The Morris County chronicle., 1902-11-21
COAL STRIKE HEARING
Minister TestifieS as to Conditions
In Anthracite Fields.
HAZARDS OF MINERS LIFE.
Witness Quotes Statistics to Prove
That Coal Mining Is Even More
Dangerous an Occupation
Than Rai1rOading.

| began, the Rev. DR.. Peter Roberts
who has written a book on the coal
| industry, was on the stand Simon p
Wolverton, counsel for the Philadel-
| phia and Reading Coal and Iron COM
pany, cross examined DR.. Roberts Dr.
Roberts said that a comparison of ia
talities on all railroads in the United
| States with those in the anthracite
| field shows that 2.5 per 1000 railroad
| employees are killed annually while
3.5 per LOCO employees are killed in
the anthracite industry. The fatali-
ties, switchmen, fagmen and watch
men, in 1900 he stated to be 5.3 per
1000 as against 5.5 per 1000 among
miners and their laborers working in
| side the mines.
The question of arriving at fair
| price on rock in connection with coal
mining DR.. Roberts said was one that
could be adjusted only by the mine
employees and the companies. He said
| it was far from the truth to character
| lie the operators as hard hearted and
unjust and as seeking constantly to
grind men down to the last penny of
wages, as had been charged.
DR.. Roberts declared that the men in
the southern anthracite district voted
to stand by their brothers in the north
ern district on the question of insisting
on the recognition of the union and
| IoIc oil y,
ShamOkin convention. Answering fur
ther questions by Mr.. Wolverton, DR.
Roberts said he understood that dis
| sensions had occurred between miners
and their helpers, the latter claiming
that the miner left him at an unseason-
able hour and imposed on him the
whole of the labor.
Elaborates Magazine Article.
After reading from lengthy article
by DIR. Roberts in the Yale Review on
the labor situation in the hard coal
fields prior to the strike, the witness
said in elaboration of what he had
written that by investigation regarding
the laborers forming an independent
| organization he found that movement
was chiefly rising by the nonunion
men. II do not know what was the
motive of their action" said he, but
it seems that they were instigated to
movements of this kind by parties
opposed to the organization of labor"
''If the conditions in the bituminOus
regions" inquired Mr.. Wolverton, "are
better than in the anthracite fields, why
did the men who left the hard coal
regions during the strike return to the
anthracite fields after the strike.''
The response was that they did so
| because of social and family ties, but
upon being pressed for the reason
which influenced bachelors to return
the witness said, 1T would depend
upon whether or not he had a sweet
heart
"You think that might influence
him?" inquired Mr. Wolverton.
81 think it would be very great
| inducement," said DR.. Roberts.
I CareIessness of Miners.
The examination turning ON the
amount of care exercised by the miners
| in their work, Judge Gray remarked
that there is always a margin of human
carelessness which must be taken into
account
Mr.. WolvertOn read a long abstract
from DR.. Roberts writings, which re-
cited numerous instances of violence
intimidation and boycott committed by
the members of the union, particularly
the Slavs. during the 1900 strike.
'The effect of putting the control of
contracts between employer and EN-
ployee under the local unions" said
Mr.. Wolverton, "would be to put them
in the hands of an organization which
you say is controlled by Slavs who
have 10 respect for persons or proper
ty."
II did not say the organization was
controlled by Slavs" was the reply,
'or that they were in the majority"
He added that from 30 to 45 per cent
Of the mine workers were Slavs.
DR.. Roberts earlier in his eXamina-
ton had said the newspaper reports
of violence had been greatly eXagger-
ated. Mr.. Wolyerton now read copious
extracts from u magazine article, which
DR.. Roberts would not deny he haG
written, in which he described many
acts of intimidation, violence and boy
colt. In explanation DR.. Roberts said
that these acts could not all be attrib-
uted to the union and made a brief
speech in which he said the operators
refused to arbtrate and the men were
forced to strike to gain their demands.
They grew hungry in the struggle"
he said, and hungry man is dan
gerous."
Child Labor Law.
The fact was brought out in the
course of the cross examination that
the Pennsylvania legislature in 1891
passed a compulsory education law APP
plying to every child under sixteen
years and that under its provisions
parents of delinquents can be pun
ished.
The question of the extra hazardous
character of the mine workers occupa-
tion was then referred to by Everett
Warren, counsel for the Erie company,
who asked the witness if it were not
true that over 90 per cent of the acci-
dents are attributable to the anxiety
of the miner to get out of the mine at
Hiuch earlier hour than noon. The
witness was not prepared to say that
that was the percentage.
David Wi1lcox counsel for tha Della