The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-19
CHILDREN OF MINERS LABOR IN
SILK MILLS.
THE C jAl c iaRY|NG ROADS
Commission Averse to Widening
Scope of the Observation-Disclosures
ers' Case Practically Closed.

Scranton, Pa, Dec. 1.-the mine
workers, after occupying about ~
days in presenting about 100 wit
nesses, practically closed their case
before the anthracite coal strike com
mission this afternoon. They will
call one important witness tomorrow
morning.
The afternoon session today was one
of the most important sittings the
commission has yet held, because the
question of whether the close rela-
tionship of the coalcarrying roads
with the mining companies shall fig
ure in the commissions effort to adj
lust the controversy came %squarely
before the arbitrators. The decision
of the commission, if Chairman Gray's
remarks can be SO called, was briefly
this:
That the commission, in a general
way, is adverse to widening h scope
of the investigation beyond the terms
of the submission of the miners and
operators; that in carrying on the in
vestigation it assumes the coal COM
panies can afford to pay fair wages;
that if the coal companies, in present
ing their side of the case maintain
that they cannot afford to give an in
crease in wages, then the commission
will hear what the miners have to say
on the ability Of the companies to
do so, and that if the business cannot
pay fair wages the employer ought to
get out of it.
These points were brought out dur
ing the two hours consumed by the
miners lawyers in reading docu-
m%entary evidence, to- the whole of
which the coal companies entered
specific and general objections. .
The mine workers depended a great
deal on the evidence they had to pre-
sent to show hat the coal-carrying
roads control the coal companies and
that the railroads charge exorbitant
and discriminating freight rates, thus
greatly decreasing the of
the mining properties.
Little Girls Testify.
During the days examination
several little girls employed in silk
mills were called to the witness stand
and as a result Chairman Gray plain.
ly gave his opinion of parents who
SEND their children to work at a ten
der age. The first girl called was
only II years old and she had to 60
to work because her father had been
hurt in the mines. She said she work
a week. In answer to Chairman Gray
she said her father expects to take
her out of the mills next week, tc
which Judge Gray replied that he
should be commended.
Annie Denks aged IS years, sale
she worked at night from $50 til
$50 in the morning. She had to stanc
up all night during her work and re
ceived 65 cents a night. When she
said she was employed at night every
member of the commission seemed tt
be shocked. Judge Gray appeared
especially indignant. He asked he
where her father worked and she toll
him in the mines.
The girl also told the number O
persons in the family and finall,
Judge Gray said he would like to SCI
the father.
81 would like to see the fathers o
these girls" he repeated. ut may b.
a necessity to send them to the mill
but l do not think a father has a RICH
to coin the flesh and blood Of his Chi
dren into money. 1t is an outrage
l would like to see what instincts h
has"
The chairman of the commissio
spoke with much feeling and hi
views apparently received the appro,
al of the other commissioners.
Mr.. barrow, for the miners, said
was not altogether the fault of tn
parents, but the employers are t
blame for not paying wages enoug
to permit a man to keep his childre
in school. Judge Gray replied:
THAT may be, but there are miner
who receive enough to enable thel
to keep their children out of tn
workhouse."
Judge Gray Deeply Moved.
A small Slavonian girl, aged !
who also worked all night, gave hi
testimony through a 1~3-year-old gi
each night and received three cen
an hour. She was asked whether h
father owned the house she lived