The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-12-16
OPERATOR ONTHESTAND
President # Peoples Company Re-
fused 10 Give Price of Coal.

Ffesi~ent u Peoples Company Re-
fused to Give Price of Coal.
COMPANIES MAY ASK Foa TIME
Miners Attorney Announced That
They VIII Close Their Case In a
Few osys-some Interesting Testi.
mony.
Scranton. Pa. Dec. 1.-THE repre-.
sentatives of the miners during the
course Of yesterdays proceedings be
fore the anthracite coal strike com
mission called one of the independent
operators to the witness stand TO tell
the exact price he received for his
coal. and the mine owner refused. Civ.
ing instead. after much questioning. an
average of the price he received The
operator was l.. Crawford. presi
dent of the Peoples Coal Company.
T which operates the oxford oolliery in
Scranton. The request for him to take
the stand came as 4 surprise. The Ok
ford colliery during the strike managed
to get enough men to operate the
plant. and for one month. according
TO Mr.. Crawford. his company received
$50 ton for its coal. Objection was
raised TO the miners lawyers trying
TO get him to tell what he received
from the Delaware. Lackawanna aud
Western Company for its product but
the witness was permitted to proceed
TO be examined for what it was worth.
the commission stating, that the eNcep
tional high price OF coal during the
strike was not pertinent TO the pres
ent inquiry.
The miners announced that they ex-
pected 10 close their case on Satur
day. and thus gave notice to tho other
side 10 be ready to proceed with their
testimony. In reply the companies an.
nounccd that they may have to ask
for short recess in order to properly
prepare their case. Judge Gray. for
the commission. in reply said he hoped
there would he no interruption in the
proceedings and that the companies
will be able TO proceed as soon as the
miners have concluded their case
From the large number of witnesses
yet to be called by the miners Il is not
likely that they will finish their case
on Saturday
At the afternoon session two wit.
nesses. employed by the Delaware
Lackawanna and Western Company.
were called and each testified that
before the 1900 strike the men where
they worked received % cents a car.
and that the strike was ended by the
company agreeing to give the men an
increase in wages OF 10 per cent, 2ik
per cent in cash and the other ~
per cent to be considered in the re.
duction in the price of powder. In
stead of receiving the increase they
now get three cents n car less. or 81
cents They did not know why II was
reduced. In cross-eNamination the
company produced figures which
showed that one OF the witnesses earn
ed an average OF $f23 day for Il
days worked in November. The wit
ness claimed that he went into the
mine % days during the month. One OF
the same witnesses handed in state
ment which was given him some time
ago by a mine superintendent. show
ing that there were seven sizes Of mine
cars in the coliery where he worked.
The witness said the same wages are
paid for filling all OF them.
Patrick O'Boyle. a miner. gave the
history OF increase in the size of the
miners ton from 2.240 pounds TO 1916
He said that 20 years ago sizes under
pea coal We're not used. and therefore
1t was dumped on the refuse pile and
the ton raised to 3.l36 in order that
the companies could get out 2.24O
pounds of marketable coal At pres
ent the companies are using coal three
or four sizes under pea, and the men
are not being paid for It.
John William Griffith. superintend-
ent Of schools of Nanticoke. near
Wiikesbarre. was called to the stand
to show that miners children do not
so as high in the school grades as the
children of other parents. which cor.
roborates testimony given by other
school superintendent who were on
the stand.
Father ODonnell. who was on the
stand yesterday forenoon. was re-
called for cross-eXamination He had
personal knowledge of only one case
of violence. and did not see other acts
of lawlessness committed in Olyphant.
where he was stationed, but believed
newspaper accounts We're exaggerated.
DO you believe in boycotts?" asked
Judge Gray. The witness replied that
he believed he had the right not to
deal or associate with a person who
did something that he did not like or
that was contrary to his interests.
II go along with you that far" said
the chairman. How much further
would you go? For instance. have
you a right to boycott me If I should
deal or associate with such a per
SON ,"