Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-20
Mitchell at Last Allowed to
Leave the Stand.
Stood Questioning and Cross-freing
for Over Four Days.
The Commission Takes a Hand in Ex-
peditin9 the Business.

III tHe court room.
Before w. w. Ross, counsel for the
Delaware. Lackawanna & Western
Road resumed his cross-examinatiOn
of President Mitchell, Chairman Gray
for the commission again asked cbun-
sci to assist in eXpediting the proceed
ings. He said the commission was 10th
| to interfere. but they hoped that Mr.
Mitchell would not be asked to give his
opinion of matters of which he had nc
personal knowledge.
Mr.. Mitchell. answering questions by
Mr.. Ross. said that an increase in
wages without adopting the weighing
system would not meet the demands
| of the miners. An, S-hOur day would
increase the annual income of the men,
MIR. Ross was proceeding to analyze
the constitution of Illinois branch OF
the United Nine Workers with rela-
| ton to its bearing on the contracts
With the bituminOus operators, when
| Judge Gray interrupted with an inquiry
as to the object of this line Of ques-
| tiOning. Mr.. Ross replied that it was
| for the purpose of showing that since
| the advent of the union, the bituminOus
| operat ors have been unable to employ
any men until they first join the union
He did not proceed further with the
question.
| When Mr.. Ross concluded his exam
nation MIR. Mitchell was cross-exam-
ined by former Congressman Simon p
| Wolverton. counsel for the Philadel-
phia & Reading Coal & Iron Co. Mr.
Mitchell said it would be impossible fol-
him to give in detail the conditions
/ Oh,
pany. He also declared that it would
neither be possible nor desirable to di,
vide the United Mine Workers into two
separate organizations, one btuminous
and the other anthracite. THE anthra-
cite miners" he said, have had indie
pendent and separate organizations il
the past. They have had several OF
them. They have gone. They do moi
want any more of their organizations
to go the same way"
| The reply of Mr.. Mitchell excited
some interest because of the fact tina
this was a suggestion made by Carol
ID. Wright in his report on the strike
to President Roosevelt.
Mr.. WolVertOn's crOsS-eXaminatiOf
occupied five minutes. James III. Tor
rev Of Scranton, representing the Del
aware a. Hudson Co, followed with q
| number of inquiries on the subject OF
the riot that occurred at Shenandoah
Mr.. Mitchell was emphatic in saying
that the reports sent out were grossl!
Exaggerated and that but one life was
lost. The sheriff's appeal to the gov
ernor for aid. he said. was overdrawn
The individual operators, who have
not up to the present time pressed
their case before the commission
through one of their attorneys, Ira N
Buns of Scranton, inquired of the
commission if they would be given the
opportunity to examine witnesses Wher
questions arise which are different with
them than with the companies. Judge
GRAY answered that they would.
Mr.. Mitchell in reply to Mr.. Burns
said that when a man strikes he does
not voluntarily give up his job. but he
| strikes for an Improvement in the con-
| ditiOns in his job. If he wins he gets
hack the position. If he loses he goes
hack with his hat in his hand and ask
for Job. Judge Gray here interrupted
to explain the understanding of the
commission with respect to the return
ing m work of men who had been on
strike. He said: Il think the under
standing is that pending the consider
elton of the questions by this COM
mission. the strikers were to return i'm
mediately to work and think Inc
further understanding is-don't let me
no m,sunderstood-is that the non-
\ union men should not be interferfed
with nor displaced from employment
generally by the return of the union
men,
| Mr.. Burns was examining the Wit
ness regarding unlawful acts commit
ted during the strike and had asked
| Mr.. Mitchell if he approved of them.
when Judge Gray stopped him and said
that nothing could be gained by ask
| ing the question, because the commits
| sion had a moral sense of its own
! which he presumed agreed with the
moral sense of the community and So
ciety.
| Mr.. Mitchell replied with empha-
sis in course of subsequent eXamina-
ton that the miners will carry the de-
cision of the commission out to the let
ter 'or go out of our union.
| Judge Gray then announced the de-
cision OF the commission i'm the matter
Of the application Of John T. Lena
4
han and John T. O'Brien. attorneys for
the non-union men, to appear in the
case. In the light Of all their claims.
said Judge Gray. they would be al
| lowed to appear. but the commission
could not consent to the withholding
from the public of the names of the
ron-union men as their attorneys had
desired. After Mr.. Lenahan assented
to this Judge Gray announced that the
commission would see that no unfair
use would be made of its names.
| Mr.. barrow insisted that Messrs.
| Lanahar and O'Brien really represent
ed the operators and not the non union
men.
Whether they be here in that way
or not. Judge Gray quickly replied
They represent an element in the in
yestigation, men who work for their
living and who are interested IN the
findings of this commission we nave