The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-19


its1workmen by this company. He denied
that he had said that the bituminous miner
was not a skilled man and said that II he
did say il he wanted to qualify II. When
asked II he did not know that the weighing
| Of every car of coal would not increase
the cost of output Mitchell said that he
| did not think that II would. as the coal
| could be weighed moving
The witness admitted that he had heard
| Of the loading of coal so that great space
was left between the Jumps. This would
cause the shaking down az the coal so that
there would I've no topping. He admitted
that the miners were doubtlcssly properly
locked. bu, said that miners would be more
| careful in loading the coal il II was weighed
Commissioner Watkins asked Mr. Mitchell
| how he would provide for the making OF
| an allowance for the impurities. The
| witness answered thar both the men and
the companies should have men to agree
| upon this task.
| Incorporation or LABOR UNIONS.
just before the noon adjournment a
great many questions were asked by the
| Commissioners Then Mr.. Gowan asked
| what were the objections to the incorpora-
| tion Of the United Mine Workers OF America.
Mr.. Mitchell said that they were many
| He said IL was not n necessary arrange
| ment, An organization. TO become re-
| sponsihle, must have a large fund. and that
| the miners have not such a fund. If an
1
credit an organization 10y keeping il con-
| stantly in court. He knew Of only one
| labor organizat ion that had failed to keep
| an agreement.
The witness would ask il his objection
! would still stand il the employers of labor
would recognize the union provided II was
| incorporated Mr.. Mitchell said that he
| was not able To answer the question AZ
| trmatively II was his opinion that en-
| ployers who object to contracts with n
Il sl.. NtVNav
| were incorporated.
| Commissioner Clark asked:
| 1T j. your understanding that " your
| union were to become Incorporated the
uni IN would he held financially responsible
| for the acts Of each member"
| Yes, sir said Mitchell
Mr. Mitchell admitted that AZ Hazleton
| he was opposed To strike. but that he was
| overruled Sixty per cont, were for the
| strike and i0per cent aga inst II. In answer
| 10 a question by Commissioner Parker
| Mr. Mitchell said that on account Of the
| mhnalthfvl conditions the mines should not
| b. operated more than 200 DAYS in year.
| Commissioner Wright wanted Mr. Mitch
| ell To- explain, from trades-lnionlst point
| of view what he meant by recognition OF
| the union. Mitchell answered that II was
| to have the operators NEE, IN conferences
with them. to agree upon the wages TO he
! paid, TO sign agreements dc.
Mr. Wright then asked what effort had
| been made bv the union 10 discipline their
members Mr.. Mitchell answered that all
| Of the local unions expelled members who
| did anything detrimental TO the union.
In the case of the murderers OF Daniel
| Sweeney Of NantiCoke all the locals had
| paSSed resolutions condemning the murder
| OF this man.
| THE BLACKLIST AND THE BOYCOTT.
| MIR Wright then asked what was The
! Inference bet the blacklist and the
| 10 Tho npsWprpl TINT there
| Is not as much enforcement OF the black
| list AZ the present time a. there was some
| time ago Then the companies kept lists
| Of the discharged men and prevented them
from getting employment There was
| prac, icallv no difference between the black
| list and the boycott.
In the Afternoon Walter ". Ross of the
| IaCkawanna company took up the cross
examination Of Mr.. Mitchell. In answer
| 10 a question the witness SAID thar ne
| thought that there were about 1900 mines
in the bitunnous fields; he was not aware
Of the exact number. Rates of wages
| vary in different places in some places II
| IL ~ cents a ton, IN Others 40, In some
| places il il possible for the soft coal miners
| 10 make s. a day. In the region where Mr..
| Mitchell worked the miners made less.
| He earned there about $3.50 year.
| They were long wall mines and the veins
of coal were thin. There were no helpers
| there, two men working a. 'buttieS; as
| they are 'hltil llitn 'llb' *
| first one mining and TN" other loading.
| and vice versa In some places they can
| mine as much as ten tons III one day' IN
| some places less and in some places more
| The veins of coal seldom exceed 1901 m
| thickness he said, and the coal IL mined
| through undermining There is no blast
| ing and no gas in tn" mines.
| MITCHELL on ANTHRACITE MISISo.
The witness said he had been in ant hracite
| mines and knew as much about anthracite
| mining a. he had observed while in them.
| Two years ago he was in the Bliss mine OF
the I.ackawanna company IN Wilkes barr"
| AZ 10 O'Clock in the morning and had OBJ
| served miners AZ work in their chambers
| Ross-Iow many?
| Mitchell All of them.
! Mr. Mitchell then explained the method
| Of cutting anthracite coal. He said that
the helper does the least attractive and the
| heaviest part of the work
| Ross-Are there any licensed miners In the
| bituminous?
| Mifchell-No, sir
| Mrchcll-No. Sir The partners are upon
| Ross In the a1thracit" field. tho miner gets
the lions share. does he not:
| MitChcll-Hc gets the larger share.
Mr.. Ross then questioned the witness
| about the number of hours that the anthra-
| cite miners work. He said that ordinarily
| they worked "a long a. the breaker worked
| Bllf II the tlTPdheI WI h'N N'u llDuiN, Nv,
| only worked seven or eight. He works
| longer than the breaker does, If the breaker
works only few hours during the day
| Sometimes q big credit will be allowed "a
| n miner. apparently for n days work, when
| ne really Is credited with the work of two
| DAYS Asked il he had any data covering
a claim of that kind, the witness answered
| that lie had not. our representatives VIII
give them To you later. he added.
Ross Is It not matter Of fact that your
| orrqnization stopped I'll miners from coin 4
| 10 work when the breaker was idle
| MitChell-It Il a rule In this district that tho
| miners do not 40 into the mines on Idle
Judge Gray-what is the object of that
| Nitcheii-It was found thar the companie.
| in computing wages figured that the men
| wer, getting more than they really earned
| {, yoritism Favored men. under the old
| system could go into the mines and secure
| "A number of extra cars Others VINO were not
| 40 we'll thought of suffered In consequence.
MIR Ross-ls there any favoritism shown al
Mitchell Perhaps not since the now man.
| apemcnt assumed charge,
| Ross Is II not true that formerly men went
| into tho mines on idle days and cut rockr
Mitchell L understand that T. Is true
| Ross-Did not your organization lesser
| PRODUCTION when II did way with this pra c.
| tiCo2 -,
| Mltchell-It docs not seem so IN view OF tho
largo amount Of coal that you mined last veal
Mr.. Ross assured the witness that wa.
due TO the fact that there was an increased
| 4. for mt