The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-16
MITCHELL FOILS
KEEN LAWYERS
They Fail to DiscOmfit the Min.
ers' Leader.
LIVING WAGES" $500 A YEAR
CAUSES OF STRIKE AND CoNDI
TON OF WORKERS.

stand throughout both sessions of the
coal strike commission today. For four
hours and a half he took the cross
fire Of two brilliant attorneys of the
coal companies, and ended the day
with few scars as a result Of the bat
tie David Wilcox of New York, gen
eral counsel for the Delaware & Hud
son company, and Wayne MacVeagh of
Philadelphia, who is representing the
Pennsylvania Coal company and the
Lehigh Coal & Iron company, were
the principal questioners, and they put
hundreds Of queries TO Mr.. Mitchell.
Mr.. MacVeagh's cross-examination
was especially keen. He began by as
surfing Mr.. Mitchell that he did not
wish to have him suppose that he
(MacVeagh) was opposed to the proper
organization of labor He thought that
where there are large corporations as
employers II may be to the interests
Of the employed that they should be
organized. Mr.. MacVeagh added that
the men he represented knew they
were not iIffallible, and that in the
management of their property they
might have made mistakes. He Ques-
toned Mr.. Mitchell on the demand for
an increase in wages, and pressed the
HdllOna1 DEeSlueuL ndIO when ne dSk6Q
MIN II he cared to carry the RESPONSE
bility of increasing the living expenses
Of the great mass Of the people of
the eastern states, who would ulti-
mately have to carry the burdens of
the miners If higher wages were grant
I'd Mr.. MitchelPs reply, in substance,
wRs that the miners could not assume
the responsibility, as it was a situa-
ton over which they had no control.
Mr.. MacVeagh made the most of his
opportunity to picture the great bur
den that would fall upon the people
If the demands Of the miners were
granted. From this question he passed
TO the demands for a shorter workday
and the weighing of coal by the ton
Of 2,240 pounds, and then he took up
the fourth demand of the men, for
trade agreements, which practically
means recognition of the union. He
asked Mr.. Mitchell what sort of con-
tract he would draw up, and the lat
ter replied that he would favor an
agreement as outlined in his sugges-
lions to the commission yesterday.
Tries to Show Prosperity.
After going over the demands of the
miners, Mr.. MacVeagh took up the con-
aitions existing in and about the col
lieries of the company he repre-
scented and tried to show that the con-
ditions spoken of by Mr.. Mitchell were
not borne out by the Investigation. He
took Fort City, where the mines of the
companies are situated, as an example,
and produced photographs of houses in
The town and also referred to the large
deposits of money in the local bank
to show the prosperous condition Of the
community. Mr.. Mitchell, although not
admitting that the conditions as repre-
scented by Mr.. MacVeagh were true,
said he could not, for lack of familiarity
with the community, deny his asser-
TONS.
The constitution of the United Mine
Workers of America was also taken up
by the lawyer, and he and Mr.. Mitchell
several times spared for points regard
ing the references contained in it to
an eight-hour day. Mr.. MacVeagh con-
tended that no one had the right to
deny a man the privilege of working
more than eight hours a day if he de-
sired. He said not one member of the
commission would be occupying his
present high place if he had limited his
own labors to eight hours a day.
With reference to this argument, Mr..
Mitchell thought it was not fair to
compare the mine workers with the ar
bitrators. Mr.. MacVeagh said he him.
self had started out in life by working
fourteen hours a day on a farm, and
for more than forty years he had
worked more than ten hours a day.
To the direct question of whether he,
as president Of the union, had right
to curtail the hours of employment
each day of the miners, Mr. Mitchell
said he thought he had, and made an
explanation by saying that If one miner
worked more than eight hours a day
It would probably result in the other
men being compelled to work the same
number Of hours.
The attention of Mr.. Mitchell was di-
rected to the demand that the operat tors
should make an agreement with the
United Mine Workers, and Mr.. Mac
Veagh asked if he had prepared draft
of such an agreement which he would
have the commission compel them to
execute. Mr.. Mitchell replied that he
had suggested in his opening address
to the commission a form that would
be practicable and acceptable to all in
terestS in the anthracite field Mr..
MacVeagh declared that there was
nothing in Mr. MitchelTs suggestions
that the companies must enter into
partnership with the United Nine
Workers, and inquired if that was one
Of the miners demands.
Mr.. Mitchell answered that it was,
whereupon Mr.. MacVeagh said his
company was endeavoring to ascertain
and would continue to ascertain what
reasons there were for attempting to
compel them to enter into that agree
ment
1t is expected that all OF next week
will be taken up by the miners in pre-
senting their case.
What Living Wages" Mean.
Mr.. Wilcox had his chance at Mr..
Mitchell in tho forenoon, taking up the
discrimination where it was left off
yesterday
Mr.. Mitchell, answering question, said
he regarded as living wages for miner
not less than $500 per annun., which
would cover all his actual necessities
and permit him to educate his chill
dren. -
At this point Judge Gray asked the
witness il he meant TO say he regarded
not less than $500 year for a miner
would be a wage TO permit the children
to avail themselves OF the public
schools and permit the family to spend
a portion of its income for education,
and still not make it necessary to re-
sort to child LABOR. The witness an
swered in the Affirmative
On the question or the minimum age
at which a boy should go on the break
err, Mr.. Mitchell said he would advo-
cate that IL be put at il years.
Mr.. Wilcox examined Mr. Mitchell
at some length regarding the various
demands of the miners.
do you know the wages that are
paid are about $60.000,000?" Mr.. Wilcox
asked.
II have read that statement" the
witness answered.
Don't Won or your COMMITTEES know