohio, on an open
shop" basis during the strike re-
ceived fuel contracts from the
Pennsylvania company
ut is needless to state" con-
cluded Bender, that the mines be-
ling made idle for this, long period
of time has extended a depression
into other industries in this section
of Ohio, some of which have closed
their doors. Business men in the
4 large department stores of Zanes-
lviIIo opd Co11, bridpa OhiO tho huV.
ling centers Of this territory, frankly
admit that they are losing money
because of the mines being idle, q
number of which could be operat
Continued on Page Ten)