Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-18


sylvana be petitioned to improve the
factory inspection laws.
OPERATORS SIDE.
The miners here rested their case and
Mr.. Wolyerton, formally opened the OPP
orators side OF the controversy by
reading a statement which represented
the views Of all the large coal COM
panles
Mr. barrow called attention to the
reference In the statement that recog-
milton OF the union Is not an Issue be-
fore the commission. and said that II
the commission sustained that claim
then the operators should have no right
to present witnesses TO show that the
violence committed during the strike
was nstigated by the union.
James Torrey of the Delaware &
Hudson made the point that the miners
occupied most of the time trying 10
show that the union was not RESPONSE
bic for 1t. and II would be unfair for
the commission to deny the right of
the operators 10 combat, that testi-
mony.
The matter went no further, and Ira
IL Burns, enc OF the attorneys for the
independent operators, presented the
opening statements of the individual
companies. He said In part.
THE questions at Issue are not be-
tween the cI orators as a body and the
workmen as another body, but are be-
tween The respective companies and
their own employees. We claim that
according TO the terms OF the submits
sion, any question as 20 wages should
be- settled BY an examination OF the
complaints and conditions at each rep-
arate colliery and that the only issues
involved are those between 'he opera
tor OF each mine and the men actually
In his employ.
AS TO WAGES.
again. VIZ think the commission, be-
fore taking any action looking TO an
increase of wages, should carefully
consider upon whom suc1 increase
must fall. or course, any increase m
cost Of product ultimately rests upon
he consumer. There is no authority
to tax on" class Of poor N order 10
contribute to the comfort OF another.
AS we understand II, one OF the chiet
cuties CT tho commission In this case
Is to ascertain the value Of labor in
and ebout the mines. il Ia purely a
business proposition. II Is the value
Of the labor and not the necessities of
the lahorer that we are tying 10 ps-
certain. The lahorer is worthy OF his
hire. but tee hire Is fixed according to
wha; he does not what he needs.
AS to the length Of a working day.
This Is matter in which the indlyidu-
n a atfi "a Ia eli t,t
ed. As a rule, their workings are
deep and veins Of coal are thin. They
necessarily have greater expense for
pumping and lifting the coal. The
business itself entails large fixed
charges. II may well be that the diff.
ference between an eight-hour and a
l0.hour day. to the operator. might
mean the difference between profit and
loss.
1.-THE varying conditions of work at
the respective mines make IL impossi-
bic to lay down q hard and fast rule
that viii do equal justice TO all con
cerned. III any award IL made by this
commission In favor OF the United
Mine Workers We claim that as a con
dition precedent there should be some
substantial assurance on the part OF
such United Mine Workers that they
Will In the future refrain from In any
way interfering with or molestlng per-
sons who wish to work in or about the
mines but who do not belong TO the
union"
II was arranged that the attorneys
representing the non-union men should
first call their witnesses. and five wit
nesses were produced who testified that
- al Anl hi a
more or less seriously injured two
other men who worked during the sus-
pension.
The first witness was Mrs. James
Wenston. the wife OF the murdered
intn, and the second was her son-in-
law. Mr. barrow asked the son-ln-law
Who was paying for the lawyers who
are representing the non-unlon men.
and then ensued the livellest tilt that
has occurred In the sessions OF the COM
mission.
CHAIRMAN GRAY'S VIEW.
Counsel for the witness objeced and
Mr.. Darrow insisted that he and the
commission had a right to know who
were back OF the non-union men, but
Chairman Gray differed with him. The
chairman said II made no difference II
the operators were paying for the
lawyers. He added that II matters
nothing in court OF justice where a
man is tried for murder who pays for
the prosecution so long as justice is
done.
Mr. barrow insisted he had a right
TO know because this was peculiar
case. and Congressman Brumm. al
80 for the miners claimed that the
non-union men had virtually formed a
union. because they had asked the COM
mission TO recognize them In the award
and protect them from losing their
places. and that they also asked for an
increase In pay.
The colloquy was carried on for some
time, and finally Chairman Gray con-
suited his colleagues and as result
quietly answered that the commission
ere thought II immaterial who was back
OF the non-union men. Al o'clock the
commission adjourned until tomorrow.