The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-15
CROSS-ExAMINATION.

tioil dDOul twenty HiiuuttS pciuiO '"S
noon recess was taken and continued IL
during the two hours Of the afternoon
session.
BY Mr.. Wilcox: O. Mr.. Mitchell, how
long did you act as bituminous MINER
A. Thirteen years. q. And was 1t con-
tinuous? A. Yes. sir. @. At what time.
would you mind telling. A. I started
when I was between IL and 10 years OF
age, until | was about 26 years OF age.
O. Have you done anything else except
| to act as an official of this organization?
before that time. however, on farm
A. I have not performed any work OUT
side of that since that time. ] worked
when was 10 years of age. Q. thought
YOU had studied law? A. I did at night
when came home from the work In the
mines. .. I thought you were profess
sional brother? A. have never been ad-
| mitted to the bar, however.
Q. The mine workers union is vo''in-
| tary association, as I understand 1t? A.
Yes. sir Q. And it is not Incorporated
| in any state or anywhere? A. 1t is not
an incorporated organization. but Is or
gani2ed the same as all other labor
unions. q. When did these anthracite
| miners first come into it. did you say?
A. They were formed of the members
of District assembly. 1875, which Joined
with the Miners Progressive union in
making the United Mine Workers OF
| America. @. How many of them were
| in that District 135, do YOU know? A. No.
sir: 1 do not know how many We're in
here. @. 1t was quite a small number,
was 1t not? A. could not say. I might
say. both of these two national unions
that Joined together only had total
membership of twenty or thirty thous-
| and. O. What I mean to get at 1T this
so far as this organization of knights or
Labor Is concerned. 1t had practically ex-
| pired, had 1t not? A. I cannot answer
| the question accurately. but / UNDER
| stand that a. considerable number OF it's
| total membership were anthracite mine
workers. Q. OF this particular district
| assembly, or what? A. Yes. sir: of No.
135. O. You do not know what the total
| membership was? A. i do not.
Q. Now. I understand that under the
| constitution of the United Mine Workers,
| the convention in their body has power
| to order strike in all the coal-produc-
| ing regions, is not that so? A. Yes. sir.
| Q. Has the national executive board that
power also? A. They have that authority
| given them by the law. but they cannot
| do It in violation of any existing con-
| tracts. O. Why not? A. Because the
| contracts themselves are superior to our
| law. @. Do YOU mean by virtue or any
| definite provision. A. No, by virtue or
| the policy and precedence established by
| the organization. @. But so far as the
| constitution is concerned, the executive
| board has the power to order a strike?
| A. That is our law. Q. Now, l under
stand that convention must be called
on the application of five districts? A.
| Yes, sir. Q. And that such convention
| may order a general suspension of work
everywhere. A. 1t may. except In the
| event of agreements existing between the
| operators and miners. O. How many
districts are there? A. There are eigh-
| teen districts. y. There are eighteen dis
| tricts. and oily three of them are anthra-
cite districts. A. Yes, sir. Q. And each
| district elects one member of the board
| does it? A Yes, sir. O. There is a great
| deal of difference as to the size Of the
| districts. as to membership, [ under
| stand? A. Yes. very great difference
| O. For instance, in Michigan. | believe
| there are only two or three thousand A
| Yes. sir Q. And in those three dis.
| tricts, you say there are one hundred and
ten thousand. A. Yes. sir. O. But the
power is divided according TO the mum.
| ber of the members; that is. the district
| representatives? A. No, each district il
| given one member OH the board. q. Yes
| A. However. in our conventions their vot-
ing power is in accordance with the num-
Der of members. @, But in the national
board, for the purpose of calling con-
Ventlon. for instance. the state of Michi-
gan would have as much power as this
| District No. ] here would 1T not? A
That is true. Q. And the powers of the
body generally between conventions are
exercised by the national board? A. No
sir c. Is that so? A. The law provides
that they shall have power between con.
ventions, but the regulation of a district
Is by the district executive board. which
is empowered to make laws for it's owr
government O. Yes, but does not the
national board have power over the dis.
trict board? A. 1t has power to inaugur.
ate a strike.
@. You spoke of disciplining the miners
for violating contracts? A. Yes. sir. @
Is there anything in the constitution in
regard to that? A. No. sir, except tina,
the officers are empowered TO exercise
supervision over the workings of the or
ganization everywhere. Q. Yes? A. And
under that our district constitutions ir
some states do make provision for re-
voling or disciplining the members, ap
plying penalties and fines and SO forth
Q. Have you got the district constitutions
of this particular region? A. have MOI
got them right with me. / am trying t.
get some which will be furnished wher
they arrive. O. Do they have any sucl
provision in them? A. l do not recall
that they have. There have been M
agreements in these districts. q. And are
, there any provisions in the constitution
regarding the enforcemkent or carryns
, out of the contracts? A, There are in thu
agreements; yes, sir. .. ! know, but ar,
there any such provisions In the con
stitution of the body? A. or the ma tiona
organization? Q. Yes? A. No; there arr
none 1t Is provided by agreement will
the operator Q. The only provision ther,
is on the subject Is contained in the agree
ment itself? That is right? A. The pro
, vision is I'm the agreement itself; yes sir
Q, What does your constitution provid,
| 4,
! thing? A. There Is no provision at all II
J ii, except that in case where a strike il
, one district might have the effect of low
, ing the wages in another district. TheI
the organization would have power to ex
tend the strike so as to protect the mel
whose wages would be affected by a fail
, ure in the first district, Now, perhaps,
, had better read the provision. Section
OF article 10: National officers shall, a
any time they deem 1t to the hest inter
ests of mine workers In a district that i
, idle, for just and sufficient reasons, L
5 order a suspension in any other distric
1 or districts, that would In any way i'm
!, pede the settlement i'm the district af
fected; provided that such action woul,
serve to the best interests of the Unite,
; Mine workers of America" That is tn
provision is Ii not?
/ A. Yes, sir. That provision Is to be en-
forced In the event OF one company oper
r ating mines in one district where the
/ might attempt to reduce wages-in whicl
t there would be no agreement always-b
? continuing operations in other mines II
! another district. That power is investe
{ in the executive board, so that the
D might stop the mines OF the company Il
/ both districts; always with the condition
s however, there is no agreement existin
: in either of them.
, o. That statement of yours does no
m
A. What statement is that?
Z .. That which YOU have inst made.