New-York tribune., 1902-11-20
LET NON-UNION MEN STAY.
MITCHELL TELLS THE COAL STRIKE
COMMISSION THERE is WORK
FOR ALL.
HIS LONG CROSS EXAMINATION ENDs-A
CLERGYMAN CONTRASTS THE AMERI-
CAN AND sLAv MINER-POsITION OF
INDEPENDENT OPERATORS
DEFINED.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

Mitchell left the stand after his five days ex-
animation They declare they differently
situated than the big coal companies, and de-
sired the commissioners to clearly understand
their position Their attorney, I. A. Burns,
said:
1 would like to know if the commission will
make one report governing all the operators, or
take the conditions existing they are, and re-
port findings regarding the big companies
and another reporting the small companies of
individual operators. The cream of the coal
lands was long ago absorbed by the large coal
corporations and the individual operators are
in some cases taking the properties left by the
larger companies and are simply stripping them.
They have no means of reinbursing them by
profits on railroads and other enterprises; they
depend solely upon what they get from the
mines.
The day saw much work done. The first thing
this morning the commissioners assured the
attorneys that, while it did not propose to sup
press any information of value it was not
necessary to go over the ground again
and again. The result that the final cross
| examination of President Mitchell, after the at
torney of the Delaware Lackawanna and West
ern was through with him. brief and to
the point The direct examination of the Rev.
Peter Roberts, which followed although origi-
nally intended to go into the question of wages
and actual conditions in the mines, resulted in
the decision to avoid these subjects, because
this would be merely secondary testimony. 1t
was accordingly agreed to take this information
at first hand from the miners and the books Of
the companies
When President Mitchell left the stand to-
day he was glad to go. He had been in the
witness chair four days and half and the
strain had been severe. although he did not
admit that he was tired. One of the most i'm
portant questions of the day asked him
by Mr.. Wolverton. of the Philadelphia and
Reading. who said
Would it not be profitable and practicable to
separate the organization OF the anthracite
from that of the bituminous felds?"
Mr. Mitchell replied:
1T would not be possible desirable The
mine workers have had independent organiza-
tions in the past. They have had several. They
have gone. They not here now, and they
don't want any more of the organizations to
go the same as those In the days gone by
MI Ross, the attorney of the Delaware, Lack
awanr and Western. conducted the cross-ex-
animation wher the court opened this morning,
in the course of which Mr.. Mitchell explained
that If an increase OF 20 per cent is granted he
desires it to be on the standard car. and not
on the larger size OF car. which he understood
the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Com
pany had recently been placing IN its mines.
Mr. Ross then took up the constitution OF
the Illinois union, and discussed features of It,
| intending to show that in Illinois the opera
tors. dominated the field is by the union,
afraid to employ non-union men, and that the
! union compels all men who get jobs TO join It
first and makes them pay Initiation fee OF
$50. the object being to show that the union
desires TO keep the number OF miners down TO
a certain limit Mr.. Mitchell declared that It
is only by mutual arrangement that union men
are engaged.
The attorney made the point that OF the steam
men employed by his company 20 per cent re-
fused to obey President Mltchelrs order TO
strike, and that the accidents among the twelve
thousand employees Of the company amount 10
| three-tenths Of l per cent. He asked Mr.
Mitchell If he could cite any IN the bi-
luminous regions where the men are as happy
and prosperous as in the anthracite region. Mr.
Mitchell replied:
In any par; of the bituminous fields the men
more intelligent than they here. I do
not know of any community in the United
States where there is so much distress, unless
that it is in the cotton districts Of the South,
II the anthracite field.
It is true that they have schools and churches
here, but the truth is that there not enough
children in them. There is place in the
United States where children leave school so
young and start 10 work in the mills and the
mines in the anthracite coal fields, unless, as
said before IL is in the cotton districts of the
South In the bituminous coal fields the chill
This ended Mr.. Ross's examination Mr.. VOL
verton then took Mr. Mitchell in hand Aside
from his question as to the feasibility Of an an
thracite union he merely asked how far Mr.
Mitchell was familiar with the conditions under
the Philadelphia and Reading company.
James H. Torrey of the Delaware and Hud-
son company, brought out some pertinent facts
! One that the vote for a strike at the Halle
ton convention 461A, and against it 349a4
Mr.. Mitchell explained that the opposition was
due to the stand he took. He opposed the strike
because he still had faint hope that the oper-
ators would agree to an amcable settlement Of
| the difficulties. and because he also desired a
strike If 1t had to be ordered, postponed until a
more appropriate time.
/ On the question of violence and his alleged
failure to make good his word about protecting
| property, he said:
never said that we would furnish men to
! protect coal properties while the operators
| worked them We were always willing to fur
| nish guards TO protect property from injury by
| our members
Ira Burns attorney for the individual opera
/ tors. in taking up the question Of the union
men in the mines, asked Mr. Mitchell:
! If an individual operator has half OF his cham
bers filled now with non-union men, do you say
that he ought to make contract with you? II
so, what should that contract mean? That YOU
! are to govern the whole mine with your rules?
Mr.. Mitchell answered;
feel that it would be presumptious in me to
tell the commission, and I cannot say it to you
without saying 1t to them, just what the word
ing Of the decision should be. 1 hope when II ia
made it will do justice to ALL that is all
President Mitchell said he would ask the com
mission to restore the strikers who are still out
but not to displace non-union workers There