Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-11-18
AGAIN N WITNESS BOX.
The Crosse Examination Of President
Mitchell Continues Before Coal :
Strike Commission.
STATUS OF HoauNlos MEN DEFINED.
II Answer to QneAtiops Mr.. Mitchell
Said OrEanixed Labor Would Not
Sanction BEING LeEi.lAted Out OF
BusIness-Gives tiis Views On Sew
eGai Other Subjects.


esai other Subjects.
Scranton, Pa, Nov. 1.-THE coal
strike commission resumed its ses-
sions Saturday. After few prelim-
Snaries President Mitchell, who was
ON The stand all day Friday. again
went into the witness box and his
sross-examination by David Wilcox,
general counsel for the Delaware q
Hudson company, was continued.
Some of the attorneys connected
with the case are of the opinion that
some arrangement will have to be
agreed upon to expedite the proceed
Sngs. Each side is anxious for a
speedy ending of the hearings. but
this will be impossible if the present
plans of the contending parties are
carried out. The miners have large
number OF witnesses to be heard, and
the attorneys for each OF the coal COM
panies are anxious to cross-examine
chem. After the miners have closed
sheir case the companies will also pre-
sent long line of persons to testify,
and it is the intention of the lawyers
on the miners side to cross-examine
the witnesses for the companies.
Status OF Nonunionists.
Immediately after the opening of
the morning session, Chairman Gray,
for The commission, addressed John L.
J.enahan, one of the attorneys for the
1onunion men. AT Fridays session MIR.
Lenahan said he represented the nom
union men who worked during the
strike, and wanted to know what their
status would be before the commits
sion. Judge Gray said the commission
could not give decision until after it.
had carefully considered the matter.
Saturday morning the chairman said:
''The commission have considered
the matter of your application and
have decided that it will ask you to
submit to them statement showing
whom you represent, and by what au-
thority, what points other than those
already at issue between the formal
parties to this controversy you wish to
inject into this hearing, and concise
statement of what you claim or what
your position is in regard to the gen
eral propositions between the formal
and logical parties to this commission.
and also state, as soon as possible,
that you guarantee submission to the
award of this commission"
REORGANIZATION Continued.
After Judge Gray's announcements
10 the attorneys for the nonunion men.
Mr.. Wilcox resumed his cross-exam-
SDation of Mr.. Mitchell. He put in ey-
idenee extracts from the proceedings
Of the Shamokin convention which
formulated theldemands which caused
the late strike; copy of the United
Mine Workers Journal, the official or
gan Of the union, and yofuminous
copy of the Federationist, the official
publication of the American Fedora
4ion Of Labor.
Agrees with Gomper..
Afr. Mitchell, answering question
by Mr.. Wilcox, said that the local
unions or mass meetings may direct
che operations Of pickets. Mr.. Wilcox
then read from statement made by
PresideAt Gompers, of the Federation
Of Labor, at the Chicago trust confer
ence in September, 1899, in which Mr..
Gompers is alleged to have said that
any trust legislation which did not
specially exempt organized labor from
It's operation would meet the unques-
toned opposition of all the labor
forces, and asked the witness if that
expressed his views. Mr.. Mitchell re-
3hnk 1nE Mt
look with favor upon any law that
HoNld legislate them ont Of business.
~ Living Wnges.
Mr.. Mitchell, answering further
questions, said he regarded as living
wages for miner not less than 5000
per annum, which would cover his ac-
tual necessities and permit him to ed
ueate his children.
At this point Judge Gray asked the
witness if he meant to say u wage suf-
1icient to permit the children to avail
themselves of the public schools or ia.
spend a portion OF the family incon4e
directly Tor education and sufticien-. TO
render 1t unnecessary to employ child
labor to increase the income OF. The
family. The witness answered ia 1he
Affirmative.
Working Age for Boy1.
On the question of the mininsum
nge at which a boy shoula 90 On the
breaker. Mr.. Mitchell .sail he would
advocate that it be put at IA years.
Mr.. Wilcox eYanlAed MIR. Mitchell
at some length regarding the various
demands of the miners and asked him
II he knew that the wages that ure
paid are about s6o.oO0,0OO?
II have read that statement" the
witness: answered. ''but do not know
that il IL true"
Several Interpretations.
Mr.. Wilcox took up one of Pres
3dent Bner's statements and Mr..
Mitchell said that it was susceptible
OF several interpretations. For in
stance" he said, MIR. Baer is quoted
as saying that slate-pickers receive
IS cents day. That may be true
IN some cases. but we know that
most slate-pickers get much less than
that amount"
Hours OF Work.
Mr.. Mitchell denied that his ORGAN.
Aation restricted the quantity Of
work man should perform, but said
Il did believe in regulating The bo,,rs