The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-16
RigidIY CfOss- s-ENamiRed by Two Brilliant Attorneys Before
 Strike Commission
ID GRANT DEMANDS MEANS
 INCREASE OF S12 100000
Several New Phases of the Question Brought Out and the Two Attor- neys and Miners President
 Quit Wit.1 F.sacr5 Easy.

Scranton, Pa, November 15.-President Mitchell of the United Mine Workers union occupied the witness stand through out both sessions of the coal strike com mission today. For four hours and half he took the cross-flre of two of the most brilliant attorneys of the coal com panies, and ended the day with few scars as a result of the battle. David Wilcox of New York, general counsel for the Delaware and Hudson, and Vain Mo veagh of Philadelphia, who is represent ing the Pennsylvania Coal company, and the Hillside Coal and Iron company, were the principal questioners, and they put hundreds of questions to MT. Mitchell. The afternoon session was the most inter- esting. MT. McVeagh's ross-examination was, as a rule, very keen, and while he assured MT. Mitchell that he was not rad dcally opposed to him. he did not miss an opportunity to place MT. Mitchelrs req sons for better conditions in the anthra- cite field in a bad light before the com mission. When he began his cross-ex- animation of MT. Mitchell at noon, he in- formed him that he was not opposed to proper organized labor.
 Took Up the Demand.
 He took up the demand Of the miners. He questioned MT. Mitchell on the de- mand for an increase in wages. and pressed the national president hard, when he asked him If he cared to carry the re- sponsibility of increasing the living ex- ,f fha of of the eastern states, who would ulti- mately have to carry the burdens if the demands of the miners for higher wages were granted. MT. Mitchells reply, in substance, was that the miners could assume the responsibility as it was sit uation over which they nad no control MT. McVeagh made the most of his op- portunity to picture the great burden that would fall upon the people if the demands for a shorter work day and the weighing of coal by the ton of 2240 pounds, and then took up the fourth de- mand of the men for trade agreements, which practically means recognition of the union. He asked MT. Mitchell what sort of contract he would draw up and the latter replied he would favor an agreement as outlined in his suggestion to the commission yesterday
 After going over the demands of the miners MT. McVeagh took up the condi- tion existing in and about the collieries of the companies he represented and tried to show that the conditions spoken of by MT. Mitchell were not borne out by Investigations. He took Forest City, where the mines of the companies are situated. as an example, and produced photographs of houses in the town arS also referred to the large deposits of money in the local bank to show the pros- porous condition of the community.
 Could Not Deny Assertion.
 MT. Mitchell although not admitting that the conditions as presented by MT. McVeagh were true, said he could not for lack ef familiarity with the community. deny his assertions. The constitution of the United Mine Workers Of America was also taken up by the lawyer, and he and MT. Mitchell several times spared for points regarding the references contained in it for an eight-hour day. MT. McVeagh contended that no one had the right to deny a man the privilege of working more than eight hours a day, if he so de- sired. He said no one member of the com mission would be occupying his present high place, if he had limited his own la bors to eight hours a day. With refer ence to this argument MT. Mitchell thought it was not fair to compare the mine workers with the arbitrators. MT. McVeagh said he himself started out in life by working fourteen hours a day on a farm and for more than forty years he had worked more than ten hours a day. To the direct question of whether he, as president of the union had a right to curtail the hours of employment each day of the miners. MT. Mitchell said he thought he had and made an explanation by saying that if one miner worked more 71xr r14f11 ,l.ah result in the other men being compelled to work the same number of hours.
 Would Increase Expenses $12,000,000.
 During MT. Mitcheirs examination, bY MT Wilcox. the fact was brought out that if the increase in wages was grant ed 1t would increase the expenses of the companies about s12OOO,0 0Oo In regard to child labor MT. Mitchell said he was in favor of state law which would make the minimum age for a boy to go to work at the collieries IA, instead of F years.
 The attention of MT. Mitchell was directed to the demand that the operators should make an agreement with the United Mine Workers, and MT. McVeagh asked If he had prepared draft of such agreement, which he would have the com mission compel them to execute. MT. Mitchell replied that he had suggested in his opening address to the commission form that would be practicable and acceptable to all interests in the anthra- cite field. MT. McVeagh declared that there was nothing in MT. MitchelPs sug- gestion that the companies must enter into partnership with the United Mine Workers and inquired if that was one of the miners demands. MT. Mitchell an- swered that it was, whereupon MT. Me- | Veagh said his company was endeavor- ing to ascertain and would continue to ascertain what reasons there were for attempting to compel them to enter into that agreement.
 It is expected that all of next week will be taken up by the miners In pre- senting their case. The same great array