The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-09
MARKLE SHOWN
UP BY MINERS
House Rent of Dead Men Held
Out by the Company.
EVICTION OF AN EMPLoYE
SICK PEOPLE PUT OUT IN THE
RAIN ON SHORT NOTICE


CCRANTON. Pa, Dec S.-Almost the
entire time of the days session
of the coal strike commission was
taken up by the mine workers present.
ing their side Of the controversy with G.
B. Markle in the Hazieton region. The
miners placed witnesses on the stand
who gave testimony to show that the
company refused to employ them be-
cause they belonged TO the union: had
evtcted them from their houses for
the same cause; that the docking sys-
TEN was intolerable; that the question
of the men getting the 10 per cent in
crease in wages granted as result
Of the 1900 strike is much in doubt, be-
cause the men do not know how the
company is figuring it out; that the
price OF powder, which enters into
the computation OF the increase, has
been raised, and that the size OF the
mine cars has increased, but the wages
have not.
Held Out House Rent
Two Hungarian women, one of thenf
the mother OF the boy who testified
on Saturday, were placed on the stand
and told how the Marlzle company de-
Quoted house rent from the last wages
OF their husbands. who were killed ir
the mines, and how the company at
tempted to get them to sign a paper
which would absoive the 3Iarkles from
damages for the death of the men.
The women also confirmed the story
told by the breaker boy that the chill
dren had to work without pay until
the debt owed by the dead father was
paid off.
The Markle company was not repre-
scented by its own lawyers, before the
commission, although it had ample
notice that testimony affecting its COL
lieries would be presented. The cons
missioners expect the company to
bring in evidence. in rebUttal TO the
stories told by witnesses on Saturday
and today.
System of Figuring.
The commissioners were very much
surprised today to learn that the 10
per cent increase granted in 1900 was
not a straight-Out raise in wages, but,
instead, a 21z per cent increase, and
a reduction in powder of ~ per cent,
which. the miners claim, is not be-
ing paid by the Markle company.
through some way Of figuring which
they do not understand. The question
came in for much discussion and no
one in the courtroom could give the
commission a satisfactory explana-
ton
There was a furry at the afternoon
session when Lawyer Ira II. Burns OF
Scranton, for the independent compa-
MES, referred TO the president of the
United States as Teddy Roosevelt.
The remark brought out an emphatio
objection from Brigadier General VIII
son, and the general was sustained By
Chairman Gray
The commissioners today made an
other request upon the companies 10
present figures as quickly as possible.
and as a result the Erie company, late
in the day, submitted statistics regard
ing wages. hours and other data re-
hating to the subject. The data made
quite a large bundle
Mitchell Not Present.
President Mitchell Of the miners
union was not present at the hearings
Of the strike commission today, hav-
ing gone to New York 10 attend the
meeting of the Civic federation
The first witness was James Gal
Ia CHER, a Markle emplOye. who was
on the stand Saturday. He said it
used to be the custom Of the Markle
employees to contribute $50 to the fam
lily of a man killed in the mines and
the men working with the man would
lay off until the dead man was bur
I
with the workmen whereby they would
pay the $50 and the men remain at
work The witness said the size OF
the mine cars has steadily been in
creased. but the wages paid have not
been raised
Frank Rea, a practical miner en-
ployed In the Aarlzle mines, was then
! examined on conditions under which
the men are working. It was mostly
of q technical character
Evicted on Short Notice.
Paul Dunleavy. another Markle min
/ er, testified TO having been refused
work and being evicted on short no
tice- His wife and parents we're 81
and it was raining, but, nOtwithstand-
/ ing this, the company gave him If
/ teen minutes to get out He said he
] earned about $3.50 a year and out OF
his earnings he had to pay an assess
ment for the services of company doc
( tors. Married men were assessed 3
/ cents a month and single men 50 cents.
/ Continuing, the witness said he had
] never seen the mine inspectors where
\ he worked he complained OF excess
/ sive docking
| Henry Shoyelin. another former Mar
( kIe empIoye, told about being evicted
/ for being in arrears in rent during
1 the strike Since the 1900 strike, the
| men have, through committees, often
| submitted grievances to the company
| in accordance with the agreement
which ended the strike, but only one
| complaint IN the last two years was
| satisfactorily fixed u2. Numerous other
I grievances were not adjusted