Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-11-03
PROGRESSOF 7lHD TOUR
Strike Arbitration Commission to Ad.
journ For Eight Days.
TO TAKE TESTIMONY NOV. IA.
The Next District to BE Investigated
Will BE That south From Hasle-
ton to the End OF the Fields.
Mitchells Statement.

settling the differences existing be-
tween the anthracite coal operators
and the mine workers has decided
while OH their tour of the Wyoming
valley to adjourn next Thursday until
Friday. Nov. IA. when the taking of
testimony will begin In this city.
The first four days of this week are
to be taken up in inspecting the mines
and mining towns from Hazleton south
to the end of the hard coaltields. All
Of this territory is in Districts Nos. Z
and 8 OF the United Mine Workers of
America and is under the jurisdiction
of President Thomas Duffy and John
Fahy of the union, who will accom-
pany the commission.
Chairman Gray says that the object
in taking recess Of one week was for
the purpose of giving both sides suffi-
cient time to prepare their cases and
also to give the members of the COM
mission an opportunity to examine the
issues. The commissioners feel that
the questions involved are so important
that any haste may work an injury to
either side. When the Hearings are
begun week after next, it is the inten-
ton to have the miners, who are con.
sidered the plaintiffs, submit their case
first. How long it will take to hear
all the testimony cannot he estimated
by the commissioners. The sixty
seven individual operators will also he
given an opportunity to he heard as
well as all the larger coal companies.
The miners will take up cOnsidelable
time in presenting their side Of the
case.
A Preliminary Report
The question of making a preIim-
mary report on some of the issues in
vOlved, such as the increase OF wages,
shorter work day and the weighing
Of coal at the mouth of the mines, has
not yet been officially taken up by the
commission, and it ia not definitely
known that it will be considered by
the commissioners.
The arbitrat0rs spent an entire day
In and about the city of Wilkesbarre.
visiting one mine and making tour of
several of the towns on tie outskirts of
the city. The commissions special
train left here at $50 "A. m. and
reached the Dorrance collicry of the
Lehigh Valley Coal company mt North
WilkeSbarre an hour later. Nearly two
hours were spent in the mine, about
$50 feet below the surface. The mine
Is a very gaseous one and the commits.
sioners and other members of their
party were compelled to carry safety
lamps
On this trip $. u. Warmer, general
superintendent of the Lehigh Valley
company, andgW. j. Richards, general
superintendent of the Lehigh and
Wilkesbarre Coal company, accOmpa-
MED the commissioners as the repre-
scntatives of the operators. The miners
were represented by District President
Nichols ana National Board Member
John Fallon.
Asked About Rents, Etc.
The commission took luncheon on the
special train and visited South Wilkes
barre. Ashley. Sugar Notch and Plym.
outh. inhabited principally by mine
workers. The commissioners did not
leave the car. but wherever it stopped
a crowd would gather, which gave
them an opportunity to ask questions
regarding rents and other living ex-
penses On the return to Wilkesbarre
the party Immediately boarded the
train for Scranton over the Delaware
Lacka wanna and Western railroad.
The commissioners steadfastly re-
fused to give opinions on any features
of the matter before them.
President Mitchell will probably
make his statement of the demands OF
the miners to the commission in day
or two, and the operators will make
reply in about three or four days.
The statements will be merely filed
with the recorder the same as legal
paper is filed with the clerk of court.
The commission has not decided
whether it will give to the public the
statements before it makes decision.
VNeslalinR EOllOVed n Ruri0l