The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-15

hook on the subject. During the hearing all the attorneys took copious notes ana it looks as if the investigation will De long drawn out, unless some arrangement for curtailing the cross examination oi witnesses is agreed upon The Indianapolis Convention. Mir. wilcox read newspaper accounts referring to the proceedings of the Indian spolis convention, at which 1t was pro- posed to call for a national convention. MT. Willcox-As 1 understand it, work CTS in the bituminous fields are under contracts
 Mr. Mitchell-Yes, sir. And you say those contracts are su- perior to the constitution of the United Mine workers?'
 "Yes, sir.'
 How. then, could that convention have considered the question of inauguratns a national suspension? "It did not consider It. because by unan- imous vote 1t was decided not to inaugu- rate a national suspension It was called for the purpose of considering the appli- cation of the anthracite miners that sympathetic strike be inaugurated." what was the object of the conven- tion?"
 Well, I had my own reasons for not telling them that. They knew 1t. The real purpose of the convention was car ried out and q ,500,000 was got from them to help to sustain these anthracite men while on strfke."
 MT. Wilcox then inquired if. under the constitution of the United Mine Work CTS, should there be a strike in the Vest ern Pennsylvania bituminous mines. 1t should turn out that anthracite coal was going there, the national officers could not order a strike in the anthracite dis trict.
 MT. Mitchell, with emphasis. said they could not, and in support of his state- ment, read from one of the agreements | with the bituminous operators; in 1t was expressly provided that the contract could not be set aside because of any rules of the United Mine Workers now in force or hereafter adopted. The constitution gives the President a
 good deal of discretion, doesn't it?" in- quired MT. Wilcox.
 That is true of every constitution" an-
 swered Mir. Mitchell. even the Constitu- ton of the United States" Arbitrators Restless. Mir Wilcox at this point read the tes- timony of MT. Mitchell before the 1n- dustrial Commission, in which he ex- plained the policy and conditions of the mine workers at that time. This occu- pied an hour, and several members of | the commission became restless, MT. Will coxs voice at times becoming almost in- audible.
 Referring to the strike of 1900, Mir Will COX handed to MT. Mitchell for identifica- ton a copy of the resolutions passed as the Hazelton convention of August, 27, | ard inquired if he was able to state how much those demands would have added | to the labor cost of mining. MT. Mitchell | replied that the increase would nave amounted to 20 per cent.
 "Wouldn't 1t surprise you to know" in- | terjected Mir. Wilcox, that the increase | would have been about 70 per cent?' | q do not remember" was the response l q think we fixed the minimum price al about $1.75 per day. I do not think the men were earning 70 per cent less than | that"
 | MT. Wilcox continued his reading of | Mir. Mitchell's testimony before the in- | dustrial Commission and inquired what
 methods were adopted for tie purpose of | getting the men out on the strike Of l9OO. l The witness declared that the officers of | the organization and mine workers who | were employed simply held meetings and | asked the men to go out, being notined 1 through the newspapers that certain | day was set for going out.
 What methods do you adopt to pre-
 
 | asked Mir. Wilcox.
 well, ordinarily" said MT. Mitchell, 'in the bituminous fields all mine work CTS in States where they have contracts are members of the organization. In parts of Central and Western Pennsyl- | vania they are not. They work together in harmony. The organization tries by persuasion to have the non-unionist come into the union. In the anthracite field they have worked the same way" AS to Violence. Speaking very slowly and with an evil | dent desire to impress the question upon | the Commission. MT. Wilcox said: MT. Mitchell, during the last strike there was considerable violence in the anthracite regions was there not?'' There was some violence but to what | extent I am not fully informed"
 MT. Wilcox here read the proclamation ] of Governor Stone of October 6. last. call
 ing out the entire Division of the Ma | tionaI Guard of the State and continuing. | said
 Tn your letter to President Roosevelt
 of October Is you said There have been
 few crimes and number of nisde-
 meanors chargeable to those on strike
 You recollect that don't you?"
 "Yes. sir." was the response.
 Has anything been done to discipline
 those people
 we have no method of punishing a man who has committed crime except | expulsion from the union. We have no
 record that any man who has been ar
 rested is a member of the United Mine | Workers of America" You said there were crimes and mis- | demeanors chargeable to those on strike. " There were any amount of non-union
 men on strike"
 Contining Mir. Wilcox asked what
 method was used to inquire into the sub
 feet to which MT. Mitchell responded by l saving that an examination of the union s l books of crimes committed failed to show | the connection of any union man with
 them.
 Matter for the Courts. We take the position that courts are established to determine the innocence l or guilt of any one arrested and until | then we have not the right to proceed against him. We have in every possible | way tried to persuade our men from com
 hitting acts of violence" There are no rules on the subject?'
 asked Mir. Wilcox.
 Our organization has no rules govern l ing the subject" was the witnesss re-
 sponse, because few of our members | ever commit crimes
 MT. Wilcox asked if Mir. Mitchell ap-
 proved of the methods of the miners du- | ring a strike in Hopkins County ken- | lucky. but Mir. Mitchell insisted he knew
 of no Iavlessness committed by the union uk