Show iTRiE COMMSSON LISTENS TO EVIDENCE CHilDREN Members Shocked at the I Statements Made I JUDGE GRAY VERY INDIGNANT I Twelve YearOld Girl Working for Three Cents an Hour Another Who Was Compelled to Stand All Night Received a More Pittance for Work p = 1 Scranton Pa Dec 15It was 1 announced by the Coal Strike Commission Commis-sion at the opening of Its hearing today to-day when It adjourns for the holidays probably on Saturday It will bcs to meet In Philadelphia on the first Monday In January Thlo decision however can he changed by developments this week I Before proceeding to thp hearing of witnesses Chairman Gray Informed i the attorneys that the commission had prepared a certain formulo which Indicates In-dicates the further information he desired de-sired Ho also asked the operators to expcdlate the presentation of the statement state-ment containing tho wages paid the miners and the hours worked He said the hardest work for the commission commis-sion Is still to come and the commissioners i commis-sioners would like to begin their study I of figures as soon as possible I CHILDREN ARE HEARD Several little girls employed In silk mills were called to the witness otand and as a result Chairman Gray plainly plain-ly his opinion of who gave parents send I their children to work at a tender age The first girl called was only 11 years old and has had to go to work because be-cause her father had been hurt in the mines She said shc worked from 7 a m until G p in for 2 a week In answer to Chairman Gray she said her father expects to lake her out of the mills next week to which Judge Gray replied that he should be commended I ANNIE DENKSS STORY Annie Denks aged 13 years said she worked at night from 630 oclock until G30 In the morning She had to standup stand-up all night during her work and received re-ceived 65 cents a night When the girl said she was employed at night every member of the commission seemed to be shocked Judge Gray appeared especially es-pecially Indignant lie naked her where her father worked and she told lm in the mines JUDGE GRAY INDIGNANT The girl also told the number of per soils In the family and finally Judge Gray said he would like to see the I father I would like to see the fathers of these girls ho repeated It maybe may-be a necessity to send them to the mills but I do not think a father has a right to coin the flesh and blood of his children Into money It Is an outrage out-rage I woulil like to ace what Instincts In-stincts he has The chairman of the commission poke with much feeling ail his views apparently received the approval of the other commissioners EXPLANATION UNSATISFACTORY Mr Darrow for the miners said It was not altogether the fault of the parents but the employers are to blame for not paying wages enough to permit a man to keep his children In school Judge Gray replied That may be but there arc miners who receive enough to enable thorn to keep their children out of the workhouse THREE CENTS AN HOUR A umall Slavonian girl aged 12 who alpo worked all night gave her testimony testi-mony through a 13yearold girl Interpreter Inter-preter She worked twelve hours each night and received 3 cents an hour She uaft aakod whether her father owned the house she lived in and replied re-plied Yea WANTED TO SEE HER FATHER Chairman Gray who was standing up and leaning over to get the girls aniwer straightened up and as ho walked to hits scat remarked Well Id like to neo her father Another 13yearold slrl said she 1 J J 8t i = 4 i worked all night In the nllk mill at I I 1 Dunmore for 66 cents a night t Judge Gray Docs your father own i j f his house 3 Yes sir hes my stepfather J r IIHe Is your stepfather I thought so LAW AS TO CHILD LABOR i Judge Gray here Inquired as to tho I j 0 law In Pennsylvania regarding child I l labor at night One statute Was found I which partially covered the case and I the chairman remarked that It scorned as though the statutes oi Pennsylvania Pennsyl-vania In this part of the State do not seem to bother any oncs Mr Darrow I F remarked that the laws cannot enforce themselves f 1 J F BREAKER BOY ON STAND II After hearing all the girl witnesses i the miners put u breaker boy on thn I S F stand He IB 11 years Old and huj a r 10yearold brother wOrkihg in the breaker of tho Ked Ash company at dI Mount Carmel The father of the boys was killed in the mines and the 14 I yenrold brother wrote the note to tho company which wnn ulcnod by hun I smother s-mother stating that Iho younger I brother was of legal UJMII i I iF II I F j j I H S jt |