Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-04
BUT LITTLE NEW
Brought Up Before the Coal
Strike Commission.
More Rumors But Nothing Definite
on Settlement tout Of Court"
Commissioners Impatient at the Slow
Progress.

L
cite coal companies and their employees
having failed to come to an agree
ment during the Thanksgiving recess
of the strike commission, the hearing
of the miners side of the case was
continued. Wednesday. and unless
something is done by the lawyers on
both sides to curtail matters. it's pro-
ceedings will surely run into next year.
With the reassembling of the COM
mission, however, there was a revival
of the talk of settlement ''out of
court" Nothing definite has been done
and neither side has approached the
other, so far as can be learned. re-
garding further negotiations. but as
one prominent attorney expressed it,
there is something in the air.
The lawyers on both sides have
heard the rumOr. and profess they
know nothing about it. but would not
be surprised if something in the way
of an agreement is reached before the
hearings are concluded"
Chairman Gray, speaking for the
commission, again expressed the hope
that efforts would be made by both
sides to agree on as many points as
possible and that the commission was
ready to lend any conciliatOry help to
bring about that end. Wednesdays
proceedings were of a more or less de-
sultOry character.
Six witnesses were on the stand dur
ing the Two session. They were Presi-
dent Mitchell, two photographers, two
practical miners, one of them Hun
garian, and the wife of a German
miner.
Mr.. Mitchell was on the stand for a
short time only, and was called to
show that a 20 per cent. increase in
wages did not mean a corresponding
increase in the price per ton of coal.
The photographers produced about
half hundred photographs they had
taken of the homes of mine workers
in the HaZeltOn region. which territory
was under investigation.
The two miners testified with refer
ence to wages paid and working condi-
tons at the Colleries of Coke Bros, &,
Co., an Independent concern in the
HaZelton region, and the woman,
whose husband is employed in the
Coke mines. told general story of
poverty.
" were impatient at the way the pro.
ccedings dragged. While they had
half dozen witnesses before them. they
did not learn more than they already
know. On their trip through the coal
fields they saw houses whose general
appearance was worse than those pic
tured. Wednesday, and they also re-
ceired much infOrma tiOr along the
lines presented. Wednesday, from the
men in the mines which they visited.
They are anxious for the documentary
evidence, SUCH as wage statements and
other data bearing on wages and cOndi-
tons. This was strongly evidenced
when they eagerly seized upon the due
bills handed up by the Hungarian wit
ness. Every member of The commits
sion examined these and had questions
to ask about them.
one of the commissioners said to-
day. it was principally a question of
wages. ana they wanted these facts as
quickly as they could get them. In
this connection there was considerable
discussion regarding the documentary
evidence. Both parties to the contrO-
versy had agreed to try to agree as
IdI dS lNbSSlDlt vi al VI tIlt
great mass of figures that the hundreds
of accountants from the different COM
panies are computing. but the task is
a stupendous one, taking in as it does.
about $4,000 men and boys. that
neigther side is yet ready to go into
that feature of the investiga ton.
The commission has decided to give
all companies who have not yet become
Il party to the arbitration commission
until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning to
file their answer to President Mitchelrs
original statement of the miners case.
The usual large crowd was in at
tendance, today. at the superior court
room, where the hearings are being
held. The already large number of
attorneys has been increased, prOmi-
nent among the additional members
of the bar being Samuel Dickson of
Philadelphia. Besides representing
the individual companies i'm the Halle
ton region, he also appeared for the
Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co., an
independent concern.