New-York tribune. [volume], May 12, 1919, Page 10, Image 10

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British Coal
Barons Fight
Nationalization
Several Dukes and Earls
Appear at Investigation to
Defend Their Kightg to
Royalties From Mines
Union President Scores
Robert Smillie Plays Role
of Chief Inquisitor at
Commission's Inquiry
Naw York Tribun?
Special Cabin Sorvicn
(Copyright. 1P13. New York Tribune Inc.)
LONDON, Mny 11.?The Coal Com?
mission's examination of British peers
reached its most interesting stage
yesterday with several dukes and
carls giving testimony. There still are
signs that things are moving toward
some form of nationalization of the
mines.
The title holders of the richest coal
fields in England appeared before the
commission to defend their rights in
what may be the last-ditch fight of the
British land barons. The scene in the
royal robing room of the House of
Lords recalled the days of the Span?
ish Inquisition and almost was a parel
!?1 to that enacted at Versailles, only
here the heads of the richest and old?
est titled families in England sat in
the place of the Germans.
There was the same horseshoe, the
coal commissioners being seated
around a semi-circular table, while the
?and owners sat at a small table at
?he foot. Crowded into the inadequate
space of the robing room were all
manner of curious witnesses, many of
them of the proletariat, rejoicing in
the spectacle of their discomfited ene?
mies.
Smillie Chief Investigator
At the head of the horseshoe sat
Commissioner Sankey; at his right Sir
Leo Chiozza Money, twitching nervous?
ly in his chair and occasionally asking
a question of a witness. At Sankey's
left was Robert Smillie, president of
the Miners' Federation, "the most
powerful man in England to-day," im?
maculate in light tweeds. Smillie was
the principal inquisitor.
Lords Durham. Dynevor and Dun- ?
raven, three of the most powerful coal ;
barons, looked ill at ease. Baron Dyne
vor wasn't sure where he got the right
to his land or how much the output
of coal was, but he admitted that na- .
tionalization had once been put in |
Practice when Henry VIII beheaded j
,ord Dynevor's ancestor and seized the
lands.
Lord Dunraven also was uncertain on '
many points of his testimony. He ad- i
mittedhe hadn't probed into antiquity
to find his right, to work the mines on !
certain public lands.
Lord Durham was extremely alert, i
but apparently met his match in
Smillie. The miners' president didn't
play the role of fire-eater expected of
him. He didn't leap to his feet ha?
ranguing. Rather, he met the earl at his
own frame of airy persiflage, quoting
Blackstone and Dibble to prove that
Lord Durham had no right to own the
iand. The earl retorted angrily.
Housing Conditions Discussed
The inquiry developed into an inves?
tigation of the housi?g condition of
the Durham tenants, the earl assert?
ing they were comfortable and happy.
He gave figures showing that the roy?
alties on his coal, together with rent I
for shafts, railways, etc., amounted to i
approximately $300,000 in 1913 and i
S200.000 in 1918. The royalty and)
rents in 1913 approximated 11 cents a
ton more than in 1918, but heavy taxes '
cut down the profits.
Lord Dunraven confessed his ina?
bility even to pronounce the names of
many of his buildings.
The hearing reached its most inter?
esting stage when several dukes gave
evidence. The Duke of Northumber?
land and Smillie had a battle royal.
The Duke scored a most a dialetlcal
success, but he made admissions that
seemed in Smillie's favor. For in?
stance, he admitted, in reply to a
question by Sir Leo Chiozza Money,
that as a coal mine owner he per?
formed no service to the community. A
.statement of his possessions showed he
owns 170,000 acres and has mineral
rights over 244.000 acres. Last year,
after deducting all taxes and duties, he
drew nearly 5120,000 in royalties.
Northumberland Retires
Smillie put a series of searching
questions, answers to which showed
Northumberland's ignorance of housing
conditions and general inattention to
the welfare of his tenants. The dnke,
icy and unperturbed, indicated he had
a small opinion of the commission. Ho
took the firmest stand on the question
of nationalization, saying he regarded
it only as a step toward a general
socialization of industry. He finally
became restless under the attacks of
Smillie and retired.
The next peer, the Marquis of Lon
Jw
??fS?D
s?-/
F
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donderry, scored the best pointa for
the case of the royalty holders when '
ho explained he worked his own mines,
took a close personal interest in them
and wished to continue so doing. He
declared for individualism and the
rights of private property.
The inquiry is developing daily
duels, with Smillie and Sir Leo Chiozza
Money scoring heavily with their hu?
manitarian arguments against the
landowners. Tho commission's report,
which, is to appear in about a week,
will render a decision.
National Union
Of Tenants Is
Started Here
Continued from page 1
sued by the new union," he said, "will
be the collective method. We will or?
ganize the tenants in unions just as
the various trades are organized, and
the federated unions of tenants in the
various states will ask for special ses?
sions of the legislatures to empower
eaoh city to issue bonds for the erec?
tion of municipal tenements to be op?
erated by the cities and rented at cost."
Cooperation Committee Named
Samuel Shore, manager of the White I
Goods Workers' Union, presided at the
meeting. Mr. Shore, with David Brod
sky and Meyer Abramson, were ap?
pointed a committee of the United He?
brew Trades to establish a basis of co?
operation with the Tenants' Union, the
Brooklyn Tenants' Union, the Greater
New York Tenants' Union and the Con?
sumers' League.
In Brownsville, whore 1G7 dispossess i
actions are on the calendars of the two
parts of the Seventh District Municipal !
Court for thi? morning, the rent situa- !
tion showed symptoms of settling down '
to a normal basis. There were indica?
tions that the tenants' union and the
landlords' organization were' approach?
ing an understanding.
Morris Jasse, secretary of the union,
announced that the organization had
satisfied itself that some of the land?
lords it had been righting were not
profiteers and that these had agreed
to hold their rent increases to 50 cents
a room or less. ' In this tho tenants
union acquiesced. Mr. Jasse said several
of tho landlords had acceded to the de?
mands of tho tenants for leases for
nine and twelve months.
Evictions Are Halted
City Marshal David Goldberg, who
was to evict more than forty tenants
from a house on Hilsdale Street this
morning, received visits from manv of
Williams Avenue Methodist Epis?
copal Church and the Rev. Roy E.
Manne. They will house tenants
evicted from tenements in Browns?
ville to-day.
the tenants, who deposited with him
their arrears in rents, thus halting tho
eviction proceedings. Tenants in a
house at 534 Powell Street, who were
so incensed at rent advances a few
weeks ago that they partly wrecked the
place, seemed anxious to reach an un?
derstanding with the landlord.
Captain Charles A. Goldsmith, of the
Mayor's Committee on Rent Profiteer?
ing, said after an inspection of the
Bronxsville district, that ho considered
the situation much improved. It held
possibilities of danger still, he said, but
plainly was on the mend.
Nathan Hirsch, chairman of the
?.Iayor's Committee on Rent Profiteer?
ing, said the Committee on Mediation
and Conciliation, which was formed
with Mayor Hylan's consent, was re?
sponsible in no small measuro for the
solution of difficulties.
At least six important cases which
were submitted to this new committee
by the respectivo landlords and ten?
ants have been solved, he said, to the
satisfaction of all.
"Everything," he said, "will bo done
to bring about a good understanding
between landlords and tenants, and be?
cause I believe a lot of landlords do
not want to be held up to publicity and
are ready to negotiate with their ten?
ants, who see that expenses have risen
and are ready to pay a little more
rent, I think the rent problem is in a
fair way of beinp solved."
Mr. l?irsch added that of course this
did not do away .with tho "necessity
A Smart
Roll-Front
COLLAR
TWENTY-SIX MILLION DRINKS
served at our soda fountains last year.
Those who know, prefer to walk out of their
way to come to Liggett's Soda Fountains.
The reason:?appetizing, clean service; pure,
wholesome materials.
i Of} PER MONTH OK
??? " PLEDGE OF
PERSONAL PROPERTY
THE PROVIDENT LOAN SOCIETY
_OF NEW YORK
Office Hour?: *J A. M. tu ? P. M.
Saturdays 9 A. M. to 4 P. M.?
from tirnt Saturday In June to first
Saturday in September, both In
ilmlv, 9 A. M. to i P. M.
MANHATTAN
Fourth Avenue, cor. 25th Street.
Eldridg* Si., cor. Rivington St.
Fit! Houston St, cor. Eates St.
Seventh Av., fact. 48th ft 49th Sis.
Lexington Av., cor. 124th St
Grand St., cor. Clinton St.
E. 72d St., bet. Lexington ft 3 Avi.
F.izhth Av.. cor. 127ft St
EWlflJIWaBW?
It KO NX
CourtUiidt A? .cor. 148th St.
IIUOOIU.VN
Smith St., cor. Livingston St
Graham A?., cor. Dtbcvou? St
PUkta Av? cev. Rocktwep Av,
inHTOi??^wir'?h ?."a
of housing," which was the only means
by which the problem could be settled
for ail time.
Mrs. Henry Moskowitz, of the State
Reconstruction Commission, said there
had beeu no further development in
?? the rent situation yesterday, but that
the commission would cooperate in the
i investigation on housing conditions by
the Legislative committee.
This committee has announced that
it will begin its first session on'Thurs
day mornig at 10 o'clock in the* Board
of Estimate room at City Hall. Senator
Charles C. Lockwood, chairman of the
committee, announced that Mayor Hy
j Ian, Mr. Hirsch and Abram I. Elkus,
i chairman of the Reconstruction Com
: mission, would bo invited to appear.
The Legislative committee has offices
at 511 Fifth Avenue,
i Despite the brighter aspect which
! the Brownsville situation assumed, ar
| rangements were completed to throw
open the Williams Avenue Methodist
i Episcopal Church in that district to?
day to the scores who were expected
to be homeless as the result of dis
?)ossess proceedings. A detail of police
?as- been assigned to the church to
j maintain order in case the applicants
I for shelter ara too numerous or too
? impatient.
Labor Federation Won't
Join in Strike for Debs
( Vice-President Dunean Declares
Protest Is Nof Sanctioned
by Organization
The American Federation of Labor
will not cooperate in the proposed na
I tion-wido protest strike for the re?
lease of Eugene V. Debs, the Socialist
leader, from the penitentiary. The
strike has been set by the Socialist
party and radical labor organizations
for July 4.
James Duncan, vice-president of the
American Federation of I^abor, said
yesterday that any strike demanding
Debs' release will be without, the sanc?
tion of the federation. It was ad?
mitted, however, that many of the
unions, which have promised to strike,
are affiliated with the federation. Mr.
Duncan thought the strike demonstra?
tions planned for Debs will he only
"spasmodic outbursts with which or
fanized labor will have nothing to
o." According to Mr. Duncan the
unions affiliated with the federation
are business organizations. He said:
"We do things in regular fashion
nnd do not engage in flighty outbursts.
We have agreements with our employ?
ers which we intend to keep."
Court to Rule
On Open Shop
Labor Policy
Transportation Trades
Council Named by Truck
Owners for 'Interference'
With Longshore men
Injunction Is Granted
Unions Summoned to Show
Cause Why It Shouldn't
Be Made Permanent
For the first time since the United
State? entered the war the aid of the
New York courts has been invoked in
a labor dispute. The Truck Owners'
Association has haied the Transporta?
tion Trades Council into the Supreme
Court of Kings County to show cause
why it and its members should not be
restrained from interfering with tho
open shop policy insisted upon as a.
matter of right by the truck owners.
On the petition of P. Reardon, Inc., a
member of the association, Justice Van
Sielen had granted a temporary injunc?
tion and ordered the officers of the
transportation council to appear on
Wednesday and show cause why the in?
junction should not be made perma?
nent. Joined with the union as de?
fendants are Walker D. Hi?es, ns head
of the United States railroad admin?
istration; the International Mercantile
Marine and various steamship com?
panies subsidiary to it. The unions
making up the transportation council
are locals of the International Long?
shoremen's Association, made up of
checkers, weighers and receiving
clcrk3 on various railroad and steam?
ship pierB.
Because of what the papers in the
casa term "an illegal boycott," it is
charged that several hundred trucks,
representing an investment of $1,000,
000, have been rendered idle, and a
volume of business said to exceed $3,
(/00.000 a year closed to the operators.
"During the winter of 1918 and the
present spring," says the complaint,
"various attempts were made by the
Transportation Trades Council and its
affiliated locals to unionize the team?
sters and stable forces of the plaintiff.
The plaintiff's employes were con?
tented with their wages and conditions
and rejected these overtures to enter
the union fold. At about the same
time intimations were received by the
plaintiff and its officers that it would
be advantageous to the plaintiff and
might avert future trouble for it to
sign a union agreement and insist
upon the unionization of the employes.
No attention was paid to these implied
threats.
'"Substantially every pier in the city
of New York and every steamship or
other vessel entering or departing from
the port of New York is closed to the
plaintiff, and it is wholly unable to
deliver any merchandise to or receive
any merchandise from these vessels or
upon these piers; the plaintiff is un?
able to truck bonded merchandise in
the custody of the United States gov?
ernment from bonded warehouses to
vessels or receive lik$ merchandise ar?
riving from vessels from foreign ports;
the plaintiff is unable to make deliv?
eries on piers or to vessels of war and
army supplies intended for overseas
shipment by the United States govern?
ment; the plaintiff is, and for approxi?
mately two weeks has been, wholly
incapable of carrying on its transfer
business in discharging its lawful
function as a common carrier in inter?
state commerce, for the reason that
the embargo declared by the defend?
ants has been made effective against
?through freight as well as that of local
origin; merchandise worth millions of
dollars belonging to customers of plain?
tiff has remained for days, and much
of it still remains on piers subject to
perils of fire, storm and insurance can?
cellations, and merchandise of like
character and value intended for ex
?port or foreign shipment has been
similarly delayed, with consequent loss
to all concerned; perishable and urgent
freight have, in many Instances, been
held up with gevere financial loss to
the owners."
Paul Bonynge, counsel for the
truckmen, said yesterday: "A number
of checkers have orders from the union
to disregard the injunction order and
are defying it openly. As soon as the
papers can be issued they will be haled
into court and either jailed or fined
in contempt of court. This is a clear
case of master and servant."
Mr. Bonynge said that union workers
on Piers 42 and 67, North River, in tho
employ of the Panama Railroad Steam?
ship Line, refused on Friday to accept
goods of P. Reardon, Inc., and were
discharged.
22 American Women
Decorated by France
AH Served During War in Hos?
pital at Buzancy, Says Let?
ter Just Received
Twenty-two women who served in
the American Women's Hospital No. 1,
at Buzancy, France, throughout the
war, have been decorated by the
French government, and the entire
staff of the hospital has been given the
freedom of t||e city of Buzancy. This
information was received yesterday
by Mrs. Charlotte M. Conger, executive
secretary of the American Women's
Hospitals, 637 Madison Avenue.
The medals have been presented to:
Dr. Delan Kinney. Miss Alice M. Clark,
Miss Florence Eadio and Mr?. Sarah
O'Brien, New York City; Dr. Louise
Hurrell, Rochester, N.. Y.; Dr. Char?
lotte Fairbanks, St. Johnsburg, Vt.;
Dr. Kate Doherty, Milwaukee, Wis.;
Dr. Margaret Ethel Fraser and Miss
Ruth Caldwell, Denver, Col.; Dr. Mary
MacLachlan, Portland, Ore.; Dr. I. j.
Mamvaring, Norwich, Conn.; Dr. Inez
C. Bentley, Kings Park, N. Y.; Dr. Olga
Stastney, Omaha, Neb.; Dr. Edna
Ward, Littleton, Col.; Mrs. Emilie
Lanoir-Lehman and Miss Lillian W.
Pettcngil!, Philadelphia; Miss Ada
Tobitt, Darling, Penn.; Miss E. Pauline
Whitaker, Lancaster, Penn.; Miss Mar?
garet Purvis, Atlantic Highlands, N. J.;
Miss Emily S. Cheney, Manchester,
Conn., and Miss Wilhelmina Drum
mond, Atlanta, Ga.
Two Killed by Autos '
Woman in Corona and Boy in
Yonkers Are Victims
Two persons were killed by automo?
biles in and near New York yesterday.
Eliza Denander, fifty-three years old,
was walking across Alburtis Avenue,
Corona, early yesterday morning, when
she was run down by a machine driven
by Louis Ga'Iucci, of Corona, formerly
Assistant District Attorney of Queens.
She was killed instantly
John Zelenak, nine years old, of 46 Cro?
t?n Terrace, Yonkers, was struck while
crossing Nepperhan Avenue, by an au?
tomobile operated by G. A. Heller, of
447 Walnut Street, Yo/ikers. The boy
died. Heller was arrested on a charge
of manslaughter.
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