Evening journal., 1902-12-16
MINERS CLOSE
THEIR CASE
Nineteen Days Occupied in
Presenting Their Testimony
to Strike Commission
ABOUT 100 WITNESSES WERE HEARD

Scranton, Pa, Dec. 1G.-The mine
workers. after occupying 19 days in
presenting about 100 Witnesses, closed
their case before the anthracite coal
strike commission late yesterday af-
ternoon, excepting one witness who
was called this morning. Yesterday
afternoons session was one of the
most important sittings the commits
sion has yet held. because the ques-
tion of whether the close relationship
of the coal carrying railroads with the
mining companies shall figure in the
commissions effort to adjust the con-
troversy, came squarely before the
arbitrators. The decision Of the COM
mission, If 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 in
vestigation Il 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
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 if a business cannot pay fair
wages the employer ought to get out
of il.
These fc.nts were brought out dur
ing the two hours consumed by the
miners lawyers reading documentary
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 that the coal carrying
railroads control the coal companies
and that the railroads charge are ex.
orbitant and discriminating freight
rates, thus greatly decreasing the rev.
enues of the mining properties. The
miners wanted to present this evi-
dence in documentary form, but as OBJ
lection was made to it and sustained
by the commission with the above rul.
ings the matter was not pressed. Clar-
ence S. Darrow and Henry d. Lloyd
representing the miners, said, after
the adjournment, that they are well
satisfied with the attitude of the com
mission, and will fight out the matter
along the line indicated by the com
mission.
The early part of the afternoon ses
sion was taken up IN hearing the tes
timony of the remaining witnesses
who are or have been in the employ
Of the Philadelphia and Reading Goa
and Iron Company, after which Nv
lDarrow announced the close VI hi,
case. excepting the one witness to
day. For the remainder of the after
noon he presented documentary evi
dence showing tho relationship be
tween the railroads and the compa
nies, and numerous other matters per
/ tanning to the anthracite coal indus
try.
Several little girls employed in sill
mills were called to the witness stant
yesterday morning. and as a resul
Chairman Gray plainly gave his opin
Ion of parents who send their chill
dren to work at a tender age. Th,
first girl called was only II years old
and she had to go to work becaus
her father had been hurt in the mines
She said she worked from A. NJ. t
P. NJ. for 50 a week. In answer t
Chairman Gray she said her fathe
expects to take her out of the mill
next week, to which Judge Gray re
piled that he should be commended.