The Topeka state journal., 1902-11-14
submit to injustice or inaugurate

mean dictdtion or interference by men
not employed by the companies! it simply
means that officers selected by the mine
workers shall exercise supervision over
the organization CT shall counsel with the
NINE workers as to how their trade affairs
shall be conducted. The miners have as
much right to select spokesmen to act
for them, to present their grievances to
manage their affairs, as have the stock
holders of any one of the anthracite coal
companies to elect their officers to per-
form like functions
For the information of the commission
we herewith outline more specifically a
plan of procedure which, if 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 paying
for the product of the miners work
should be Incorporated in an agreement
between the representatives of the
ious coal companies and the representa-
tives of the organization of which the
complainants in this case are members
Second, there should be a committee
Of conservative representative mine work
ers selected by the employees at each col
liery; it should be the duty of this COM
mittee to cooperate with the mine fore
men in the adjustment of local disputes
which cannot be settled between the mine
foremen and the mine worker or the mine
workers involved.
Third should the mine foreman and
mine company fail to adjust the griev-
ance complained of, the matter in dis
pute should be referred to the company'S
superintendent and a general grievance
committee which should be constituted of
representative mine workers from each
coliery operated by any one company.
Should they fail to adjust it, it should
be referred to the general manager of
the coal company and the district presi-
dent of the miners organization and
should they fail to adjust it they shall
call upon the services of some disinterest-
cd person whose decision should be final.
pending an adjustment in the manner set
FORTH the mines and the miners should
continue at work.
A PLEA FOR CHILDREN.
Mr. Mitchell concluded with a plea for
the children. He said:
'Our little boys should not be forced
into the mines and breakers so early in
life; little girls should not be COM
PEELED to work in the mills and factories
at an age when they should be in school
These children are the future citizens of
our nation; their parents should be en-
abled to earn wages sufficiently high
to give them at least a common school
education so as to equip them to bear the
grave responsibilities that will ultimately
devolve upon them The wealth and the
future of the nation are not to be meas
ured by its palaces and millionaires, but
and prosperity of its millions of citizens
who constitute the bone and sinew OF
our land"
During the reading of his address. Mr..
Mitchell was followed with the closest
attention.
Responding to a question by Judge
Gray Mr.. Darrow said the miners
would at the outset put on some wit
nesses and that he would call on Mr.
Mitchell first.
MITCHELL ON THE STAND
Before Mr.. Mitchell took the stand, 1t
was agreed that all witnesses should be
put under oath. Mr.. Mitchell was then
sworn and said that 80 per cent of the
anthracite miners are members of the
union and that the president or execu-
tive board could not order strike ex-
cept upon the affirmative vote of the
miners themselves.
Responding to several questions, Mr..
Mitchell explained the relations between
the union and the bituminous operators
and said that by reason of the contracts
entered into by them there had been no
strikes. Where no contracts were made,
he said. there had been strikes of con-
siderable magnitude. Through the ami
cable relations with the bituminous
opera tors, Mr.. Mitchell sand, wages had
been increased since 1898 an average of
so per cent and that there had been a
reduction in hours of from ten to eight
and also in the number of children en-
ployed. The price of fuel, both btu
gradually increased. The work of min
ing, he characterized as the most haz-
ardous in the world. In answer to fur
ther questionings by Mr.. Darrow, Mr..
Mitchell said that last year 513 men
were killed in the mines and1 200 in
jured He said that most life insurance
companies refuse to take employees of
mines. The number of deaths in the
bituminous fields in proportion to the
number of men employed, was not so
great as in the anthracite regions.
Mr.. Mitchell comparing the rates of
wa ges paid in the bituminous fields with
those paid in - @ anthracite region. said
they were from 40 to so per cent higher
in the bituminous country in some
classes of work and from 20 to 30 per
cent in others.
He said he had visited the homes of
miners in this region and the bitumin-
Gus fields. and generally speaking, the
conditions in the soft coal fields are bet
ter than in the hard coal territory.
He said the agitation for high wages
was begun two years ago. This had
crystallized into demand to be paid
by weight, which in his opinion, was the
only honest method of determining the
amount the men earn. He spoke of the
increased size of the coal cars and the
demand of the operators that more
top" should be put on, which, he SAID,
had been a source of more trouble than
any one thing he knew of
Were you willing to submit to arbi-
tration2" Mr. Darrow asked.
Always" said Mr.. Mitchell.
And of course you are now?"
Yes In a public statement June %,
we proposed arbitration"
Mr. Darrow's next question brought
out the first public statement regarding
the amount of aid given the strikers.
Mr. Mitchell said that 81 500 900 had been
distributed among the workers and that
non union men on strike had shared
equally with the unionists although
they had paid no dues. He said he did
not know of single instance where his
organization had failed to keep Its con-
tracts.
What do you say as to the ability
of your organization to maintain dis
ciDline and assist in the settlement Of
questions and help in the harmony Of