Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-21
HIGH DEATH RATE
Is Shown by Doctors to Prevail
Among Miners.
Or. Roberts Says More Are Killed in
Mines Than on Railroads.
Or. O'MaIIey Says Miners Asthma Is
Very Common.

Scranton, Pa, Nov. 2O.-When to-
days session of the anthracite coal
strike commission began, the Rev. DIR
Peter Roberts was put on the stand
again. When the commission adjourn
ed, yesterday, ex-Congressman Simon
F. Wolverton, counsel for the Philadel-
phia & Reading Coal and Iron Co, was
cross-examining DR.. Roberts. Answer
ing a question propounded by Judge
Gray, yesterday afternoon, DR.. Roberts
said, today, that comparison of IA
talities on all railroads in the United
States with those in the anthracite
fields show that 2.5 per 1000 railroad
employees were killed in the anthracite
industry. The fatalities. switchmen,
tlagrren and watchmen, in 1880, he stat
ed to be SO per 1000 against So per 1000
among miners and their labOrers work
ing inside the mines.
Or. Roberts said it was far from the
truth to characterize the operators as
hardhearted and unjust and as seeking
constantly to grind men down to the
last penny of wages, as had been
charged.
DIR. Roberts declared that the men IN
the southern anthracite district voted
to stand by their brothers in the north
ern district on the question of insisting
on the recognition of the union and on
all other points raised in the Shamokin
convention. DR.. Roberts understood
that dissent;Ons had occurred between
miners and their helpers, the latter
claiming that the miner left him at an
unreasonable hour and imposed on
him the whole Of the labor.
After reading from an article written
by him and printed in the Yale Review
on the labor situation i'm the hard coal
fields prior to the strike, the witness
said that his investigation regarding
the movement looking to the formation
Of an Independent organization by the
laborers showed that it was chiefly a
rising by the nCn-union men.
II do not know the motive for their
action" said he. but 1t appeared that
they were :nstigated to movements of
this kind by parties opposed to the or
ganization Of labor
eff the conditions in the bituminous
regions" inquired Mr.. Wolverton. ARE
better than in the anthracite fields why
did the men who left the hard coal re-
gions during the strike return after the
striker
The response was that they did so
because of social and family ties. The
examination turning on the amount of
care exercised by the miners in the
work. Judge Gray remarked that there
is always 4 margin of human careless
ness which must be taken into account.
Mr.. Wolverton read a long abstract
from DR.. Roberts writings which re-
cited numerous instances of violence,
intimidation and boycott committed
By the members of the union, partic-
ularly the Slavs. during the last strike
The effect of putting the control OF
contracts between employer and en-
ploye under the local unions" said Mr..
Wolverton. would be to put them in
the hands of an organization which
you say is controlled by Slavs who
have no respect for persons or prop
ertyf'
II did not say the organization was
controlled by Slavs.' was the reply.
''or that they were in the majority"
He added that from 80 to As per cent.
of the mine workers are Slavs.
DR.. Roberts in his examination, yes
terday. said the newspaper reports of
violence had been greatly exaggerated.
Mr.. Wolverton. today. read copious ex-
tracts from a magazine article which
DR.. Roberts would not deny he had
written in which he described many
acts of intimidation, violence and boy
colt In explanation DIR. Roberts said
that these acts cannot all be attributed
to the union and made a brief speech
in which he said the operators refused
to arbitrate and the men were forced
to strike to gain their demands.
"They grew hungry in the struggle,
he said. land hungry man is dan
gerous.''
The fact was brought out in the
course of cross-examination that the
Pennsylvania Legislature in 1881 pass
ed a compulsory education law. apply
ing to every child under is years, and
that under its provisions parents OF
dclinauents can be punished.
The question Of the extra hazardous
character Of the mine workers occupa'
(t,outiuued on page 81