Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-20
Tells Commission What He
Knows of Strike.
SYMPATHIES WITH MEN
SHARPLY QUESTIONED AS TO A
MAGAZINE ARTICLE.
He Blames the Operators for Refusing
to Arbitrate Differences
With Employees.

SCRANTON. Pa, November 20.-When
todav's session of the strike commission be-
gan Rev. DR.. Peter Roberts was put on the
stand again. When the commission ad-
journed yesterday ex-Representative Simon
p. Wolverton. counsel for the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company, was
cross-examining DR.. Roberts. Answering
a question propounded by Judge Gray yes
terday afternoon. DR.. Roberts said today
that q comparison of fatalities on all rail-
roads in the United States with those in
the anthracite fields shows that 2.5 per LOCO
railroad employees are killed annually, while
So per 1000 employees were killed in the
anthracite industry. The fatalities among
switchmen, fagmen and watchmen in 1900
he stated to be SO per 1000, as against 5.5
per 600 among miners and their laborers
working inside the mines.
The question of arriving at a fair price
on rock in connection with coal mining,
DIR. Roberts said. was one that could be
adjusted only by the mine employees and
the companies He said 1t was far from
the truth to characterize the operators as
hard-hearted and unjust and as seeking
constantly to grind men down to the last
penny of wages, as had been charged.
Dr.. Roberts Questioned Further.
DR.. Roberts declared that the men in the
southern anthracite district voted to stand
by their brothers In the northern district on
the question Of insisting on the recognition
of the union and also on all other points
raised in the Shamokin convention. An
swerilg further questions by Mr.. Wolver-
ton, DR.. Roberts said he understood that
dissensions had occurred between miners
and their helpers, the latter claiming that
the miners left him at an unreasonable
hour and imposed on him the whole of the
labor.
After reading from a lengthy article by
DR.. Roberts in the Yale Review on the
labor situation in the hard coal fields prior
TO the strike, the witness said in elabora
tiun of what he had written that by inves-
legation regarding the laborers forming an
independent organization he found that
movement was chiefly a rising by the nom
union men. Il do not know what was the
motive of their action said he but it
seems that they We're instigated to move
n ents OF this kind by parties opposed to
the organization of labor"
IF the conditions in the bituminous re-
g.ons,' inquired Mr.. Wolverton, ARE better
tE2n in the anthracite fields why did the
men who left the hard coal regions during
the strike return TO the anthracite fields
after the striker"
Reason Men Returned.
The response was that they did so be-
cause of social and family ties but upon
being pressed for the reason which in
fiuenced a bachelor to return the witness
said: 1T would depend upon whether or
not he had a sweetheart"
You think that might influence him?' in
quired Mr.. Wolverton.
Il think II would be very great induce-
ment. said DR.. Roberts.
Inc examination turning on the amount
OF care exercised by the miners In their
work Judge Gray remarked that there is
always a margin of human carelessness
which must be taken into account.
Mr. Wolverton read long abstract from
Dr. Roberts writings, which recited nu-
merous instances of Violence intimidat ton
and boycott committed by the members of
the union, particularly the Slavs, during
the 1900 strike.
The effect of putting the control of con-
tracts between employer and employe under
the local unions said Mr. Wolverton.
would be to put them into the hands of an
organization which you say is controlled by
Slavs who have no respect for persons or
property?"
II did not say the organization was CON-
troHed by Slavs, was the reply, "or that
they were in the majority" He added that
from 30 to As per cent of the mine workers
are Slavs
DR.. Roberts, in his examination yester
day, said the newspaper reports of violence
had been greatly exaggerated. Mr.. VOL
verton today read copious extracts from a
magazine which DR.. Roberts would not
deny he had written in which he described
many acts Of intimidation violence and
boycott In explanation DR.. 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 ar
bltrate and the men were forced to strike
to gain their demands. They grew hungry
In the struggle" he said, and a hungry
man Is dangerous"
Compulsory Education Law.
The fact was brought out In the course of
the cross-examination that the Pennsyl-
vania legislature in 1891 passed a compul-
sorry education law applying to every child
under sixteen years, and that under its pro-
visions parents of delinquents can be pun
ished. The question of the extra hazardous
character of the mine workers occupation
vas then referred to by Everett Warren.
counsel for the Erie Company, who asked
the witness If Ii were not true that over 30
per cent OF the accidents are attributable to
the anxiety of the miner to get out of he
mine ta much earlier hour than noon.
The witness was not prepared TO say that
that was the percentage.
David WILCOX, counsel for the Delaware
ana hudson Company, next took DR. Rob-
erts IN hand and was cross-eXamIning him
on the inequality of wages and the ljf. in
surdEce rlsks when the commission tcok