The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-12-17
The COAL Strike COMMISSION.
The Mine Workers Have Closed
Their Gase---Nineteen Days
OF Testimony.

SCi2HUOl, =fd., Lee. i0.-IuO Lille
workers, after occupying 10 days in
presenting about 100 witnesses, closed
their case before the anthracite coal
strike commission late this afternoon,
excepting that they will call one i'm
portant witness tomorrow morning.
The afternoon session was one of the
most important sittings the commits
sion has yet held, because the question
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 submission of the miners and
the operators that in carrying on
the investigation it assumes the coal
companies can afford to pay fair wages,
and that if business cannot pay fair
wages the employer ought to get out
of 1t.
The mine worker, depended a great
deal on the evidence they had presented
to show that the coal carrying railroads
control the coal companies and that
the railroads charge exhorbitant and
discriminating freight rates, thus
greatly decreasing the revenues of the
mining properties. The miners want
ed to present this evidence in docu-
mentary form, but as objection was
made to it and sustained by the COM
mission with the above rulings the
matter was not pressed.
Several little girls employed in silk
mills were called to the witness stand
during the day, and as result Chair
man Gray plainly gave his opinion of
parents who send their children to
work at tender age.
Annie Denks, aged 13 years, said
she worked at night from $50 o'clock
until $50 in the morning. She had to
stand up all night during her work
and received IS cents a night. When
the girl said she was employed at
night every member of the commission
seemed to be shocked. Judge Gray ap-
peared especially indignant. He ask
ed her where her father worked and
she told him in the mines. The girl
also told the number of persons in the
family and finally Judge Gray said he
would like to see the father. I would
like to see the fathers of these girls, "
he repeated. 1t may be necessity to
send them to the mills, but I don't t
think father has right to coin the
flesh and blood of his children into
money. Its an outrage. I would like to
see what instincts he has" The
chairman of the commission spoke with
much feeling and his views were ap-
parently received with approval.
Mr.. Darrow, for the miners, said it
was not altogether the fault of the
parents, but the employers are to
blame for not paying wages enough
to permit man to keep his children
in school.
Judge Gray replied, "That may be,
but there are miners who receive
enough pay to enable them to keep
their children out of the workhouse. :"
Judge Gray inquired as to the law
in Pennsylvania regarding child labor
at night. One statute was found which
partially covered the case and the
chairman remarked that it seemed as
though the statutes of Pennylvania in
this part of the State do not seem to
h0tbnr arV one