Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26
JACKSONVILLE PACT
HELD NOT BINDING
MorroW's Contention Takes
Senators Off Feet in
Mine Investigation.
Continued from First Page.)

that it wasn't to be lived up to by botf
side
IF your contention IS correct yol
simply made gesture at Jacksonville
and then took advantage of lega
tcchnlcalities to escape your part Of
the agreement"
What started out to be cut-and.
dried proceeding, wherein the Senator:
were to be given the less Seamy side o!
the strike by looking at 1t through the
operators eyes, developed Unexpectedly
into cross-eXamination. with Morrow
on the defensive. and before the COM
niittee left the mine property 1t nae
interviewed a number Of miners anc
looked into their homes with the result
that some sad stories we're heard anC
some admittedly bad conditions found
But the committee did visit one OF the
Pittsburgh Coal Cos model mines and
after putting on overalls. miners lamps
and bandana handkerchiefs. descended
half mile or so into the earth AND
came back praising the sights they saw
Visit Somers Mine.
Leaving Pittsburgh at 10 O'Clock yes
terday morning, accompanied by the
usual procession of photographers anc
newspaper men, the Senators were lee
by Morrow to the Pittsburgh Coal &C.:
Somers mine. IS miles south of Pitts
burg l. at Pricedale. Pa.
Here Morrow let the crowd into the
mine Offices and the investigation eo
under way. At the outset Morrow ex'
planned that the Moon Run mine o!
the company. visited by the COMMITTEES
Friday, was the only one OF its mine:
where there were barracks housing
striking miners The barracks. he said
were exceptions, rather than the rule
and the colonies of striking miner:
visited by the committee previously
were not to be found everywhere.
At Pricedale he explained. there were
neither barracks nor colonies Of idl,
strikers and while there was some
peaceful picketing" neither the com.
pany nor the strikers caused any trou
bic. He said the Pricedale property wa.
typical of the Pittsburgh company:
mines. while the others visited by tn
committee were not. Ten per cent Of
the 400 union men formerly occupyins
company homes in Priccdale are still
occupying them. he said. while many
other union men are now working II
other non union mines OF the company
Denies ForcibIe Evictions.
He explained that there had been ne
forlb!e erictions-that the compan,
invited the union men to keep living
IN company homes and offered them
work In the non-union mines. Those
who refused to do SO were given plenty
OF time to move and were moved al
the company's expense.
1t was at this stage OF the testimony
that Senator Wheeler began asking
about why the Pittsburgh Co had brok.
EN- the Jacksonville agreement. and Mr.
Morrow replied that the agreement
wasn't broken.
But you did enter into an agree.
ment at Jacksonville. after the Fedora
Government had used It's good Offices
10 bring about the mecting?" asked
Senator Wheeler.
yes. sir" said Morrow.
That agreement was to run 70,
three years, wasn't it?"
Yes" replied Mr. Morrow. But BE-.
fore we discuss that Sou.d like to ex.
plain some thin IS about the nature Of
that agreement" ...
Wheeler Demands Facts.
AcA uGkklltlOIlS.
want the facts" said Wheeler. The
agreement vas to run until April. 1927
You closed your mines In 1925 anc
opened them again with non-unior
labor. Didn't you sign an agreemen,
TO pay basic wage scale and tina,
agreement was to run for three years?'
Morrow explained that the company
agreed To pay a basic wage scale a.
long as the mine was dealing with
union labor. but nothing In the agree.
ment prevented the company from clos.
ing Its mines and opening again with
non-union labor He said the closins
vas brought about because. paying Tho
union wage scale. the coal could moi
be sold at profit. He maintained tina,
his company did not enter into ar
agreement TO employ union labor. anc
recalled that he had been indicted b,
a Federal grand jury In 1ndianapoli.
IN 1921 for entering into such ar
agreement. which vas held to be ir
| violation OF the Sherman law. TIL.
indictment was afterward quashed.
Names Go Into Record.
Senator Wheeler sought to show tina
new directors of the company wer,
| responsible for It's changed attitude TO-
ward organized labor. but did not pur
sue this after getting down for tn.
record the names OF r. B. Mellon ant
A. K. Oliver as members OF the board
Morrow told the committee that onl,
one mine Is operating now on a unior
OASIS III the Pittsburgh fields, and thai
this mine employs 1913 men. who still
are being paid under the Jacksonvill.
wage scale. On the other hand, non.
union mines now operating are EN-.
pioying 10000 men. perhaps IS DC,
cent OF whom are former members OF
the union
When the committee attempted agar
70 get at the difference IN cost of produc
tion between 1928 and 1928, to show
that the company is mining coal cheap.
ef with non-union labor. Morrow de.
clined TO give the present cost of pro,
auction. The committee did not pres,
nm Tor an answer. Senator Wheeler
men returned TO the company's att.
tude toward organized labor.
You are proposing now to break
away permanently from ORGANIZED
laborf" he asked.
WIN Not Talk 10 Unions,
We are going to keep on operating
union" replied Morrow. I'VE vii
iot treat WIN any ofilciais OF organ,
lzed labor. that is. the United Mine
Workers OF America"
do you know Of any other labor
organization you might treat WITH
asked Wheeler.
No. said Morrow.
Morrow tonight issued the following
statement to make clear his position or
the Jacksonville wage agreement:
IN
the pittsburgh Coal Co. today told thu
senate investigating committee tha, the
pittsburgh Coal Co. had not rep,idiatcd
hbfogated. or broken the Jacksonville
agreement when that company began
operating It's mines on the non -tinio,,
basis In 1928, The Jacksonville agree
ment, Mr.. Morrow explained, was not a
closeG~shop' contract. BY It's term,
the coal companies were not bound IL
hire union men only, nor was there any
thing In the contract 10 prohibit a Goa