The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-16

MT lorrey salu that ne Wouiu loon the
matter up.
Mr.. Darrow-would you rather go 10
school?
Annie Denko i have to work and either
have TO work in the mill or live out.
Mr.. barrow Would you rather live out
or work in the MILF
Annie-Id rather live out.
Mr.. barrow don't know what your
father makes?
Annie-No, sir.
Mr.. barrow Well. I'd like to See your
father.
Judge Gray to Mr.. Darrow-I'd like to
have you bring him here.
Mr.. barrow How about the employer?
thlnk that ha ought TO In seen.
Judge CRAY think that the father
ought To be seen
Here Judge Gray flushed in the face
and III All angry tone continued:
There IL no use Disgusting the fact
There may be necessity. but there must be
cases when fathers coin the flesh and blood
OF their children into money to increase
their incomes when there is no absolute
necessity for IL IL is an outrage.
Mr.. barrow We agree with YOU hut the
instincts Of the parents
Judge Gray-ld like to see the father
and see what kind Of instinct he has. He
ought TO go TO great lengths before he
allows this thing to exist.
Mr.. barrow about the employer?
Judge Gray He Ii to blame for doing
what the Law does not allow, hut he cam
not employ the children unless the father
takes them 10y the hand and takes them
To him.
Mr.. Darrow-But he cannot take them
10 him II there II no employer 10 employ
them.
Judge Gray That If a sad shameful con-
dition, but Ed like to see the father of this
child. ! want TO know whether there is
real necessity or not. The miners ought,
To keep their children out Of the work
shops
Mir Warren TO the wtness-l would like
TO know your fathers frat name
The witness answered that the name of
her father wa. John Donko.
Helen Richsichak a Polish girl. who could
not speak English was next called. Her
testimony was interpreted by another
little girl named Mary Olskie, who was
a bright child and who acted as inter-
prefer with complete satisfaction She,
too, works in the silk mill. The witness
was examined by Mr.. barrow. She said
that she worked in the Dunmore mills,
that she il about ~ years old and that she
has been employed AZ this mill for year
She also works twelve hours a day She
gets three cents an hour. There are five
children in the family and they live in a
four-room house Her father is "a miner
and working
MIR Darrow-Is yours a company house,
house.
At this Judge Gray let out a short whistle
Of surprise and said
I'D like to see her ather"
The girl said that he worked al No /
cOlliery OF the Pennsylvania Coal COMPANY
II was shown that the father of the girl
had owned his property for ele ven years
II was also shown that the girl possessed
a certificate showing that she was IS years
Of age. This was obtained through the
father swearing that she was of the age
stated
Judge Gray The operator and the
father are responsible for this The mills
evidently come here because they can get
this labor cheap
Rose /enke, the next witness said that
her age is 10. She has been employed in
the Dunmore mill for a year and a half
She works nights at 81, cents an hour
Her stepfather William Huser miner,
owns his own house
Judge Gray and Mr. Wright were look
ing over the reports made by Mr.. Wright
that were upon the bench in front of them
and. having his attention called to the law
by Mr. Wright, Judge Gray said:
Il find here III the reports of the statutes
that any minor between the ages Of IS and 10
must not work more than nine months in
any one year and must 60 TO school al
least three months in the year. And every
owner or operator Of factory who violates
every offence"
The next witness called was Thomas
Williams of Mount Carmel He is a lad Of
IA years and is employed in the breaker
Of the Red Ash collery as n slate picker
and gets s475 a week His father was
killed in the mines. His brother, 10 years
old, gets 81 week as the same breaker.
Judge Gray, commenting on bov under
10 years of age being at work, said il would
be great hardship for this mother to be
deprived Of the amount that the boy earned
He found, however, that the law does not
amount 10 much in the mining regions
Several witnesses were called during the
morning To show the effort on the part Of
the Lackawanna company in 1900 to or
game a separate union Of he employees
When an objection was made Judge Gray
said that the commission would take the
testimony for what II Was worth.
Mr.. ID - announced that the miners
had pra, ga : reached the end of their
side Of the ase. He had one witness how
ever whom Re desired to call in the morning
Then he brought up the matter of the
statistics of Mr.. Lloyd. Mr., Lloyd was
fortified by mass of books and documents
consisting Of Government reports, reports
on bureaus Of labor Of the United States
and Of different States and reports Of various
State and national legislative invest igating
committees.
Juigr GRAY warned Mr. barrow that these
might relate to matters entirely outside
the scope of the commission and he also
said that the documents did not consti-
tute the best evidence that could be OBJ
tanned, but the commission finally decided
to hear all the matter except that relating
to freight rates and the profits of the coal
companies Mr. Lloyd read for nearly
two hours before he concluded. and the
commission then adjourned for the night.
All the counsel representing the oppo-
sition to the miners before the commission
met here tonight and decided on future
plans, II was decided TO agree with the
plans Of the commission to meet in Phila-
dephia when the session ends here The
non-union men and the independent opera
tors will introduce their testimony here
before the commission adjourns. II this
cannot be concluded this week, then the
will not adjourn on Saturday,
as has been proposed, but will remain here