The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-18
MITCHELL AGAIN
UNDER CROSS FIRE
Wilcox and McVea TRY to
Trip Him.
AND The TWO ARE FOiLED
The Two Brilliant Lawyers Brig all Their Le-
GAL Guns 10 Bear on Mitchell but His
Amor Proves to be lmpenl-
trable.
(By the Associated Press

Scranton, Pa, Nov. 15.--President
Mitchell, of the Mine Workers Union,
occupied the witness stand throughout
both sessions OF the Coal Strike Commits
sion today. For four hours and half
he took the cross fire OF the two brilliant
at torneys of the coal operators and
ended the day with few scars as a re-
suit of the battle
David Wilcox, of New York, general
counsel for the Delaware and Hudson
Company, and Wayne McVeagh, of Phila-
delphia, who is representing the Pennsyl-
vania Coal Company and the Hillside
Coal and Iron Company, were the princi-
pal questioners, and they put hundreds
of questions to Mr.. Mitchell Harmony
prevailed between the lawyers and the
witness.
The members of the commission con-
tinue to take the same intense interest
in everything done and frequently inter-
rupt with questions in order that they
may have a better understanding of what
is being said. The afternoon session was
the more interesting. Mr.. McVeagh' s
questions, was, as a rule, very keen and
while he, assured Mr.. Mitchell that he
was not radically opposed to him, he did
not miss an opportunity to place Mr..
Mitehell's reasons for better conditions
in the anthracite field in a bad light be-
fore the commission. When he began his
cross examination of Mr.. Mitchell at
noon, he informed him that he was not
opposed to proper organized labor.
He took UP the demands of the miners
seriatim. He questioned Mr.. Mitchell on
the demand for an increase in wages.
and pressed the national president hard
when he asked him if he cared TO carry
the responsibility of increasing the living
expenses of the great mass of our people
OF the Eastern States who would ulti-
mately have to carry the burden if the
demands of the miners for higher wages
were granted. Mr.. Mitchells reply, in
substance, was that the miners could not
assume the responsibility, as it was a
situation over which they had no control.
Mr. McVeagh made the most of his OPP
portunity to picture the great burden that
would fall on the people if the demands
of the miners were granted From this
question he passed to the demands for a
shorter work day and the weighing or
coal by the ton of 2,240 pounds, and then
took up the fourth demand of the men
for trade agreements, which practically
means recognition of the union. He
asked Mr.. Mitchell what sort of con-
tract he would draw up and the latter re-
piled he would favor an agreement as
outlined in his suggestions to the COM
mission yesterday.
After going over the demands of the
miners, Mr.. McVeagh took up the con-
ditions existing in and about the collier
les of the companies he represented and
tried to show that the conditions spoken
of by Mr.. Mitchell were not borne out by
| investigation. He took Forest City,
where the mines of the companies are sit
uated as an example, and produced pho
tographs of houses in the town and also
referred to the large deposits of money
| in the local bank to show the prosperity
of the community. Mr.. Mitchell, although
not admitting that the conditions as pre-
! sented by Mr. McVeagh were true, said
he could not, for lack of familiarity with
the community, deny his assertions. The
| Constitution of the United Mine Workers
of America also was taken up by the
! lawyer and he and Mr.. Mitchell several
| times spared for points regardingthc
references contained in in to an eight
hour day Mr. McVeagh contended that
no one had the right to deny man the
/ privilege of working more than eigh
| hours a day if he so desired. He SAID
/ not one member of the commission would
be occupying his present high place i
references contained in it to an eight
| hours day
With reference to this argument, Mr.
Mitchell thought it was not fair to ccmpar
| the mine works with the arbitrators. Mr.
| McVeagh had himself started out in life
| by working fourteen hours a day on {
| farm and for more than forty years HI
had worked more than ten hours day
| To the direct question as to whether he
as president of the union, had right t.
curtail the hours of employment eacf
day for the miners, Mr.. Mitchell said HI
| thought he had, and made an explanation
| by saying that if one minor worked more
| than eight hours a day it would probabl!
| result in the other men being compelled
| TO work the same number of hours.
During Mr.. Mitchel's examination b,
/ Me- Wilcox, the fact was brought on
| that If the increase in wages was granted
| it would increase the expenses of TIT
| companies about twelve million dollars
| year. In regard to child labor, Mr.
| Mitchell said, he was in favor of stat
| law which would make the minimum ag
| for a hoy to go to work at the colllerie'
| fourteen years instead of twelve.
| The attention of Mr.. Mitchell wa
| directed to the demand that the opera
| 49,. oho,,I1 ,,,olye an apreement will