You may revise and extend your statement, if you wish to, Mr. Mead. You may have that privilege. (Mr. Mead subsequently filed the following extension of his remarks:) I must claim some latitude, as Mr. Lewis spoke rapidly and I could make only rough notes, and I am under a disadvantage in not having before me a transcript of his testimony. However, I plainly understood his meaning, and will try to make mine clear. If I fail in this, I will be greatly pleased to have Mr. Lewis set me straight, preferably in public. First, I bitterly resent his statement that coal operators whom he says are not capable of conducting their own affairs have to come cringing to the United Mine Workers of America for aid, and will tell him the coal operators of the Winding Gulf field will never come cringing to him or the United Mine Workers of America for aid, and I cannot possibly see how any self-respecting coal operator can help resenting such remarks. Second, Mr. Lewis made the statement that prior to union domination the coal miners were invariably compelled to buy at the company stores. I have had such stores conducted for many years and have always told my men to buy where they wished. In fact, I have at Ravencliff, W. Va., a country home, and a short distance from my house an independent chain store is operated as a competitor of our company store. This company store is 2 miles away. I feel quite sure that the owner of this chain store will, at my request, come to Washington and testify that my policy is to let our miners buy where they please. He will also say that my family and I frequently make purchases at his store. The kindest thing I can say of Mr. Lewis is that this is an example of his monumental ignorance of the conditions in the nonunion fields. In this connection I beg to advise Mr. Lewis that one should not speak so definitely about matters on which he is not informed, so I will again advise him to familiarize himself with prices paid for fuel coal by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway and the Norfolk & Western Railway. Both of these great railways own captive mines, but produce only an immaterial tonnage from them. The Virginian Railway Co. also owns captive mines, but Mr. C. Bucholtz, the president of this railway, told me he would be greatly pleased to sell them. These railway companies are, the friends of the coal operators on their lines, and I know they would, if here, bitterly resent Mr. Lewis' statement. I will also ask Mr. Lewis to inform himself and the public as to why Mr. William McKell, operating several mines in the New River district, does not collect dues for the United Mine Workers of America, or, if Mr. Lewis is willing to plead ignorance in this case, I will be very pleased to give him and the public such information as I can, and urge Mr. Lewis not to hesitate to call upon me. When Mr. Lewis dwelt so eloquently upon the terrible conditions of the members of his organization, it amused me very much until I realized he was speaking of the conditions in the old organized sections. Of these I know but little, so will not question him on this subject, but for his information as to conditions in the nonunion fields of southern West Virginia, I attach hereto a photograph showing the fixed charges of our miners at East Gulf, W. Va. Since union domination the doctor's charge has been increased 15 cents and fuel charge $1 per month, making a total of $14.50 per month. As to the earnings of the East Gulf miners, I attach hereto a letter signed by Hal M. Scott, assistant secretary of the Winding Gulf Operators Association. Further, in this connection, I give below the average gross earnings and cash drawn of the best 60 men at the East Gulf mine for the first quarter of the year 1935: January averages 20 men with highest gross earnings, $150.68, cash drawn___ February averages 20 men with highest gross earnings, $223.78, cash drawn... $97. 18 63. 73 68.27 76. 39 $158.92 118 95 99.03 125. 64 March averages. 20 men with highest gross earnings, $231.21, cash drawn.. No monthly men included in the above figures. $169. 97 120.90 102. 39 131. 09 I was very much amused by Mr. Lewis' lecture upon the great inefficiency of the coal operators. I have seen by the newspapers that this is a favorite theme of his. It certainly takes a courageous man to make such statements when we consider his efficiency while in full charge of the United Mine Workers of America. We all remember the Jacksonville wage agreement and Mr. Lewis' slogan: "No backward step in wages." As I remember, this agreement called for a wage of $7.50 per day. Shortly after the agreement was made the business of the country became depressed, and, ignoring all economic laws, Mr. Lewis held steadfast to his business policy until the name of the United Mine Workers of America was little more than a name. Then came the "new deal" and into the lap of this business failure was tossed the dictatorship of practically all miners in the union, whereupon he feels himself competent to tell the operators of the United States how to run their mines and the administration how to run the Government of a once free people. Since he has preached efficiency to us, I feel free to offer a little advice to him, as follows: In any business, and conducting the affairs of the great and mighty United Mine Workers of America is a business, it is never wise to spend money taken from the poor miners of whom Mr. Lewis was so solicitous, and spend it like drunken sailors. Our miners paid into this organization for the month of March $1,001.50, and from what I have seen and heard of suites of rooms held in some of the most expensive hotels in the city of Washington, I estimate that our men worked a full month of 22 days to maintain in Washington the officials of the benevolent organization just about 2 hours. This becomes irritating when we hear of the paid organizers of this charitable organization telling our miners how the nonunion miners are oppressed. C. H. MEAD, WINDING GULF OPERATORS ASSOCIATION, President, C. H. Mead Coal Co., Beckley, W. Va. DEAR SIR: Confirming our conversation today, the following figures are taken from the last form-C sheets that were compiled and cover the last pay periods of September, October, and November 1934, and are the earnings per start. Assistant Secretary, Winding Gulf Operators Association. (Whereupon, at 5:35 p. m., the subcommittee adjourned sine die.) X |