Evening star., 1935-04-07
CONTINUED From First Page).


The question naturally arises, If the
bootleggers can sell 100000, or even
100000 tons of coal a year, why
can't the coal companies run their
mines and get this business? Let the
general manager of one OF the coal
companies answer. THE coal com
panies," he says in substance, cannot
produce coal as cheaply as the bootleg
miners. They are bound by the union
wage agreement of 1880. which COM
pels them to pay outside workers
s462 q day and underground men
S5.96. Moreover, the mine operator
must use safety devices in his mine,
employ safety engineers and pay acci-
dent compensation. He must employ
check weighers and furnish weight
certificates. He must maintain the
quality Of his product; his coal must
be thoroughly cleaned, sized and
washed.
II sympathize with the plight of
the unemployed mir crs, but the mines
were closed by cold, hard, economic
facts"
Retail coal dealers in the area cov-
cred by the coal truckers have raised
hue and cry over the invasions of
their markets and have endeavored to
stir up city governments to prohibit
or limit coal trucking. In Philadel-
phia, for instance, an ordinance was
recently passed, effective January l,
requiring any person or firm engaged
in the coal business to secure licenses
and abide by certain rules which were
designed to check sales OF the bootleg
product.
Short weight has been a frequent
complaint Of purchasers Of bootleg
coal. The saying goes in the anthra-
cite field that the bootleg trucker buys
five tons, gets six and sells seven.
In Philadelphia, again. the Bureau
Of Weights and Measures has had
20 inspectors on the streets since
September / investigating complaints
and checking weights of cosl deliv-
cries. In one fortnight they weighed
196,029 pounds-the total shortage
was 53,77l pounds, or 27 per cent.
The Pennsylvania State highway
patrol has carried on an active cam
paign against coal truckers for sew
eral wears on the score Of traffic-laW
violations.
While the daylight motorist may
count his coal trucks by the hundred,
the heaviest travel of bootleg coal Is
by night. Probably a thousand coal
trucks are moving every night. The
highway police work night after night.
checking licenses, equipment and
weights. But bootleg truckers have
developed a system of signals to warn
each other, and loaded trucks are
often detoured around danger points
Efforts to Obtain Action.
Various efforts have been made to
induce the State government to take
action. In September, 1882, the preSi-
dents of the anthracite districts Of the
United Mine Workers Of America and
the international secretary-treaSurer
of this organization appealed to the
Governor of Pennsylvania to stop
bootleg coal mining and distribution
on the ground that it works injury to
the anthracite industry and to the
men legitimately employed in it.
Some of the larger coal companies
have asked for State police to protect
their property. These requests were
refused by Gov. Pinchot. The atti-
tude of the newly inaugurated ad-
ministration at Harrisburg Is eagerly
awaited
Meantime a curious industry is
rapidly developing. Many of the
bootleg holes look like mere animal
burrows. Equipment is of the crudest
sort, built by the miners themselves.
It Is significant, however, that some
new materials are now appearing here
and there: some of the operators are
making enough to improve their
plants.
One material that the miners must
have is explosives. If 100000 tons
Of coal are being mined in year by
unemployed miners, then between
100000 and 100000 pounds of ex-
ploSives are being used by them. Some
explosives manufacturers have re-
fused to sell to unemployed miners.
However, others have sold to all
comers. And truckers buy dynamite
outside the bootlegging area.
A large part Of these two or three
million pounds Of high explosives is
being distributed without the slightest
regard for, often in total ignorance of.
safety regulations. Dynamite and
other explosives are sold over the
counter like sugar and salt by stores
which have no proper magazine for
their safe keeping. Explosives and
detonators are being stored in garages,
barns, outhouses and even dwellings.
AS might be expected among former
members Of the United Mine Workers
OF America, organization has not been
neglected by the bootleggers. There
are at least half a dozen organized
groups Of miners. The Shamokin In
dependent Operators Association and
the Ashland Association are vertical
organizations including miners, prepa-
ration plant owners, truckers and
sales agents. Something of their size
can be deduced from the fact that the
Shamokin Association Is known to
have $50 truckers in its membership.
In Baltimore there Is an organization
maintained coal yard to handle orders.
In Washington bootleggers have ad-
vertised their coal for sale in the
newspapers. Thus, out Of the chaos
Of several thousand small independ-
ent bootleg operations, an organized
industry Is spontaneously and speed
lily developing.
Not a Tough Lot.
The more you see and hear. how
ever, as you 60 about the anthracite
field, the more sharply your interest
focuses upon the bootleg miners
themselves. What manner of men
are they? You hear many tales of
strife and violence among them.
With these as background and with
the specific warning in your ears that
the bootleggers are tough lot, you
approach your first bootleg hole with
trepidation. Perhaps you may find, |
As I did, couple of mild-mannered. |
middle-aged men sitting on pile of |
screenings smoking their pipes. They |
rise to see what you want and answer /
your questions in the most matter-of- |
fact way.
There are three Of them. The third |
Is down the shaft digging coal. Two |
Of them had been miners, the other |
haa vyorlrnd NY, tho roi1roed !