Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-11-14
The MINERS SIDE
Strike Commission is in Session
To-Day.
PRESIDENT MITCHELL TALKS

He Defends the Members of the
Miners Union and Explains Many
Things About Their Work-The
Eight Hour Day for Which He
Pleads, is the Standard Working
Day in the Mines of Great Britain.
Scranton, Pa, Nov 14.-The anthra-
cite coal strike commission to-day be
gan the hearing of the miners side Of
the case When the commission
opened it's session to-day the only eV-
idence before it was the preliminary
statement of Mr. Mitchell and the re-
plies thereto of the operators. After
the workmen have concluded their
case the operators will make their de-
fense. 1t is expected that more than
two weeks will be taken up in hearing
both sides. .-
The hearings are being held in the
chamber of the state superior court in
the Lackawanna county court house.
The seven commissioners have seats
on the bench. In front of them are
tables for President Mitchell and his
attorneys, for the lawyers of the coal
companies and for the attorneys of the
important operators. 70 the left of
the commissioners are two long rows
of seats for the newspaper correspond
entS.
The arrangements for the hearings
are admirable and it is likely that the
commission will hear all the evidence
in this city. ~.
Mr. Mitchell prefaced his statement
with the nope that the commission
would succeed in establishing a rela-
tlonship between the operators and the
miners that will insure peace and sta
bility in the Industry for an indefinite
period" After recfting the demands
for increased pay for the miner, q
shorter workday for the laborer, the
weighing of the coal and an indus
trial agreement, the refusal of all of
which led to the strike, Mr. Mitchell
spoke as follows on the question of
higher wages:
s'Of the $4,000 men and boys en-
ployed in and around the mines. strip
pings, washeries and breakers in the
anthracite coal fields, 64,O72, or 43 per
cent. are employed on contract or piece
work; the remaining 63.0O0, or 81 per
cent, are employed by the hour, day.
week or month. OF the 64,072 con-
tract men, 81, ,S04 are miners and &C.
2GS are miners 1aborers.
'The work of miner and a min
er's lab0rer is extremely hazardous:
in fact, it is more dangerous than en-
ployment in any other important in
dustry in the world. The number of
persons killed and injured is greater
than in any other industry. Each
day the anthracite coal mines are in
operation 26-1O persons lose their
lives and three times as many are
MANNED, and yet these men receive
less wages annually than are received
by men performing precisely similar
work in other fields under more favor
able and less hazardous conditions
.inS number of years a man can retain
MS health and strength in this occu-
patton is limited. If he ESCAPES death
or injury by falls OF rock or coal. he
cannot escape attacks of miners astb-
ma There is scarcely a mine worker,
VINO VINO has not contracted this maladv
= ne miners are compelled TO work IN
powder smoke, in foul air. many of
len IN water, and their work is dif-
leuil ana eXhausting. Ren1,tab1o
hauIdhee companies win a+
sasue poilcles to this class of vorknoa,,
iishs are so great that tbe n,a,,,'
- "ouiu De prohibitive to mon
90 9,l'ose earnings are so low. The entira
- per cent which they demand as an
g. sseSe ~ lneir wages would not suf-
s.r 70 carry an insurance of Sl.00O
IN1r4 e E
Wases pald these classes of workmen
ellouiu pe as nigh. if not higher. than
wages paid to skilled artisans III e+tl,
Inu us.rles- 1t IS certainly not 1lniust
TO ask that these miners sbonId ID 10 20
ceiye as high wages as arc naid -
miners in the bituminous coal fia1ds
In the silver and gold mines. ~. IN +1,,
iron ore and copper mines an Of
which work is less hazardo,1s froo,.
from liability to disease, renuirine lass
experience and less skill. and is batto,
paid than labor in the anthracite coal
fields" No'
In supporting the demand for +ho
reduction of the hours of tba dau
laborers, Mr.. Mitchell showed that +
amounted practically to demand
for 20 per cent increase of comnensa-
- - 7-'-JOO AAACiis VI ~ per Ce0T. OF
all mine employees Continuing hn
said: s'The eight hour day IS tha
standard working day in the mining
DAYS work in the coal mines of Great
Britain, in all the silver. gold and con
per mines and in the bituminous coal
mines in the states of Arkansas. Kan
,sas, Missouri. Illinois, Indiana. Ohio
Michigan. Kentucky, Tennessee. in
western Pennsylvania and the Indian
Territory.
ssThe reports of the United States
geological survey demonstrate that
more coal has been produced annually
since the inauguration of the eight |
hour day than In any preceding year.
Each miner produced more coal per
working day in eight hours than he
formerly produced in ten hours, and 7
there is no reason why the same re-
suits would not be obtained in the an
fhracite field The bituminous work
ers receive In many instances from
% TO 80 per cent higher wages for
eight hours work than are paid in the /
anthracite mines for ten hours' work.
Defending the third demand that /
coal shall be weighed and paid for by [
weight and that 22fo pounds shall T