The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-04
NO RECOGNITION OF union.
coal STRIkE ARBITRtTORS SEEN
TO NAME THAT PLAIN.
Judge Gray Announces That the Proceed.
inss Are Based Entirely on the Oper.
ators' Letter 10 the PubIic-That
Barred Out Recognize Judge Ora,
says II Has the Force Of a Contract


that is too plain to be misunderstood that
II Is not the intention of the anthracite
strike comIni' sion TO recognize the union
ana the Introduction of the testimony of
the first woman To be called in the inquiry
We're the features Of the first session Of the
commission held to-day after the long
recess declared to enable the different
sides TO agree upon certain facts and fig
ures necessary for the information and
guidance OF the arbitrators
After few additional questions had
been asked Of John Mitchell. the counsel
for the miners took up the task Of exam
lining miners and other witnesses sum
moned here from the Hazleton regions
matter that excited considerable inter-
est was the relation that the mining firm
OF toAe Bros, Incorporated bears to he
inquiry Of the commission This was
Drought In question n soon a. Witnesses
from the HaZleton region were called.
'oxe Bros. are mo- represented before the
commission. They have, however, sent
letter To the commission saying that
they will abide by the decision that the
arbitrators reach
Mr.. "oN erton, representing other COM
panios that have filed statements, OBJ
Jected 70 the introduction of testimony
. relative TO conditions at the Coke Bros
mines. saying that he did not think that
they we're parties 10 the controversy. He
wanted decision from the commission
covering that point
There was considerable hesitancy upon
the part Of the arbitrator before this was
answered. Judge Gray announced that
the commission would hear the testimony
and If 1t was decided that the Coke Bros
are not parties To the controversy, then
the evidence could be stricken out.
In opening the session Judge Gray an
nounoed that all who desired TO become
parties to the hearing and expect to be
bound by ii, decision must enter their
appearance on record by 10 O'Clock to-
morrow morning and not later
Judge Gray then said that the recess
was declared by the commission for the
purpose Of giving time to prepare statis-
tics on such matters as could he ascer-
tanned with a certainty by proper account
ants. He added
The commission also wishes 10 say tnat
parties to the investigation and award
may not withdraw from here without the
consent of the other parties TO the con-
troversv. We shall be glad to have the
entire field represented in this investiga-
ton, and the entire subject covered before
any award can be made.
We have already said that the power
OF tho commission rests upon the letter Of
the operators To the public and accepted
by the miners through Mr.. Mitchell. Each
party who has appeared under the terms
OF That letter must remain until the matter
~ concluded or until the other side saws
he may go. They have all entered into
contract TO arb'rata, and one side cannot
abrogate that contract without the consent
of the other side
This remark Is taken TO represent the
attitude Of the commission toward the
matter OF the recognition Of the union
Inc letter ot the Operators referred 10
barred from the consideration of the opara-
tors the matter of granting to the union
the recognition that il era we'd
MIR. BARROW, for the miners said that
up 70 date the counsel for the miners have
only received figures from the Delaware
and Hudson company. He said that me-
mentioned TINS 80 that the commission
would excuse them il they put in their evil
dencc out of the proper order.
John Mitchell was here recalled Ia the
stand and Questioned a. to how much an
increase Of ~ Per cent in wage, would in
crease the prlc" that each company would
have to pay for a ton Of coal. Sir Mitchell
SAID that 1t would mean an increase Of about
20 cents a ton. some figures show il to be-
]. cent- and some ne low as 10 cents
Mr. barrow then had several miners sworn
who will be called later 10 testify.
Mr. Mitchell vas then questioned very
clcS"lF by several attorneys as to his rea-
sons for saying that the companies since
the strike Of 1900 had increased the price of
coal to a figure much beyond the increased
cost Of production. Nj Mitchell admitted
that hia iigures might not be absolutely cor
rect One of his statements was to the
effect that the companies do not object
so much TO increasing wages a. they do
TO recognizing the union.
Photographic S were int reduced 10 identify
pictures OF miner homes taken near Halle
Ton ten, Wilson asked Mr.. barrow il
theY were the pictures Of the worst homes
Mr.. barrow answered that they were but
his colleague Mr.. Mccarthy Of Hazleton,
answeTcd that they were not,
W, II, Dcttley, mii.or of Coke Bros
at Drifton, president of the Driiton local
and member of the District Beard, was
the practic al miner called to the stand
by Mr.. barrow. He testified about con-
6itions in the mines where he worked
he sad that he krcw of cases where the
dockage was 10 per cent, Then he went
on 10 describe the att Ide of Coke Bros
at the conclusion Of the last strike, allie ging
that great deal Of discrimination was
used He said that he knew of cases of
blacklisting, for he himself had suffered
from II for six months because he had
refused to work breast that would yield
him only 81 a week
Dl1ettre,y then said that on, the day the
Wilkes Rarre convention ordered the men
to return 10 work. Coke Bros. refused to
recognize the union in any way. The
witness told Of the different nego-
tlations with N" company and said
that the union vas wiling TO have those
men lose their places who either lost work
through the Introduction 81 machinery or
had been guilty Of Violations Of the law
Dettrey then went on to discussion Of
the wages that laborers get He said that
when the laborers work for the contract
Ynipera they from 81 n 4 o. a day