The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-14

National President Mitchell, of the
United Mine Workers, will Read
a Lengthy Opening Statement Of
What His Side Proposes to Show,
and Then Go on the Stand as the
First Witness-Those Who will
Follow and What They will Deal
with-Arrangements for Sessions.
At 10 o'clock this morning. the mine
strike commission will reassembe at
the Superior court room in the county
court house, to enter upon the task Of
taking testimony. All the commissions
ers, and nearly all the lawyers and
parties in interest, had arrived last
night, and everything is in readiness
| for the sessions.
AT $40 this morning. the commissions
ers will meet at Hotel Jermyn for
preliminary conference At it's conclus-
ion they will proceed in a body to the
court room and formally open the ses-
sons. Judge Gray, president of the
commission will state the commission
ers' ideas of the method of procedure,
and then will likely follow suggestions
| of the lawyers as to notifications Of
what plans of the commissioners do not
| agree with their ideas.
| The procedure being settled, President
Mitchell, of the mine workers, will pre-
sent 6,00O word statement of the
miners side of the case. embodying
what they propose to prove and out
lining how they prove it, This being
| concluded. President Mitchell will take
the stand to present documentary and
| oral testimony. Attorney Clarence S.
Darrow will conduct the direct exam
ination of Mr.. Mitchell. 1t is likely he
VIII be on the stand for several days
1T had not been decided, last night,
what attorneys for the operators would
cross-eXamine him, and probab bly, no
decision will be reached regarding this
detail until after his testimony is all in.
Second Miners Witness.
The second witness for the miners
will be Rev. Peter Roberts, d. D., of
Mahanoy City, who has been working
for the past three weeks with President
Mitchell and others. at Wilkes Barre.
in preparing the miners testimony DR..
Roberts will testify as to the economic
side of the anthracite coal question and
the social conditions of anthracite
miners.
Then will follow testimony from Dr.
Walter f. Weyl, statistician, who will
go, in detail. into the matter of wages
and cost of living. He will also deal
with the matter of miners children
being compelled to go to work at a
very early age as compared with chill
dren Of other workmen.
District President Nichols, of District
No. l, and District President Duffy, of
District No. {, will then be called to
tell of the general conditions in their
districts. District President Fahy, Of
District No. 9. will not go on the stand
here. as he is to reserve his testimony
for the session of the commission which
it is expected will take place in Potts
vile. Should it be decided that no
Pottsville session will be held, the tes-
timony as to conditions in that district
will be given here. A Pottsvlle session
is not likely, it might be incidentally
mentioned. as the commissioners do not
desire it, and President Mitchell, of the
mine workers, does not favor it.
Minor officials of each district, such
as secretaries and executive board
members. will then be examined on gen.
eral conditions and then will come the
examination of miners from every
mining center in the whole anthracite
region as to the details of the miners
case. There will be about fifty wit
nesses from the First district, twenty
five from the Seventh, and thirty from
the Ninth. 1t is possible that all of
these will not be called. Much will de-
pend on the DEVELOPMENTS
Closing Testimony.
The miners will finish up by present.
ing the testimony of ministers, doctors
and school teachers from different parts |
OF the region as to health, morality |
and education among miners and their |
families, with a view of showing that |
the poverty Of miners is not due to |
anything in the way of dissolute hab-
its; that mining is a dangerous and |
unhealthy occupation, and that miners
children are the first to leave school.
When the miners close their case it !
Is likely recess will be taken to give |
the operators side opportunity to pre-
pare their response. What the opera
tors will present is not known. but
from their preparations it can be taken |
as surety that they will occupy quite
as much If not more than the miners
of the time and attention of the COM
mission.
Recorder Wright and Assistant Re-
corders Mosely and Neill spent a good
part of yesterday arranging the super
ior court room for the sessions of the
commission. The seven commissioners
VIII occupy the bench seats of the sew
en- superior court judges. Judge Gray,
president of the commission, will sit in
the center. On his right, in the order
named, will be Colonel Wright, Mr..
Watkins and Mr.. Clark. On his left,
General Wilson, Bishop Spaulding and
Mr.. Parker To the extreme right of
the bench will be reserved seat for
any judge of the local or federal courts
who may drop in as a spectator.
Immediately in front of the bench the
two assistant recorders will have a
desk. TO their left will be the stem
ographer's desk and adjoining that will
be the witness box.
The Press Gallery.
AT right angles with the bench and
against the easterly wall will be the