Daily Tribune, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 17 September 1916 — Page 8

SftFElY um CAUSE STRIKE IN COAL FIELD

Continued From Pago OM»

unSer their direct supervision. The ^superintendent of the Monoti mines, Wesley Harris, was on the payroll of /the' Vandalla company. Since the

Strike oi^der was issued he resigned his

v^cotinection

with the Vandalia company

attji. accepted employment as the supeirintendent for the Vigo company. "I consider this only a subterfuge •Md a proposition to mislead the miners lii^the issue of this fight."

Operators' Statement.

i ^Ehe officials of the Vandalia compaby late Saturday issued the followiig- lengthy statement covering the points at issue in the case: 'Vandalia No, 10 mine is a particu-

Jferly hazardous mine to operate with j. the so-called 'open" or "naked" light, r~J du£ to the fact that the strata imme"fA d^ately overlying the coal carry a i considerable quantity of gas, which is v Iterated whenever a fall of the roof occurs. In the old working of the if spie this hazard has been controlled if, Afir1 'building brick brattices or walls completely shut off these old v?o£kings from the live or working -PdHions of the mine, but although dujHng the past several years the utmost care has been exercised in the -, dpjsration of these live workings, occa'Wonal falls have occurred, releasing near places where the men were working, and invariably an open or lUiked light of some one of the men 'fifes' ignited the gas and caused an "explosion. Some of these explosions ?£lfaye been extremely serious, and on

atg least four occasions one or more lfp§8g§n have been killed and several oth*°k*"jS1^'sbadly burned. Various changes in lods of operating the mine and $6S governing the conduct of the iifatt in case of danger, have been tried fstbe company to avoid repetitions

Iphese explosions, but although the ]I£tpfvirs have been reduced and many ?S4®pJi4ents have been avoided through continual vigilance of the man^L^^gem^nt, occasional explosions still

thereto with naked lights, the hazard iST! -still remain, and there will al%*y's be the danger of a catastrophe in Si .j^Tjjjftich many lives may be lost.

I ^With this danger continually in mind, the officers of the company M~ "l^ve made a constant effort to find a "M-\ satisfactory safety lamp to be used at "i "the' mine. Trips have been made to

JWttsburgh and other places where the same conditions prevail, and correBpondence has been had with the UnitIt ed States bureau of mines, mine in-

Spfection departments of different mL Spates, and with mining men from varlous parts of the country. Various sample lamps have been tested in the

F- mine during the last two or three -ytears, but it was not until the early e

l'pkrjE

of last year that a lamp was de-

f"- --Sloped that satisfactorily met all the t^fJgHlUirements of the miner and of the C^JflJbfted States bureau of mines. As soon the company learned of this lamp if placed an order with the Mannes-

rnann Light company, which manufactur^d it, for a sufficient number to 3, e5q(uip No 10 mine, actively attempting ,S{t'the same time to push negotiations the miners, which had been una aer wav for some time, to determine SiSriftaStowhat basis the lamp should be in^f^TitaJl^d—that is. how much per lamp, $|ii£t should be paid to the company by ttosffmen for the use of the lamp. Unp^4jgfe«tihe present contract with the min,J «*8" in lndiaria the miners are supposed 'Mjn'i'nigh their own, caps and lamps,

TggSall the figures available on the lent cost to the miner indicate that A^are now paying -a little over six

ISs^'Sc*)* "per lamp shift to own and ^JjjntsCin their own lighting equipThe Mannesmann Light company, vri^iyhlch. is a German corporation, was vyinttble. however, to secure certain of

vW~thei

lamp parts that were made in

^'p^OMmanv, and after many failures on fe, sfpe'part of this company to make defy Mferies as promised, the Vandalia „iv Ooal company was forced to cancel its Vt^ip"fEer with the Mannesmann Light company, and to place it with the Mine Ki ^iety Appliance company, which han^4' the Edison lamp—lamp which h^s also been approved' by the United y. States bureau of mines and the in^eotion department of Pennsylvania,

Virginia and Colorado, where it has become a standard lamp for use in gaseous mines.

In the meantime the company contitiued its efforts to meet some repreS6\itati\es from the miners, either di--rect from the'local union or the state officials, in order to agree on a basis of„ Installation,, but the miners and tliei)* representatives, although they continually promised to meet, always avoided setting a time, and finally the .qXficials of the company, finding them*.™3SelVes completely frustrated in their \-ftfforts to make an agreement to ad-

Jy«i\te

in regard to the lamps, came to the" conclusion that it was foolhardy to-continue to longer operate the mine X,^Ith the open lamp hazard, and decid^effi to insist that all the men working \at 'the mine should use the safety

lamp that the company had already isp «vj»Jro~rided. This decision was reached ^a^fter another explosion had occurred on* the 27th day of June, 1916, in"which •^^?g»ekt good luck intervened to save a «number of men frohi injury and posstble death. After making this decisfott the company had printed and •ptosted -at the mine the following no«cfc ^'SAFBJTY FIRST—IMPORTANT "NOTICE.

VOn arid after Monday, July 24,1916, s *:n6 -naked lamps or lights of any kind -will( be permitted in mine No. 10. Edi-

Son electric safety lamps, which are approved by the United States bureau

Local Telephone Manager

Heads Slate Association

HART F. FAR WELL.

Hart F. Farwell, manager of the Citizens' Independent Telephone company, was re-elected president cf the Indiana Independent Telephone association at the close of the tenth annual convention Friday afternoon at Indianapolis. Frank E. Bohn of Ft. Wayne was re-elected secretary-treasurer of the organization.

of mines, will be supplied from the lamp house to every man "entering the mine. It has been determined that the present cost to each miner of providing arid maintaining his own oil or carbide lamp is not less than three cents (3c) per lamp shift, and a charge of that amount will, therefore, be made and deducted from the pay roll for the use of the new electric safety lamps. The company is prepared to meet a committee' from the miners at any time to discuss and verify the amount of this charge. "VANDALIA COAL COMPANY. "By John Hewitt, General Manager. "July 19, 1916."

About the same time that the above notice was printed the state industrial board of Indiana sent out notices for a public hearing to determine whether or not the Edison safety lamp was a proper safety device. At this hearing, amOttif other evidence introduced was a report of two of the assistant mine inspectors, Mr. Moore and Mr. Fennel. Each of these inspectors submitted, a separate report. Each held that the lamp was a safety appliance and should be installed. Each of these reports, however, went on to suggest that other safety measures might also be adopted by the company in order to further insure the safety of the men working in the mine, but these suggestions did not affect the installation of the lamp itself, and were only supplemental to the recommendation in regard to the lamp, but the miners have attempted to make much of these supplemental recommendations, arguing apparently, as has been aptly stated by Mr. Pentm, that if the company could not make the mine 100 per cent safe it should not attempt to make it 75 per cent safe. In other words, no attempt toward improvement should be made until perfection was assured.

After carefully considering the reports of these mine inspectors and interrogating them personally at the meeting, every member of..the inspection department, Replying.-, positively and in the affirmative, to the direct question asked by the industrial board, •'VDo you regard the installation of the TjJdison safety lamp a safety measure?" and after hearing other evidence introduced by the coal company and by the Coal Operators' association, which was represented by Mr. P. H. Penna, secretary., the three members of the board announced their decision in regard to the matter to the effect' that the evidence showed conclusively that the Edison electric mine lamp was a safety appliance, and they l^,termade a written decision as follows: "For some time the industrial board has had under consideration an investigation of the question as to whether or not the electric safety lamp proposed to be installed at Vandalia mine

No. 10 is a proper safety appliance. As a result of the board's investigation, it has arrived at the conclusion that such electric safety lamp is a proper safety appliance. Section 8 of the Indiana workmen's compensation act provides: 'No compensation shall be allowed for an injury or death due to the employe's wilful failure or refusal to use a safety appliance or perform a duty required by statute'.' "If the electric safety lamp shall be installed in Vartdalia mine No. 10 and an employe shall meet with a personal injury due to his wilful failure or refusal' to use such appliance, then the above provision of this section will apply to his case. "Yours truly. "INDUSTRIAL BOARD OF INDIANA, "(Signed) Howe S. Landers, Secy.'"

Miners Wot Present.

Unfortunately the miners had not been present at this meeting, and after learning of the decision of the board and feeling dissatisfied the officials of the miners asked for a rehearing in the case, which was granted, and on the twelfth day of August, 1&16, the mine inspection department, the miners' organization, the Coal Operators' association and the Vandalia Coal company were called before the industrial board and the case was again threshed out. After every one present was given full opportunity to express his views, the beard decided that they could see no reason for reversing their previous decision that the lamp was a proper safety appliance, and the decision still

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stands. At this meeting both Mr. Ferklns, chief ol" the inspection department of the state, and Mr. Scollard, deputy mine inspector of the state, said definitely that the lamp was a proper safety appliance and urged the miners' representatives to insist on the No. 10 men adopting the lamp and returning to work, the mine having been gn strike since the notice.before mentioned was posted.

At this meeting one of the assistant mine inspectors apparently changed his original position in regard to the ia.np, ana. in response-to a direct question from one of the miners' representatives said he did not think it was a proper safety appliance for No. 10 mine. What governed him in making the statement he only knows, but his attitude apparently had little effect on Mr. Scollard, to whom he reports, or upon any of Hhe members of the industrial board, as they made their decision not to change their originS.1 opinion that the lamp was a safety appliance, immediately after this statement was made. The miners' officials, however, in reporting to their men, have absolutely misrepresented the mine inspection department's position, claiming that the statement cf this assistant mine inspector was the decision of the mine inspection department and thereby seriously mizzling the miners all-over the state, and particularly those working at No. 10 min*. The individual miner does not understand that the mine inspection department is merely a sub-department of the- industrial board, and that when the industrial ^oai speaks, as it did' speak in its decision above referred to, it ig.the state mine Inspection department sjjeaking-.-

Shortly after this last hearing before the industrial board, the officials of the coal company were itme, for the first time, to get officials of the miners' organization and a committee from No. 10 mine to meet them in an effort to reach a basis for settlement on the safety lamp difficulty. At this meeting the miners raised the only serious question that has ever been raised in connection with the installation of the lamp, namely, that if the men work all day in the mine with the electi'io safety lamp, there is a bare possibility that some gas might collect in their working places during the day which might be ignited at the time of lighting the shots in their working places just before leaving the min§. This possibility, which happens tc be extremely remote at this particular mine, has been acknowledged by the oflcials of the coal company from the start, and they have sought to eliminate any possible question of danger from this source by offering any one of a dozen different practical solutions. At the meeting above referred to, however, all ot these suggestions were rejected by the miners' officials, without an attempt to seriously consider them, and almost immediately thereafter the company was served with a five days' notice that if it did not at onco start No. 10 mine allowing the men to use the open lights, all its mines would be called out on strike on the twentyeighth of August. Action on this notice, however, was deferred on account of a "meeting arranged for the twentyninth, which was attended by the Indiana Coal Operators' executive board, the miners' executive board, ttie committee from No. 10 mine and Vice

President Hays, and Secretary-Treas-urer Green of the miners' national organization.

During the morning before this meeting the following tentative agreement was drawn up by Mr. Hewitt, general manager of the Vandalia Coal company, and the officials of the miners' organization, which .agreement the miners'- representatives agreed to recommend to thev men at No. 10 mine tor approval: MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BE

TWEEN MESSRS. STEWART, HENDRICKSON, MITCH AND TERRY, REPRESENTING THE MINERS OF VANDALIA COAL COMPANY NUMBER TEN MINE, AND MR. HEWITT, GENERAL. .MANAGER. OF. VANDALIA COAL COMPANY, COVERING SETTLEMENT OF LAMP CONTROVERSY AT SAID MINE. It is hereby agreed that No. 10 mine shall resume work, at once, using the Edison electric' mine safety lamp, for a period of thirty (30) days,iMider the following conditions: 1. The miners shall pay the company, for the use of said lamps, three cents (3c) per lamp shift. 2. The company shall employ necessary additional inspectors to examine the working ?places before firing time. 3. It is hereby further agreed that if, at the expiration of thirty (30) days, the use of the lamp has developed any conditions that require adjustment in order to assure the safety of the men using the lamps, all said conditions shall be taken upt by the same committee, whose names are attached hereto, for adjustment, and in the event of their failure to agree, said committee snail be enlarged b-y the addition of one or more. of the three national officials of the miners' organization, and Mr. Scollard, deputy mine inspector of the state of Indiana—Mr. Scollard having the right, if he so desires, to call upon any of his assistant deputy inspectors to assist in the negotiations. It is distinctly understood between the parties hereto that the mine shall continue at work pending final settlement of all questions which may be raise^ by the .use of the lamp.

When the meeting convened in the afternoon, however, the miners' officials objected to the agreement as drawn, and after much effort the following agreement was re-drafted and signed by Mr. Freeman aand Mr. Penna' for the Coal Operators' association, and by Mr. Stewart and Mr. Mitch for the miners' organization, and by Messrs. Hendriclcson, Terry and Bridges for the miners' local union of No. 10 mine. THE QUESTION OF THE USE OF

THE EDISON ELECTRIC MINE LAMP. AT NO. 10 VANDALIA MINE, AT DUGGER, IND. It is hereby agreed that the mino

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shall start work, with the use of the Edison electric mine lamp for a period of thirty days, and at The expiration of_ said thirty days, if any questions arise in connection with the* use of said lamp the same shall be taken up with President Stewart for the mine workers, and P. H. Penna for the coal operators the miners agreeing to- continue at work while negotiations are pending.

It is, therefore, specifically understood that nothing herein shall preverix the taking up of this question, as per article VII, section 2, of the Terre Haute agreement, and that there shall be no charge for the use of the safety lamp for thirty days while on trial, and the question of compensation for the use of said lamp shall be ,t!aken up and adjusted as local questions are taken up and adjusted under article VII, section 2, of the Terre Haute agreement.

After the expiration of thirty days, the miner shall pay for the use of said lamp not to exceed 3c per' lamp shift until a definite decision has been reached as to the uae of the lamp.

It is further agreed that the chief mine inspector, Michael Scollard, be requested by both parties to this agreement to visit and inspect said mine and make such recommendations as he deems necessary to insure safety to the miners using said lamp.

It is further agreed that in the event of the failure of Mr. Penna and Mr. Stewart to settle any question which may be treferred to them under this agreement such question shall be referred back to the joint committee of represeniatives of operators and miners. who were present at a' meeting held on August 29, 1916, at which this agreement was drafted.

HAUT Ji^i'Ei irt\ iti.

It is understood that the acceptance of this proposition 1st subject to th£ approval of the miners at No. 10 Vartdalia mine, local unipn No. 75, U. M. W. of A., Dugger, Ind. (Signed) INDIANA BITUMINOUS COAL OPER

ATORS' ASSOCIATION. By W. J. Freeman, Pres. P. H. Penna Secy. (Signed)

U. M. W. OF A., DISTRICT NO. 11. By Ed Stewart, Pres. William Mitch, Secy. (Signed)

LOCAL UNION NO. 75.

By Hendrickson. Terry. Bridges.

Strike Ordered.

With the signing of this agreement the miners' representatives pledged themselves to attend a meeting, to be called at No. 10, for the purpose of explaining the agreement and urging its approval. For some reason this pledge was never carried out by the miners, but instead an impromptu meeting was held on the Friday following, which was attended by only a portion of the men and not at all by

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the miners' officials, and at which no attempt was made to explain the agreement or urge its adoption, with the result,

fof

course, that the miners

failed to take favorable action thereon—some of the men claiming that no action at all was taken, and others claiming that the agreement was proposed and_ voted down. Following this last meeting, on September 12, the company received the following communication from the miners' organization: "Mr. John Hewitt, "Gen. Supt. Vandalia Coal Co. "Terre Haute. Ind. "Dear Sir: We have this morning sent out orders to all the secretaries working at mines controlled and operated by the Vandalia Coal company to inform their men to cease work on Saturday, September 16, 1916, unless a settlement is reached in the dispute at the No. 10 mine, Dugger, Ind. "Yours truly, "(Signed) ED STEWART, Pres., "(Signed) WM. MITCH, Secy."

The lamp which the company is attempting to install has been approved by the United States bureau of mines and the mine inspection departments of the various states where it has been introduced, and it is used extensively in the states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Colorado. In Pennsylvania the same miners' organization which exists in Indiana has a contract with the operators whereby the miners use the lamp and pay five cents (5c) per lamp shift therefor, instead of three cents (3c) which the Vandalia Coal company advised in its notices it would charge. In some of the Pennsylvania mines where this lamp Is being used and which have been visited

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by officials of the\Vandalia. Coal company, practically identical conditions exist as at Vandalia No. 10 mine, and where explosions were a common occurrence before the installation ofthlB same type of safety lamp in these mines, they are now the rare exception, in most cases having been practically eliminated altogether.

Some of the men In Indiana complain that the lamp is burdensome, gives a poor light, and will reduce their earning power. This is absolutely absurd, as the battery weighs only 2% pounds, the cap and lamp weighing practically the same as the cap and lamp the men now use. At the present time, instead of a small compact battery conveniently strapped around their waist, the men carry fiasks of water and cans of carbide with which to replenish their lamps. Before the use of the carbide lamp they carried oil flasks. These articles certainly weigh about two potinds, so that the difference in weight in what they are now carrying and what they would carry with the electric safety lamp could not exceed one pound.' The angle of reflection of the electric lamp is wider, than the carbide lamp, and the light is better. In all districts where the. lamps have been used there has not been a fraction of a cent' reduction in the earning power of\ the men. In fact, ill the data available on this subject shows increased earning power, and from every locality where the lamp has been used comes only unqualified praisa as to Its efficiency, convenience, and its effectiveness in preventing explcsionsl Over forty thousand of these lamps are In .use in this country now, and the de

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,n—

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Payments Can Be Arranged

mand for morer la far in tTTtt— of the supply. Knowing all these ffceta, It aeema most amazing that anoh a. oonditlon f"3.

nSTT f®und

No. 10 mine can

exist. The state miners' organisation fi?" Jnf°pp?sltIon

to ths

cision of the state mine Inspection department and the Industrial board of its own state In opposition to the decision of all the other state nine Inspection departments where the lamn has been tried in 'opposition to the decision of the United States bureau of mines, which decision was reached only aftar lpng and careful tests and observations and the miners' otfleials still .continue to threaten to «*il out strike all of the mines operated by the Vandalia Coal company, effecting a o u 3 0 0 0 e n e a u s e S e o i company wil&, not recede from its determination to install, at considerable expense to Itself, a weh-reoognlsed and universally approved safety appliance which will reduce to a minimum the possibilities of a repetition of the numerous explosions that have occurred afc its No. 10 mine, and by so doing give much greater protection to the men working therein.

The Vandalia Coal oompany has taken 'J? «S,PP°i-t of the nationthe wide safety first" movement and prevention of accidents, and the local miners' organization has placed Itself directly in opposition thereto. (Signed)

A. M. OGLE, President JOHN HEWITT, Oen'l MKT. Of Vandalia Coal Co.

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