The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1902-12-17
After Occupying 70 Days and
Presenting About 100 Wit
nesses Miners Close Case.
ATTITUDE OF THE COMMISSION.
ing Scope of Invest.
AVerse to WIdenIns Scope Of InVestl-
sa.ion-Assumes Coal Companies
Can Afford to Pay Fair Wages, and
IL Unable to Do So Should Quit.
mes Coal Companies

Scranton, Dec. 16-The mine work
ers, after occupying 10 days in pre-
senting about 100 witnesses, closed
their case before the anthracite coal
strike commission late yesterday aft
ernoon, excepting that they called one
important witness this morning. The
afternoon session was one OF the most
important sittings the commission has
yet had. because the question of
whether the close relationship of the
coal carrying railroads with the min
ing companies shall figure in the com
missions effort to adjust the contro-
versy. came squarely before the arbi
traitors. The decision of the commits
sion, II Chairman Gray's remarks can
be so called. was briefly this:
That the commission in a general
way is averse to widening the scope
OF the investigation beyond the terms
of the submissions OF the miners and
the operators: that in carrying on the
investigation 1t assumes the coal COM
panies can afford TO pay fair wages:
that IL the coal companies in present
Ing their side of the case maintain
they cannot afford to give an increase
In wages then the commission will
hear what the miners have to say on
the ability OF the companies to do so,
and that II business cannot pay fair
wages the employer ought to get out
Of 1t.
These points were brought out dur,
ing the two hours consumed by the
miners lawyers reading documentary
evidence, TO the whole of which the
general objections.
Miners Lawyers Satisfied.
The mine workers depended a great
deal on the evidence they had to pre-
sent to show that the coal carrying
railroads control the coal companies
and that the railroads charge exhorbi-
tant and discriminating freight rates,
thus greatly decreasing the revenues
of the mining properties. The miners
wanted to present this evidence in
documentary form. but as objection
was made to 1t and sustained by the
commission with the above rulings,
the matter was not presented Clar-
ence S. barrow and Henry D. Lloyd.
representing the miners, said after
the adjournment they are well salts.
fed with the attitude of the commits
sion and will fight the matter along
the line indicated by the commission.
The early part of the afternoon ses.
sion was taken up IN hearing the ties.
timony OF the remaining witnesses
who are or have been in the employ
OF the Philadelphia and and Reading
Coal and Iron company, after which
Mr.. Darrow announced the close Of
his case. excepting that he would call
one witness today on a matter en-
tirely different from anything that
has been offered. For the remainder
OF the afternoon he said he wanted
to present documentary evidence
showing the relationship between the
railroads and the companies, and
numerous other matters pertaining to
the anthracite coal industry.
The judges asked counsel for both
sides to submit printed briefs of their
arguments. This indicates that a de.
cision will probably not be announced
for several weeks.
ROOF FALLS IN.