Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-11-15

Oaers : Susgestios.
Mr.. MITCHELL then continued BY say
Ing:
For the information OF the commission
we herewith outline more specifically u
plan OF procedure which, II adopted, would
prevent local strikes and preserve peace
and harmony during the time covered by
the award which you are empowered to
make:
First.--The rate Of wages, the hours Of
labor. the method OF weighing and pay
ing for the product Of the miners work
should be incorporated In an agreement
between the representatives of the various
coal companies and the representatives OF
the organization Of which the complain
ants in this case are members.
Second.--There should be committee OF
conservative representative mine workers
selected by the employees at each colliery.
1t should be the duty of this committee TO
cooperate with the mine foremen In the
adjustment of local disputes which cam
not be settled between the mine foremen
and the mine worker or mine workers in
volved.
Third. Should the mine foremen and
mine committee fail to adjust the griev-
ance complained Of the matter in dispute
should be referred TO the company's SUI
perintendent and a general grievance com
representative mine workers from each
colliery operated by any one company.
Should this fail to adjust II, II should be
referred to the general manager of the
coal companies and the district president
Of the miners organization, and should
they fail to adjust II they should call upon
the services Of some dsinterested person.
whose decision should be final, pending
an adjustment in the manner set forth.
The mines and the miners should continue
at work.
Mr.. Mitchell concluded with plea
for the children, saving that they
should not be forced into the mines,
breakers and factories so early in life
Their parents, he declared. should be
ena bled to earn wages sufficiently high
to give them ut least common school
education. so as to equip them better
for the responsibilities which will ulti
mately devolve upon them.
Mitchell Takes witness stand.
Upon the conclusion of his statement
Mr.. Mitchell took the witness stand at
the request Of Mr.. barrow, who an.
nounced that the miners would at the
outset put on some witnesses Mr..
Mitchell, In response to questions by
Mr.. barrow, said that 81 per cent Of all
coal mined. in the United States was
mined in Pennsylvania and that 90 per
cent Of the anthracite mine workers
are members Of the union.
Responding to further questions, Mr..
Mitchell explained the relations b.
tween the union and the bituminous op.
orators and said that by reason Of the
contracts kntered into by them there
had been no strikes. Where no con
tracts were made he said, there had
been strikes Of considerable ma gnitude.
Through the amicable relations with
the bituminous operators, Mr.. Mitchell
said, wages had been increased since
1893 an average Of 80 per cent and that
there had been reduction in hours Of
from ten to eight and also in the num-
Der Of children employed.
The wages paid bituminous miners,
he said, were practically the same as
those paid to carpenters and bricklay-
ers, but he was not sufficiently familiar
with the rates paid for other employ.
ment than mining in the anthracite
fields to draw comparison. He said
he had visited the homes Of miners in
this region and the bituminous fields,
and. generally speaking. the conditions
10 the soft coal fields are better than in
the hard coal territory. This was espe-
cially true he said. Of the houses owned
by the companies.
He said the agitation for higher
wages was begun two years ago. This
had crystallized into a demand to be
paid by weight, which in his opinion
was the only honest method of deter
mining the amount the men earn. The
miners know and believe said Mr..
that they are not paid for
he coal they mine" He spoke Of the
Increase In the size of coal cars and the
1emand Of the operators that more
top should be put on, which, he said. |
lad been source Of more trouble than
my one thing he knew of. Mr.. Mitch
III said that miner must pile the coal |
TX inches above the top of the mine |
,ars. The distance from the place |
where he is working to the breaker is
'ften more than mile, and the coal is
shaken down to the level. The worker |
S locked If there are not six inches Of !
opping on the car at the breaker and !
let's nothing if there are more than six
inches of topping.
Were you willing to submit to arbi-
ration!s Mr.. barrow asked.
Always willing to Arhitrate.
Always said Mr. Mitchell.
And of course you are nOw?''
Yes. In public statement June %
We proposed arbitration"
Mr. Darrow's next question brought
ut the first public statement made
ince the late strike was inaugurated
egarding the amount of aid given the
trikars. Mr.. Mitchell said that ST.
CO., 900 had been distributed among the
workers. and that nouuuin,, may, ~, i