Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-17
MITCHELL IN A
HOT Debate
WINS
ATTORNEY MVEAGH FAILS TO
EMBARRASS THE COAL MIN
ERS' LEADER IN CoLLooUY
SATURDAY.

SCRANTON. Penn. November b.
Mr. Wilcox resumed his cross-examina-
tion OF Mr.. Mitchell. He put In evidence
extracts from the proceedings from the
ehamokin convention which formulated
the demands which caused the late strike,
a cory OF the United Nine Workers jour
nal. the oficial organ OF the union ana
volumfnous copy OF the Federationist. the
onacial publication OF the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor.
NJ. Mitchell said the local unions or
mass meetings may direct the operations
OF the pickets- Mr.. Wilcox then read from
a statement made by President Comp
erE. OF the Federation OF Labor, at the
CHICAGO trust conference IN September
1Se. IN which Mr.. Gompers Is alleged 70
have said that q trust legislation which
did not especially exempt organized labor
from IT'S operations would meet the un-
questioned opposition OF all labor forces
and asked the witness II that expressed
his views
III Mitchell replied that organized labor
would not look with favor upon any law
that would legisiate them out OF business.
he said he regarded as living wages for a
miner not less than 500 per annum, which
would cover his actual necessities and
permit him 20 educate his children
AZ this point Judge Gray asked witness
AZ he meant TO say a wage SUFFICIENT TO
permit the children 70 avail themselves OF
the public schools or 20 spend a portion
OF the family income directly for educa-
ton and sufncient 10 render IL unneces-
say 70 employ child labor TO increase the
income OF the family.
me witness answered IN the afnrma-
tive.
On the question OF the minimum age at
which a boy should 20 on the breaker. Mr..
Mitchell said he would advocate that IL
Be put at IA years.
Mr.. wilcox examined Mr.. Mitchell az
some length regarding the various demand
OF the miners
-Do you know the wages that are paid
are about $4,000 COR Mr.. wilcox asked
II have read that statement" the wit
ness answered
s'Don't you or your committees know
its'' inquired Mr.. wilcox
mo, SIR. we don't"
This is q demand OF 80 .0oo. 900 increase
IN the cost OF production" said Mr.. VIII
coz.
.'On that calculation, yes" replied wit
ness. that would be about Il or Is cents
q ton"
Mr.. wilcox took I'D one OF President
Baer's statements and Mr.. Mitchell said
that IL was susceptible OF several interpre-
tations.
ssFor instance" he said. Mr. Baer Is
quoted as saying that slate pickers re-
celve S. cents a day. That may be true
IN some cases. but we know that most
slate pickers get much less than that
amount"
NJ. Mitchell said that II the miners had
known at the outset that the differences
would 20 before a board OF arbitration.
they would have asked for more. 50 that
while the arbitrators were settling the
question they would settle IL right.
a 49,
restricted the quantity OF work a man
had 70 perform. and he said he did believe
IN regulating the hours OF the work
Commissioner Watkins asked Mr.. Mitch
Ell II the union permitted a miner to en-
ploy three laborers.
The organization is opposed" he said.
Ito miners employing more than one Ia
borer. II is not the execution OF any well
defined policy. II is simply a regulation
that the miners Of the anthracite field find
necessary to protect themselves against
favoritism and against one man going out
and hiring a lot OF laborers and bringing
them I'm and having them work for him !"
IN reply TO a question as to whether he
believed that all miners should be paid
BY the day rather than by the car or ton.
Mr.. Mitchell said he did not know wheth-
CT II would he practicable. He said every
miner should be paid for every pound OF
merchandise coal produced by him.
Mr.. Mitchell denied any knowledge that
the organization had inaugurated a strike
because OF the employment Of non-union
men. but he had heard that local unions
had suspended work on this account He
had no personal views to offer on the sub
5ect Of members OF the union joining the
national guard. but he felt that they
should exercise the same rights and priv
fleges that every one else does in that
respect.
When Mr.. wilcox concluded his cross
examination the witness was questioned
By Wayne MacVeagh. representing the
Pennsylvania Coal company and the Hill
side Coal and Iron company
He held Mr.. Mitchell down 10 an exact
statement Of the grievances which the
miners had against the companies rep
resented by him Mr.. Mitchell stated
these 20 be that the companies have fail
ed 70 pay wages sufficiently high: that
they have failed 10 establish conditions
OF employment that were fair; that they
have a wrong system Of measuring the
earnings Of the miners and their opposi-
ton 20 the treatment OF the men as or
ganixed men were not for the best. Mr..
Macveagh repeated the demand for a q
per cent increase over the wages paid al
the time OF the strike and asked Mr.
Mitchell II he really knew what those
wages were. Mr.. Mitchell said that he did
not IN q general way, but that he would
have 10 examine the scale from the mine.
and that he did not have IL In front OF
him.
But you are not now prepared 10 ash
for an increase OF those wages?'' said Mr.
Macveagh. because you don't know
what the present wages are7'
Mr.. Mitchelfs reply was that he was
prepared 70 ask for the increase ever
though he did not have the tables before
him
After some further questioning. involv.
ing matters OF detail. a recess was an.
nounced.
HoN-UNIoN MEN WILL BE
HEARD BY COMMITTEES
SCRANTON. Pa. Nov. B.-The Goa