Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-15
Strike Commission Opens Its
Session at Scranton.
Extended and Able Statement OIL
Miners Case by Pres. Mitchell.
Covers Entire Ground of Their 0riev.
ances and Demands.

it was the preliminary statement Of
Mr.. Mitchell and the replies thereto.
After the workmen have concluded
their side the operators will make their
defence. II is thought two weeks will
be taken up in testimony.
The hearings are being held i'm the
chamber of the state superior court in
the Lackawanna county court house.
The seven members have seats on the
bench. In front of them are tables for
Pres. Mitchell and his attorneys. for
the lawyers of the coal companies and
for the attorneys of the independent
operators. To the left of the commits
sioners are two long rows of seats for
the newspaper correspondents.
The arrangements for the hearings
are admira bic and 1t is likely that the
commission will hear all the evidence
in this city.
Mr. Mitchell prefaced his statement
with the hope that the commission
would succeed in establishing rela-
tionship between the operators and
miners that will insure peace and sta
biIity in the industry for an indefinite
period"
After reciting the demands for in
creased pay for the miners, a shorter
work day for the laborer. the weighing
of the coal and an industrial agree
ment, the refusal of all of which led TO
the strike. Mr.. Mitchell spoke as fol-
lows on the question Of higher wages:
''Of the 147,00O men and boys en-
ployed in and around the mines, strip
pings, washeries and breakers in the
anthracite coal fields, 6i.072 or 43 per
cent. are employed on contract or piece
work, the remaining $1,000 of 50 per
cent. are employed by the hour. day.
week or month. Of the contract men.
over $1,000 are miners and 26,eO0 are
miners laborers.
1.-The work of miner and miners la
borer is extremely hazardous; IN fact it
is more dangerous than employment in
any other important industry in the
world. The number of persons killed
and injured is greater than in any
other industry. Each day the anthra-
cite ccal mines are in operation, 610
persons lose their lives and three times
as many are MANNED and yet these men
receive less than are received by men
performing precisely similar work in
other fields under more favorable and
less hazardous conditions.
THE number of years a man can re-
tain his health and strength in this
occupation is limited. If he escapes
death or injury by falls of rocks or
coal. he cannot escape attacks of
miners asthma. There is scarcely a
mine worker who has not contracted
this malady. The miners are compell-
ed to work in powder smoke, in foul
air. many of them in water and their
work is exhausting. Reputable insur-
ance companies will not issue policies
to this class of workmen. the risks are
SO great that the premiums would be
prohibitive to men whose earnings are
so low. The entire 20 per cent. which
they demand as an increase in their
wages would not suffice to carry an in
surance Of $1,000.
ut seems but fair and just that
wages paid these classes of workmen
should be as high IL not higher than
wages paid to skilled artisans i'm other
industries. 1t is certainly not unjust to
ask that these miners should receive
as high wages as are paid to miners
i'm the bituminous coal fields. i'm the
silver and gold mines or in the iron ore
and copper mines, all of which work
is less hazardous. freer from liability
to disease. requires less experience and
less skill, and is better paid than labor
in the anthracite coal fields"
In supporting the demands for the
reduction Of hours of day laborers Mr..
Mitchell shows that 1t amounted prac-
tically to demand for 20 per cent. in
crease of compensation for $4,000 men.
or 81 per cent. of all mine employers.
Continuing he. said:
1.-The S-hour day is the standard
working day in mining industries.
Eight hours constitute a days work
in the coal mines of Great Britain. in
the silver. gold and copper mines and
in the bituminous mines I'm Arkansas.
Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indi-
ana. Ohio. Michigan. Tennessee. in
western Pennsylvania and the Indian
Territory.
1.-The reports Of the United States
geological survey demonstrates that
more coal has been produced annually
since the Inauguration of the eight
hour work day then in any proceeding
year. Each miner produced more coal
per working day in eight hours than he
formerly produced in 10 hours and
there is no reason why the same re-
suits would not be obtained in the an
thracite field. The bituminous work.
ers receive in many instances from 70
to 40 per cent. higher wages for eight
hours work than are paid in the an
thracite mines for ten hours work"
Defending the third demand that
coal shall be weighed and paid for by
weight and that 2240 pounds shall
constitute ton. Mr.. Mitchell declared
that the present method OF measuring
the coal produced by the miners in the
Lackawanra. Wyoming and Lehigh re-
gions has been the source Of more dis
content than any Of the many Unjust
ices imposed upon the miners and there
can be no contentment among the
(~optfnuod IN mage 2l