New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-14
TO HEAR TESTIMONY TO-DAY,
MINE WORKERS WILL HAVE MORE
THAN ONE HUNDRED WITNESSES
BEFORE THE COAL STRIKE
COMMISSION.
rpr TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE

Wikesbarre. Penn. Nov. 13-At a final confer
ence of President Mitchell and his associates be-
fore leaving this city to-day. the arrangements
for presenting the evidence of the mine workers
TO the strike commission were completed The
party left ERE this evening, and will establish
headquarters at the st. Charles Hotel in Scran-
ton eight rooms having been engaged for them
Thirty large boxes of testimony and references
We're taken with them
President Mitchell will open the ease for the
mine workers soon as the necessary Preimih-
aries of the first session are over. HlS opening ao-
dress is long document setting forth in detail
the conditions existing in the coal fields and those
about which the mine workers complain, speaking
of the rate of wages, the methods of living the
company house evil and the methods OF mining
and of paying for the work II will go on to eX-
press the mine workers understanding OF the scope
and the powers Of the commission, explain in de-
tail the demands of the Shamokin convention, and
describe the characteristics of the mine workers
Following this Mr.. Mitchell will go upon the stand
as a witness. His examination In chief will be
conducted by Clarence barrow. chief attorney Tor
the mine workers.
Following Mr. Mitchell will come the Rev Peter
Roberts, of Nahanoy City. who for years has been
a close student of mining conditions and recog-
nized expert upon the subject He has aided ma
terially IN the preparation of the mine workers
evidence. and his own testimony will be OF great
importance. It will deal principally with the
economics of the coal industry, and he may be on
the stand for several hours. Mr.. Roberts VIII also
speak of the moral and social conditions OF the
coal region. He Will be present throughout the
hearings, advising Mr. Mitchell The statistics
Will be presented largely by DR. Walter + WeyL
an expert statistician who has been working upon
them for weeks. They will deal 10 some extent
with the condition Of mine workers children show
ing by comparative tables respecting the different
grades in the schools that fewer mine workers
children are in the schools for each succeeding
grade than children of other workers, this being
due so the mine workers side will contend. TO the
absolute need of the services of the miners chill
dren in earning money 10 aid in supporting their
families COmDaratfve ables OF Will be
presented Of the of living, of the miners saw
ing capacity compared with that OF other workers.
of the dangers OF coal mining OF the SICK rate ana
of the number of CTippleS among the WORKERS.
These three witnesses will be followed Dy a
large number who will give evidence as to the gen
eral condition of the region and particular conql-
tionS at separate mines FlFSL viii PC LLStLICS
Presidents Nichols and Duffy, of Districts NOS j
and T. respectively The chief officers OF the mine
workers will follow, district and executive oodId
members acquainted with conditions in each dis
DistrIct No I twenty from District No. and
tors, teachers and ministers VIII teStity 70 ths
physical educational and social conditions among
the mine workers. This mass OF testimony VIII
probably take four weeks 70 present =.
Messrs. Gray. Wilson. Parker ana clark. OF the
commission reached Scranton tonight during
daV Commissioners Wright and Watkins ndO
completed the arrangemetts for hearing testimony.
The commission Will sit as regular court, helhs
dence Extensive arrangements nave oeeh m@de
for the taking Of the testimony lypvWrltteh
copies OF the testimony Will be PROVIDED lot tis
newspapers and others at a nominal cost 10 stIu
in transcrtbing the stenOgTapherS' notes ana IOr
the preservation Of the evidence, a graphophohe
will be used All the attorneys or f0e coal COM
officials Of the companies, are now in scranton,
ready for the morning