Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-11-20
MITCHELL ENDS
HIS TESTIMONY

SCRANTON, Nov 10. John Mitch
ell, President of the United Mine
Workers, went on the stand again this
morning to give testimony before the
Anthracite Strike Commission. Mitch
ell has been under the cross fire of
questions for the last five days that
the commission has been sitting. His
views on all points concerning the an
thracite situation as we'll as those on
labor and economic questions have
been brought ont and his testimony
has rarely been vague. Opposing
counsel admit that Mitchell has been
"A remarkable witness. With the CON
clusion of Mitchell's testimony the
presidents of the of the three anthra.
cite districts will probably be called.
PULLING UP THE LAWYERS
Commissioner Gray, before the cross
examination of President Mitchell by
Walter Rose, counsel for the Delaware,
Lackawanna & Western Railroad, was
commenced, suggested that as Presid
ent Mitchell was only prepared to give
opinions and not facts the counsel
should make their examination as brief
as possible. Commissioner Gray said
that Mr. Mitchell's 5 testimony had been
full and complete, and as sufficient to
be entirely helpful to the commission
Rose asked what action the union
mine workers took toward members
who were charged with the commits
sion of violence. Mitchell answered
that no violence charged had been
proven in courts of law, and the org
anization took no action
JUDGE GRAY INTERPOSES.
Counsel Rose quoted IN article from
the examination Of the bituminous
workers in Illinois, stating that i'll
case of disagreementS which could not
be settled by arbitration, that tile sub
district presidents could order strike
Asked if this was not in conflict
with the previous statement that a
trade agreement prevented strikes in
the bituminous field. Mr.. Mitchell
read from the trade agreement i'll Ill
inois, which declared that the con
tract should in no way be set aside by
any provision of tho constitution Of
the local State or national organiza-
tions
Commissioner Gray interposed and
said that this line of testimony had
been we'll covered.
Rose said that he sought to show
that under the Illinois agreements an
operator was only able to employ mem
bers of the United Mine Workers and
he thought that the present demand of
the miners for recognition of their
union made this line of examination
very important.
THE COAL AND IRON POLICE.
Rose took up the question of Coat
and Iron police and the allegations
that the police were as rule crimin
be surprised to know that the Della
ware, Lackawanna q Western Rail
road had only taken it's old employees
for Coal and Iron police. Counsel
Rose further declared that - per cent
Of the engineers and pumpmen Of his
company had refused to leave work.
AS TO AN ANTHRACITE ORGAN
IZATION.
S. p. WolvertOn, counsel for the
Philadelphia & Reading, was the next
lawyer To take Mitchell in hand. He
said his examination would be brief.
Wolverton asked that in view of the
difference between the anthracite and
bituminous interests, if it would not
be better to have two separate organ
izations of the United Mine Workers
Mitchell donied this and said that
whenever there had been separate org
anizations the anthracite organiza-
tions had always disintegrated. VOL
verron asked a few questions concern
ing cOnulIlGnN III tut COllltFltS OF tlb
Philadelphia & Reading, and Mitchell
replied that he could only give gener-
al information about the collIeries.
This concluded Wolyerton's examina-
ton
TORREY TAKES \ HAND.
j. 4. Torrey, another Of the Del. &
Hud. attorneys, cross examined Mitch
ell on various questions relating to
District No. /.
MOTHER JONES PRESENT.
Mother Jones was an interested list
ener at the hearing this morning. She
came into court after the proceedings
had begun and took seat near the
miners counsel.
Ira II. Burns, one of the counsel for
the independent operators, arose and
declared that the physical conditions
surrounding the independent operators
We're vastly different from those Of the