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Show JBS'STAR WITNESS I, Mitchell Appears Before Strike Commission. tflNG TESTIMONY BEGINS Meat ' Unltcd Mine-Workers, L, Taking tho Stand as a Wit- presented Miners' Sldo of 'ror.y In Ver? Lengthy tt0tt-He Was Under Heavy 0f Cross Examination All of f"(Aftfrnoon-TrylnE Day for the " erl Leader Stood Test Well. ,n'on. ri Nov. H Tho anthra-"toil anthra-"toil tr'K commission, appointed iwildciit l.ioscvelt to nrbltrato the ,Tnces ex ting between tho mine i,e( th bird coal Holds of l'enn-ult l'enn-ult an I their employers, today be-at be-at hra S of testimony by which Bl dttc "i nc whether or not tho urn ai r cclvlnc fair and Just ( , lr labor, and whether fcondlt should not be Improved, t.iurw 'ness i0T lhe mlncrs-rres. tJolin Mitchell -took the stand In mhoci and when the commission m I n clock lit tho afternoon .,n tu ler the'llrc of cross-cx-..ilon b '"M Wilcox, general ,1 for the Delaware & Hudson S a t ylng day for the miners' w but li seemed to stand the test t Th li avlest fire of cross qucs- m " "I a' ,llm ,ul ln lh0 ntt i. r and whentho hour of L,meiii was leached Mr. Wilcox Hill i grounding questions and .j Mr Mitchell s memory. juw lw yiirh rrtnsi'NT. '(Opening of the sessions was n ibl da) in the annals of the law In Wfor antliracllo region. Tlierc tmany Hwycis piescnt, nil of Bere looking after the Interests Kminc owners. 1 ho non-union ml-itada ml-itada r picsenlntlve Ilcsldo Tres-it Tres-it Mil h 1 of 'he Miners' union the .ork were represented by six n is In a billion to these there i nan members of tho bar pics- .ho i merely to look on. The jtroom m both sessions was packed iit to urfoi otlon and scores of per. i r ur ihle to gain admittance. Ine of the heads of tho l-irge toil -rm ( hall m in lliomas of tho ( i r -"tit , , attitude of the commlsslonera i lonih followed by every one ln tourtr r-n They nppeared to be itlylnt r tl In the cross-cxamlns-i of M- Mitchell but at tlmei irf to ciow restless under the jAsj fir of questions aimed at the sorkr s' leader. POKfMNN roll COMMISSION. ilge (Iniv as chairman of the com-ulon com-ulon being versed In court procedure j in the bin una the only spokesman the commission, lie at times asked filons anil at tho cry close of the onoon i slnn directed u query at Mil h II which .Mr. Wilcox had a lading up to for sonio time. SIITC1I1 1.1. VI'.IlY IIMI'UATIC. It chairman asked Mr. Mitchell in-rh urgniilzullon approved tho of nlPutranliiK from or denying the wurl nf lite to those who had of-in) of-in) th i realization, and ho replied, ih till emphatkally, no" n nit fi ilii) .Mr. Wilcox asked Mr. l-e I rr ny questions us to Iho poll-if poll-if tho unloi the method of calling to the ability of the union to it In i Ipline and prevent the ibtri rr the union from violating U er1 also as to tho liability of n n I caking contracts It was irent to many of those present who into I Hie situation that Mr. Willi Wil-li obj I was to nttempt to proo by Mitch tin own testimony that the Imtlnn or the ininpaiiles that the n ur in was an ll responsible or-ut! or-ut! nd that trade agreements "fir it M not bo safely entered i II founded lit .13V DlHUUllHl'D. Mng ih hearing tho statement -ibrou i out for the first time slfico ln i was begun that tho union iifbu 1 1 TiOO 000 among the union inrin u in men who were on strike. 1' of questions which ciinio up "Hie ominlsslon was the ndilsa-if ndilsa-if of h tilug counsel on behalf nf non u ion men who remained at oui i , tho strike. Attorney John UnuhTit ono of tbo attorneys for non ui ion men asked tho commls-"lm commls-"lm h status befoio the nrbltra-i nrbltra-i na? Judge (iray Informed him .t the ii (ion would ho taken un-con un-con ' it loti and thnt an answer "M n bly bo given him tomor- Mli US' HUM' OI' CAM!. ' M' nil, befmo taking tho nit- ' i n tlm foruioon, presented mi Ido of tho case In a WOO- i ' ut It look him forty "" ul his uddress nnd he was '" I In lhe mmmlsslnncrs and 'il ill the closest attention "' M 11 picfaced his statement a th pe that the t ominlsslon Mil d 111 tstnbllslilni; a lelft- "ii tween tbo opeiators and ' '' 'I will Insuro peato und slain sla-in Industry fin an liulcllnlle i Helling the demands l"' d pa for tho inliur. u " kdity for tl " laborer, the (!" ion! ami an Industrial "' the lefusul of all of which "' 'ilke, Mr Mill hell spoko as c lie iiuestlon of hlfcher wages: '"H M7.0D0 men and boys rm-Kd rm-Kd in ml mound the mines, strip- i lies and breakers In the thru u . oil Melds, 61 Oli or 43 per 1 in nploved on contract or piece '. H lrinalnlng 83 000, or 07 per 'j "I niploid by Iho hour, day, ' or i mtli Of tho III 072 contract " i are miners and S0 5CS are " nreis. I 1C IS HAZAIIDOU8. "Tno k of .i miner and a miner's J"" xtreniely hnsardous. In fact. " "' ungeroii' tlian cinploment '" a i r Important Industry In the J" number of persons killed ""Ju I is greuter than In any othet '"' I uh day tbo anllirncllq i.nal ,, III opeiatlnn two and six- J' inn loso their Iheaund tlneo , ny are mulmed, and jet '" n ieielo less wniris nnnuall)' 1,. I by men performing pre- :'' inr work In other lleUs, un- iiNorahlu and Ichs haardous ."" riio nuinbei of jeaiii n V lain Ids heilth and strenath ,1. upitloii Is limited It hn rs- ,! h hi Injury by falls of rock ., ' ii cannot etcapo attacks of 7 thina Thero Is scarcely n "' cr who has not conliaoted ,m ll Tho nilneis arc loinpellel "Ik ii powder smoke, In foul uli. iLr ,,,c' I" 'cr. and theli work '' ' nnd exhausting Imputable i 1r i ompaiiles will not Issue ,!, ' ' Ibis diss of workmen, The "n a, Kreut that the piemlums "' f pioblbltlio o men whoso ;?'" a- si low. The entire JO per u" li they di maud as an lnuenao V"r aitea would not sutllco to car-,n car-,n lr uniiin of JIOOO. k. U.1 DUMANO 18 JUHI 111 us but fall und Just that S" less ha?aidous freer from I lb ll. . sklir'anll'r'f1",1? leM W nd le s In supiwrtlne tho demand for the t. Mr Ml'tcl eU0,!1,0."?? f ,hl "ltarS ml.llCi bl.,u"'"ious workers receUo In "7" Instances fiom 20 to 40 per cent higher wages for eight hours work in?". nr1 palJ, ,n ""' "Mhrauw mines for ten hours' work" DEKUND3 TIUUD UBMANO Defending the third demand tlini coal shall bo weighed and paid for by weight and that 2240 rounds shall constitute n ton .Mr. llltrhell leilaro 'he Present method of n.easut ng "he coal prolurcd b the miners In the Laikawani,.., Wjnmlng id Lehigh regions re-gions hns been the source nf moie ills. rw1 thnn nny oU,cr of 'he many inluitlces ImnniiAil itt., ii. -.! . " '. thero can bo no contentment among those workers until ,ln honest sjntem has been established. I'ajlng fof o-, by the cir or by tho ton weighing from "" ".?" Pounds is a tlagjant Injul," lice Ihn cars hae been Hrger. moie topping Is required nnd there has been no corresponding Increase In the amount pild per car or per ton The miners lmr been forced to produce n constantly Increasing umouut of coal ror which they recede no additional compensation ' WANTS PAY FOn WO UK. 'Tho miner should bo paid for every pound of conl he mines Unit Is sold hi the operators. If ;;io pounds tonstitute n ton when coal Is sold to the consumer and when rallrout companies aio paid for transporting coal to market what Justice can there he In denlng tho miner the right to bo paid for his la-Dot la-Dot upon the same basis I "The anthracite companies not satis, tied with an extra legal ton of from :740 to 3190 pounds have a sstem of dock-Inir dock-Inir through which they appropriate an additional port of the miners earnings. A miner Is docked all the wny from M0 to 100O pounds upon a car, as a penalty for loidlng Impurities for which he has already been penalized to the extent of from 700 to IKK) pounds In excess mens-urc mens-urc of weight. In other word", ho Is punished twlco for the same offense. I'MIIT-HOUR DAY. lhe eight-hour day Is tho standard working day In the mining Industry. Light hours constitute a day's work In the coal mines of Great Ilrllaln, In all the silver gold and copper mines and In the bituminous coal mines In the Hlates of Arkansas, Missouri Indiana Illinois. Iowa, Michigan, Kentucky, Weafrn Pennsylvania nnd the Indian Territory. Tho reports of the United States geologiial survey demonstrate that more coal has been produced annually since the Inauguration of tho elght-hour workday than In nnv preceding one Kacli miner produced more coal per working day ln eight hours than he formerly produced In ten hours and there Is no reason why the same results re-sults would ont be obtained ln tho anthracite an-thracite Held. "A sjstem somewhat similar but less unjust obtained In a portion of the bllu-mlnous bllu-mlnous coal fields many soars ago, but the miners nre now pild by weight upon up-on the basis of a legal ton, they aro not only permitted but arc encouraged by the operators to employ check Welshmen Welsh-men to see thnt tho product of their labor Is properly weighed and a correct record made thereof" TIlADi: AClItr.KMI'NT. Mr. Mitchell then took up tho fourth demand of the tnincrs for a trade agreement agree-ment with the necessiry machinery for the adjustment nf local grievances lie outlined the history and policy of tho United Mine-Workers of America und explained that by Its constitution, anthracite an-thracite and bituminous mine workers had home rule for the local government of locnl affairs. 'The only manner," he said, "In which the National organization Is permitted to Interfere Is that, before a strike Is Inaugurated by the district organization, or-ganization, the approval of the president presi-dent of the National union must bo obtained, but tho president of the Na-tlonal Na-tlonal organization has no authority lo Inauguiato a strike Thus the coal mine operntors are afforded a greater meusuio of protection against strikes than they would have under a separate and Independent organization." ItrSPONSIHIMTY OF UNION. As I the responsibility of the mlne-w mlne-w or kern organization, Mr. Mitchell said "U the present time the United Mine-Workers of America has contracts with tho operators of fourteen States and districts, fixing the amount the miners shall receive per ton, the amount tho various classes of libor shall receive re-ceive per du, the number of hours which shall constitute a day's work, and the methods and machinery for the adjustment of local grievances by Joint conference with the mine owneis. 'These aro mutual contracts which ate advantageous to both miner nnd operator, and protect tho publlo against the efTcits of strikes or lockouts "lhe leporls of tho United States Ooviinmcnt on strikes In the mining Industo show thut the number and duration oi airmen nun ... reduced each ear since the svstem of Joint conference and mutual ugreo-incut ugreo-incut has been Introduced nibfii'iiiNLS MnMimns. "Where tbo Unltrd Mlne-Workcrs nf America Is lecognlzed nnd rontrncted with, It assumes the responsibility of disciplining Its members Iho trado agreement has proved effective In ic-stralnliiB ic-stralnliiB woikmen from engaging In local or general strikes, 'lhero have uecn no strikes of any magnitude In any of tbo coal-mlnlng States lit which trade agreements exist. Wo seek to establish the sail o method of adjusting vv" go llfft rentes In tho anthracl o Held. It Is said that the competition be-tween be-tween anlhraelto and bituminous coal s n Veason upon which the anthracite operators opposo a recognition of Iho miners' organization. That this objec-lion objec-lion Is neither valid nor consistent la c ear y del onstrated by the fact that many of tho railroads ofl cered by tho same men who control tho anthtacl e coal mines enter Into trade agreements with railroad organizations, a majority Jr "hoi. members aro cmploved upon other and competing roads "We demand recognition because wo know that permanent peaco and friendly relations can best be main-ialned main-ialned through a tiado agi cement with he "S?inliitlon which our peon l have fleeted lo Join Kully M Per cent of tlm emi'lojecsot the nntluacllo coal mines ?e in. inbers of It from choice, they de-iirVtn de-iirVtn ictnlii Iheli membership In It it Vn ll e United Mlne-Workeis of Ainerlui t hat conferred with the resl-de resl-de t of tho United Stales In I elation , to fho submission of the Issues Involved n the tool strike In this comm sslon "U was the Unlled Mine-Workers of America that was requested by the President tn "end the strike It was he UnUed Mine-Workers of America that declared 111 stllke at an end, It was ?he Mlne-Workeis Hint sent tho men back lo work and It Is lhe United Mlne-Woikers or America that pledged to aaept tho ard of this commls- """CAI'SK OP I.OOAI. HTIUKKS l'alluro to ricognlzn the orsanlia-iinn orsanlia-iinn v as th" cause of the many loca itrfkM against which opeiators and " ii. unrkeni Jointly complained Theio haJo been many ocal strike, during ?henuHt yen", the fault of which rests mm tho operator! and miners alike ntatl"e.)V M cHolc but to sub- strlko0 ,njus,,c' aml Inaugurate a ' Docs NOT MKAN DICTATION , .r,.n,lV,KnlUon of th u"lon does not mean dictation or interference b5 men not emplojed by tbo commnlee It slm means that otlUcrs selected by the i. .. .'rkor shall excnlsc supervision ifE !tc 0Kanlzatlon or shall counsel JV. i the.rlno workers as to how their !,?. ftffalrs shall be conducted The miners lm, ns much right to select sucn spokesmen to act foi them to P'f!nt..,h"r "finances, lo manage their atfilrs. as have the suickholdirs or an of the anthraiite roil comp.inles functions ollk!r " Perform like rnnviiNTtoN or sthikhs ' Tor the Information of the commission commis-sion we herewith outline more speclflr-.iy speclflr-.iy KJPlan of procedure which, If adopted would prevent local strikes aim pieservc peee and harmon) during dur-ing the time covered b lhe nward winch vou are emimwered to make 1 Irst The rate of wages, the hours of labor the method of weighing and pa ng foi the product of the miners' worK should be Incorporated In an agreement between the repiescntallves or the various coil compuiles ami tho representative of the nrguilzitlnn of which complainants In this enso are members Second There should he n committee or conservative mine workers selected bj the emplnjees at eich colllerv It should be the duty of this committee to co-opente with the mine foremen in the adjustment of locil disputes which cannot be settled between the mine foremen and the mine-workers Third Should the mine foremen nnd mine conrpmy fall to ndjul the grievance griev-ance complained of the matter In dispute dis-pute should bo referred lo the com pans superintendent and a general grlevanie committee which should bo constituted of representative mine-workers mine-workers from each colllerj operated by any one company Should they fall to adjust It. It should be referred to the general manager of the coal company and the district president of the miners' organization, and should they fall to adjust It. they should call on the services ser-vices of some disinterested person, whose decision shoul I be final Pending Pend-ing nn adjustment In the manner set forth the mines and miners should continue at work" pi.ua rou cnii,Dni;N. Mr Mitchell concluded with a plea for the children Ho said. 'Ourllltlo boys should not bo forced Into the mines nnd breakers so early in life, our little girls should not be compelled to work In tho mills and factories at an age when they should be at school These children arc the future cltlrens of our Nation. Ihelr n.irentK shmilrl tin enabled to earn wages sutllclcntly high to give them nt least a common schooi education, so ns to equip them to bear the grave responsibilities that will ultimately ul-timately devolve upon them The wealth and the future of the Notion are not to be measured by Its palaces and millionaires, but rather by the en-lightened en-lightened contentment and prosperity of Its millions of citizens who constl-toto constl-toto the bone and sinew- of our land, ' MITOIIIILIi IS SWOHN. llespondlng to a question by Judge Ora, Mr. Darrow said the miners would nt tho outset put on some witnesses, wit-nesses, and that he would call Mr Mitchell first it was agreed that nil witnesses should be put under oath Mr. Mitchell was then sworn. He stld that 10 per rent of tho anthracite miners mi-ners are members of the union, nnd that the president or executive board never ordered a strike except on tho nfflrmatlvo vote of the miners themselves. them-selves. Responding to several questions, Mr. Mitchell explained the relations between be-tween the union and the bituminous operators, and said that by reason of the contracts entered Into by them there had been no strikes Where no contracts were made, ho snld there had been strikes of considerable magnitude. Through the nmlcablo relations with the bituminous operators, Mr. Mitchell sold that wages had been Increased since 1S98 nn average of 60 per cent, and that thero had been a reduction In hours of from ten tn eight nnd gain In the number of employed, lhe prlco of fuel both bituminous and anthracite, ho said, hid graduully Increased, MOST HAZAItDOUS WOIIK. Tho work of mining ho characterized as the most hazardous In tho world. Last year 513 men were killed In tho nines and 1200 Injured. The number of deaths In the bituminous fields In proportion pro-portion to tho number of men employed em-ployed wns not so great as In tho anthracite an-thracite legion Mr Mitchell snld the -aages paid In tho bituminous fields were from 0 to 60 per cent higher In some classes of work und from JO to "0 per cent In others thin In tho nuthraclta region He had visited the homes of miners In this region re-gion and In the bituminous Ileitis, and, generally speaking, the condition! In the soft conl llelds aro better than In the hard cool territory. MAINTAINING DISCIPLINE. What do you say as to tho ability of your organization to maintain discipline discip-line nnd assist In tho settlement of questions and help In tho harmony of tho management of tho coal Industry 7" Inquired Mr. Darrow. 'I would say," said Mr. Mitchell, ' that our experience us an organization demonstrates conclusively that discipline discip-line can be maintained where trado agreements exist As a matter nf fat t, In thoso States where wo have trado agreements, If nny of oui locul unions wero to attempt to violate agreements or tctuso to go buck to work when wo It'Nirnrteri them tn do so. we would nut them out of Iho union. Our agreements take precedence over our own law Tho agreements must be kept Inviolate" is rrtoss-nxAMiNKD. When tbo direct examination of Mr. Mitchell was concluded, Mr. Wilcox for Iho operators cross-examined Mr. Mitchell regaidlng tho general workings of tho oiganlzatlon. |