Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-15
A Matter of Protection.

looking after the Sa1etV OF your ldDOIeTb
you could only do that by being with them
and working with them
A Matter of Protection.
Commissioner Watkins followed by asking
Mr.. Mitchell if the union permitted miner
TO employ three laborers.
The organization is opposed" said Mr..
Mitchell. ito miners employing more than
one laborer., 1t Is not the execution of any
well-defned policy 1t is simply a regula-
ton that the miners of the anthracite heIi
find necessary TO protect themselves agalESt
favoritism and against one man gong cut
and hiring lot of laborers and bringing
them in and having them work for him..
In reply to a question as to whether ne
believed that all miners should be PAID py
the day rather than by the car or ton, MT.
Mitchell said he did not know #heLfet IL
would be practicable.
Wages by the Ton.
Here followed a long line of questions on
the paying of wages by the ton. The min
ers' leader said that every miner should be
paid for every pound of merchantable coal
produced by him.
Mr.. Mitchell denied any knowledge of the
organization having inaugurated a strike
because of the employment Of non-un!en
men. but he had heard that local unioas
had suspended work on this account
He had no personal views to offer on tae
National Guard, but he felt that they
should exercise the same rights and pr v
ileges that every one else does in that te-
xpect.
Questioned by Wayne MacVeigh.
When Mr.. Wilcox concluded his cross
examination the witness was questioned by
Wayne MacVeagh, representing the Penn
sylvania Coal Company and the Hillside
Coal and Iron Company.
Mr. MacVeagh said to Mr.. Mitchell that
he did not wish to have him suppose that
he (Mr. MaCVeagh) was opposed to the
proper organization of labor. lie thought
that where there are large corporations as
employers it may be to the interests OF
the employed that they should be organ
lied.
Mr. Macveagh added that the gentlemen
he represented knew they were not intai-
lfble. and that in the management Of their
property they might have made mistakes.
He held Mr.. Mitchell down to an exact
statement of the grievances which the
miners had against the companies repre-
scented by him
Grievances of the Miners
Mr. Mitchell stated these TO be that the
companies have failed 10 pay wages sui
hciently high: rsaI ihey aaye failed 10
establish conditions % employment that
were fair IAat ttsSy have wrong system
OF measuring sss earnings % the miners,
and Ihac s&ssC opposition 20 the treatment
of the men rs e-xarEss.3 Essr had not been
for tbs best
Mr.. NacVsxsa repeated the demand for
a - per cent s-E=s4Ss over the wages paid
before the strike and asked NJ. Mitchell
If he really knew what these wages were.
Mr.. Mitchell answered that he did in
general way. bun thar he would have TO
examine the scale from the mine and this
he did not have In front of him.
But You are not now prepared to ask
for an increase of those wages. said MI
MacV eagh, because You don't know what
the present wages are.
Recess Taken.
Mr.. Mitchell's reply was that he was pre-
pared to ask for the increase even though
he did not have the tables before him.
After some further questioning, involving
matters of detail. q recess was announced.