The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-18
OTHER SIDE OPENS
OPERATORS GET A HEARING BE-
FORE STRIKE COMMISSION.
LIVELY SESSIONS ARE HELD.
EVIDENCE SUBMITTED by COM
PANIEs AND NON-UNION MEN.
1t Was shown That Fathers of Girls

Ii Was shown That Fathers of Girls
Before the Commission Who
Worked All Night I'm SILK Mills Re
ceived $1,4OO and $1,000 n Year.
This Was Onset. to the Commits
siOn's Surprise, by Evidence That
the Wages Were Divided Among
From Four to six Men.
Scranton, Pa, Dec. 1.-THE anthra-
cite coal operators opened their side
of the controversy with the mine work
ers to-day before the Strike Commits
sion, and the attorneys who are on
record before the commission as rep
resenting the non-union men, who have
been admitted to the arbitration
scheme, began calling witnesses.
The sessions to-day were probably
the liveliest yet held by the Commits
sion. AT the morning session the
miners lawyers challenged the fair
ness of certain wage statements hand
ed to the Commission by the Pennsyl-
vania Coal Company, and in the af-
ternoon Lawyer barrow had a spirited
discussion with Chairman Gray as to
whether or not the miners had a right
to know who is paying the lawyers
representing the nom union men before
the Commission. Mr.. barrow asserted
they were employed by the coal OPP
orators.
Didn't Want Union Recognized.
Preceding this. Simon P. Wolverton.
counsel for the Reading company who
delivered the opening address on be-
half of all the large coal companies.
made the point in his address that the
recognition of the union is not an is
sue before the Commission which
brought out a protest from Mr.. OAR
row. The latter said that If II were
not, then the operators should be for
hidden from presenting testimony that
tended to show the union was respon-
sibe for the alleged violence commit
ted during the strike.
The alleged unfairness of the wage
statements came to the notice of the
Commission as a result of it's inquiry
into the child labor question in this
vicinity. Several little girls testified on
Monday that they worked all night in
a silk mill in order to help their ia
theirs along, who were employed in the
mines and received poor pay. Yester-
day Everett Warren, who represents
the Erie company, which controls the
Pennsylvania Coal Company in whose
mines some of these fathers worked.
handed to the Commission a memoran-
dunn showing that one father last
year received 81 400 for himself and
laborer. and that the other father re-
ceived 81 900 for himself and laborer.
At the opening of the session to-day
the miners placed the two parents on
the stand. and they swore that the
earnings mentioned were dividend
among from four to six men. This
testimony surprised the Commission
erS.
Had to Divide Wages.
Chairman Gray asked that counsel
for the company indicate in the wage
statement whether the figures were for
one or two or more men, but General
Manager May said that he did not
know whether two, four or six men di-
vided the money. He admitted that
two and four men worked in place,
but said that the company only paid
one man.
After hearing two mine inspectors,
the miners rested their case, and Mr.
Wolverton formally opened for the OPP
orators side of the controversy by
reading a statement which represented
the views of all the large coal compa-
the powers of the Commission are con-
fined to the questions affecting the
rates Of wages paid and the reduction
of labor, and in no way involve the
question of recognition, or the entering
into any agreement with the miners
union. He declared that the rate of
wages in the anthracite region is not
40 or so per cent lower than in the
soft coal region, but actually higher,
a, Inf hof he
tenn of weighing was the best that
could be had.
Wants no Interference.
Ira H. Burns, one of the attorneys
for the Independent Operators. pre-
scented the opening statement of the
individual companies. This statement
asked that if the commissions award
favored the mine workers, the latter
should give some assurance that they
would not interfere with non-unon
men.
1t was arranged that the attorneys
representing the non-union men should
first call their witnesses, and five wit
nesses were produced who testified
that strikers had killed one man and
had more or less seriously annoyed
two other men who worked dur
ing the suspension. The first
witness was Mrs. James Wenston, the
wife of the murdered man, and the Sec
ond was her son-in-law. Mr.. barrow
asked the son-in-law who was paying
for the lawyers who are representing
the non-union men, and then ensued
the liveliest tilt that has occurred in
the sessions of the Commission. Coupr
sci for the witness objected and Mr..
Darrow insisted that he and the Com
mission had a right to know who were
back Of the non-union men, but Chair
man Gray differed with him.
The colloquy was carried on for some
time, and finally Chairmak Gray con-
suited his colleagues, and as a result
quietly answered that the Commission