Mrs. Borsis. He a miner always. Senator GOODING. How much has he left after he has worked two weeks? Mrs. BORSIS. Me don't know. Senator Gooding. You know how much he gets when he is paid off at the end of two weeks. Mrs. Borsis. He get $30 or $35. Senator GOODING. Does the company take out your rent and your store bill from that? Mrs. BORSIS. Yes; we buy at the company store. Senator GOODING. And you pay for it at the company's store. Mrs. BORSIS. Me don't know. Senator Gooding. You understand what I mean. You have to live. You buy at the company store and you say he has that much left for two weeks' work after he pays his company store bill. Mrs. Borsis. Yes, sir. (Thereupon the subcommittee entered the automobiles and motored to terminal mine No. 8.) TERMINAL MINE No. 8, Coverdale, Pa. The subcommittee viewed the surroundings, noting eight union barracks on the side of the road, and a local commissary where the United Mine Workers of America distribute relief to the idle union men. On visiting the barracks, the following took place: STATEMENT OF MRS. NICK KASSOUN Senator WHEELER. I see that you only have three rooms. Senator WHEELER. But the most of these quarters in these barracks that we have seen have had four rooms. Mrs. KASSOUN. We only have three, but one of these is a little larger than the others. Senator WHEELER. How many children have you? Mrs. Kassoun. The oldest is 11 and the youngest is a year and a half Senator WHEELER. Do you get enough to eat? Mrs. Kassoun. Yes, sir; they give us enough to eat, the best they can. They have done that so far. Senator WHEELER. You are dependent upon the union? Mrs. KASSOUN. Yes, sir. Senator WHEELER. Can he find any employment around here outside of the mines? Mrs. Kassoun. No, sir. Work is mighty scarce right now. Senator WHEELER. All right. I thank you. Thereupon the subcommittee visited the company property, meeting H. C. Babel, in charge of the commissary, and J. H. Hughey, chief clerk. The subcommittee visited the company's barracks for their newly employed miners. At room No. 12 they found eight bunks, being four double-deckers on each side of a narrow room, with a passageway between the bunks. There the following examination was had: STATEMENT OF MIKE POST Senator WHEELER. Are you a miner? Senator WHEELER. What is the condition of the mine where you work? Mr. Post. Just about as much slate as coal. Mr. Post. I don't know. I had some tools that came out of that, but I don't know what they charged me. Senator WHEELER. Do you pay for your bunk? ? Mr. Post. Over 20 years. I have mined coal in No. 3 and No. 4 and No. 6. No. 3 was just opening up when I started in at work. And then I was away for a good many years. Senator WHEELER. Is your average production about the same as the other men in the mines here? Mr. Post. Oh, yes; if I have a place to work and I have the cars, I can produce as much as the rest of the men. But there is about as much slate as coal in there. I had two men to get in the place, and we can't make much, two men in a place. Senator WHEELER. How many negroes are there working in here? Mr. Post. I go in about 6.30 in the morning and come out at about 4 o'clock in the evening. Senator WHEELER. Is any time off for noon? Mr. Post. No; I work daytime. I work whenever I can get the cars to load. But to-day I am cleaned up and I just walked out. Senator WHEELER. Do you go to work to-morrow morning? Senator WHEELER. Does anybody occupy these barracks while you are at work? Mr. Post. Sure. Senator WHEELER. How big a place is this room? (The superintendent of the mine had come up while the inspection of the company barracks was going on and he was interrogated as follows:) STATEMENT OF H. H. CALLOWAY, SUPERINTENDENT OF TER MINAL MINE NO. 8 OF THE PITTSBURGH TERMINAL COAL CORPORATION, COVERDALE, PA. Senator GOODING. How many men have you at work now? Senator Gooding. How many did you have before this trouble began? Mr. CALLOWAY. About 800. Mr. CALLOWAY. About 70 per cent are white and about 30 per cent are colored. But I can give it to you accurately, if you wish it. Senator GOODING. What do they get a ton for mining coal? Mr. CALLOWAY. Of course we have some that will do a good deal better than others. а Senator GOODING. But what will they turn out in a day on an average? Mr. CALLOWAY. About 612 tons per man. There are quite a number that will turn out 10 tons a day. Senator Gooding. Was very much coal turned out on yesterday? Mr. CALLOWAY. Twenty-nine hundred and fifty tons. Senator Gooding. Are you working short time owing to lack of demand for coal? Mr. CALLOWAY. No; we are not. Mr. CALLOWAY. We are mining coal every day but I don't know anything about the orders. We are working full time. Senator Gooding. Are there any more men down the line here that we can talk to? Mr. CALLOWAY. Yes, sir. Senator Gooding. All right. We will go on down the line of these rooms. (Thereupon, the members of the committee walked on down the porch until they came to a room occupied, and the following occurred:) STATEMENT OF RALPH BLYMER Senator WHEELER. How long have you been here? Senator WHEELER. Had you worked at mining before you came here? Mr. BlYMER. Yes, sir; I worked at a number of places at mining: Mr. BLYMER. I have been getting out about an average of 8 tons a day. Senator WHEELER. About 8 tons of coal a day? Mr. BLYMER. Yes, sir; I have done that so far, but I don't know how the rest of the time it will go. I am promised a better place to work to-morrow. (The committee interrogated another man in front of the same room, not far from a sort of community room.) STATEMENT OF TONY HERRICK Senator WHEELER. What is your name? Mr. BLYMER. He will give you the same answers that I will. He is rooming with me. Senator WHEELER. What do you get a ton? Senator WHEELER. That is the rate for machine coal. What do you get for pick mining? Mr. HERRICK. Eighty-five cents a ton. Mr. HERRICK. From Second Avenue, Pittsburgh. You know, yourself, in these mines we have to do some work. Senator WHEELER. Well, just answer my questions. What do you get out in the way of number of tons of coal? Mr. HERRICK. I don't know. Superintendent CALLOWAY. Now you just answer any questions these gentlemen ask you. Senator WHEELER. What were you doing before that? Superintendent CALLOWAY. Gentlemen of the committee, he is under the impression that the union is after him. That is the reason he seems afraid to answer. Senator WHEELER. We are representing the United States Senate and just want to know what the conditions are. Where did you work before you came here? Mr. HERRICK. I was working on a farm. Senator WHEELER. How many men are there here that are working on or have worked on a farm? Mr. HERRICK. Oh, I don't know. Senator WHEELER. There are several, quite a number of men here, that have come from the farm to the coal mines, are there not? Mr. HERRICK. I don't know. Senator WHEELER. You don't know anything about them? Mr. HERRICK. I can't say anything about them. Senator WHEELER. What is your understanding of it, that some of the men came here from the farm? Mr. HERRICK. I don't know. Senator WHEELER. Did you ever work in a coal mine before this? Mr. HERRICK. Yes, sir. Senator WHEELER. How many years have you worked in coal mines? Mr. HERRICK. Lots of times. Senator Gooding. Did he say he came off a farm to go to work here in the mines? Mr. HERRICK. Oh, no; I come from Second Avenue, Pittsburgh. I have spent 19 years off and on in mine work. Senator GOODING. What was your occupation when you went to work in the coal mines? I want to get an idea of where these men came from, and how many of them were formerly farmers and how many have had experience in the mines. Mr. HERRICK. I just come down and go to work in here. Senator Gooding. When you can't get farm work you come to the coal mines. Mr. HERRICK. No, I stay about all the time. Senator Gooding. But when you can not get work on a farm you come to the coal mines? Mr. HERRICK. I don't know. |