The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-09
DO NOT PAY 1900 ADVANCE
Increased Size of Cars, But
 Not Mems Wages.
Lawyer Burns Refers to the Presi- dent of the Nation as Teddy Roosevelt and is Rebuked
 by Wilson.

Scranton. Pa, Dec. s.-Almost the en- tire time of today's session of the coal strike commission was taken up by. the mine workers in presenting their side of the controversy with G. B. Mark1e 6 O.. in the Hazleton region.
 The miners placed witnesses on tho stand to show that the company refused to employ them because they belonged to the union, had evicted them from their houses for the same cause; that the dock ing system Was intolerable: that the question of the men getting the 10 per cent increase in wages granted as | re1 suit of the 1900 strike Is much in doubt: and that the size of the mine cars has in- creased but the wages have not.
 Two Hungarian women were placed on the stand and told how the Markle com pany deducted house rent from the last wages of their husbands who were killed in the mines and how the company at- tempted to get them to sign a paper which would absolve the Markies from damages for the death of the men. The women also confirmed the story that the children had to work without pay until the debt owed by the dead fathers was paid.
 Markles Not Represented.
 The Markle Company was not represent ed by its own lawyers before the com mission, although it had ample notice that testimony affecting their collieries would be presented. The commissioners expect the company to bring in evidence in rebuttal to the stories told by the wit nesses Saturday and today. The commits sioners were very much surprised today to learn that the 10 per cent increase granted In 1900 was not a straight out ad- vance in wages but instead was a 2f-2 per cent increase in pay and a 2 1-2 per cent reduction in powder, making the net increase in earnings 10 per cent. This in- crease, the miners assert. is not being paid by the Markle Company.
 The commissioners today made another request on the companies to present fig-- ures as quickly as pesslhis and as re- suit the Erie Company late in the day submitted statistics regarding wages. hours and other data relating to the sub ject
 At the afternoon session testimony was introduced to show that while wages had remained the same, the cost of living had increased some 25 per cent over two years ago.
 John D. Hughes, Scranton manager for Armour & Co.,, gave the wholesale prices for all meats, comparing them with the prices prevailing in 1900 and 1901. He pre- sented a large mass of figures all of which showed that the prices of meats of all kinds have increased g 1-5 per cent over the prices of 1900.
 MT. Burns Rebuked.
 Ira H. Burns. lawyer for the independ- ent companies, in cross examination, tried to show that the high grocery prices were due to short crops. making grain dearer for the feeding of animals; then took Mir. Hughes in charge and brought forth q rebuke from General Wilson. Br. Burns said:
 Don't you know that the rise in prices of meats was due to the meat trust?'
 Witness-I don't know of any such in- 
 MT. Burns-Do you agree with what Teddy" Roosevelt says about the trustsf
 Witness-I believe in some of it.
 Before the witness could finish his an- swer General Wilson Jumped up and with rising indignation. said:
 MT. Chairman. I object to any person before this board referring to the Presi- dent of the United States in that man. ner."
 This caused a furry, but Mir. Burns calmly replied: He sometimes calls him. self that"
 Chairman Gray. however, smooHhed mat. ters out by saying: q think the objection Is we'll taken,' to which Mir Buvns re- piled. Well, we will call him the Prest- dent of the United States"