Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-19
10 know all there is to know about a
Sarsaparilla, take Ayers. Your doctor
Will say so, too. He knows. s.:4s


based on lump coal, while the miners
invariably demanded pay on the basis
OF mine run of coal. This latter meth
cd Mr.. Mitchell contended was the on
~ fair one.
For the first time during the session,
the members of the commission then
entered into a general cross-examina-
ton of the witness on points which the
previous testimony had not brough.
out
Replying to Bishop Spaulding, Mr..
Mitchell said that operators could form
coalition and stop the mining of coal
throughout the United States. They
could do the same as we could" said
ne, and especially now when the coal
neics OF the country are passing into
the hands Of a few men,"
Commissioner Watkins thought the law
would prevent the operators doing that,
by reason of their incorporation, but Mr.
Mitchell said that they had the right to
shut down their mines. Judge GRAY
asked the witness If his society did not
depend. after all, on the old economic
truth that all great forces which tend to
uplift and carry on social advancement
desire of the individual to better his own
condition and to work for wages; and
upon the desire of a man who has prop
erty to utilize it and get an income from
it.
Il think that probably is true was
Mr. Mitchell's response.
Judge Gray: IF you can imagine all
men ceasing to work at once the whole
social machine would stop"
Mr. Mitchell said: Yes"
Commissioner Wright asked: DO you
consider it justifable for the employers
in a certain district in order to resist
the demands of the labor union, to par
>aiyze that industry or any group of in
dustries?'
NO. l do not think it is proper" Mr.
Mitchell replied.
Would the same answer be made If
it should substitute unions instead of
employers
Mitchell. some other avenue of adjust
ment than the paralyzation of the indus
try should be sought.
Mr.. Mitchell answering commissioners,
said the United Mine Workers did not
incorporate DeCduSe Tile Step WAS HOt
necessary. An organization to become
financially responsible, he said. must
have a large fund. and this the working
people did not have. He said that en-
ployers who object to treating or con-
tracing with the union because it is not
incorporated would oppose treating with
it anyhow.
Commissioner Wright asked Mr.. Mitch
ell what he meant by recognition of the
Union. and witness replied: 1T means
that the employers shall make agree
ments regulating hours of labor, wages.
etc, with the union, and that the union
as such would be held responsible for Il
rigid compliance with those agreements"
The cross-examnation was next taken
up by w. w. Ross of New York, counse!
for the Delaware Lackawanna & West
ern, who had just begun to question tn,
witness when the noon recess hour ar
rived.
In the afternoon, Mr.. Ross line of ex
animation was for some time directed to-
ward testing Mr.. Mitchell's knowledge of
bitumnous mine working. the number of
men employed. the wages paid and a COM
parison of these with the wages paid III
the anthracite fields. Regarding the num-
Der of hours the men work In the hard
coal regions. Mr.. Mitchell said that on
the average the men worked more hours
than the breakers.
LAS matter of fact" said Mr. Ross.
"has not your organization stopped the
miners from working on the days when
the breakers are idle?
Mr.. Mitchell admitted that in this dis
trct the rule is that the men sinai! not
prepare coal on idle days. This, he said,
was for the purpose of preventing favor
itism.
you have spoken of the existence of
fayoritism." Mr. Ross said, land you re-
ferred to the excessive system OF DOCK
| ing Do they exist in our mines?"
sThat is my information was the re-
| ply.
In reply to another question by Mr..
Ross, MIR Mitchell declared that the rule
of the local unions not to prepare coal
when the breakers were idle did not have
I for it's object the restriction of the out
put.
.'If these miners had been permitted to
work. asked Mr.. Ross. ION these idle
days, the output would have been great
| er. wouldn't it?'
| IT don't know whether your company
wanted more coal than the miners pro-
| duced or not. .
| 1--WE have wanted for several years all
| the coal we could get. We have never
been able really to supply our orders
THAT information. Mr.. Mitcnell an ,
swered. sis very different from what
! usually get from the men you represent
entirely by the competition of bitumi-
nous COAL
I'VE are not discussing competition al
| present" Mr.. Ross remarked. Durine
this era of prosperity we worked all the
| miners we could to advantage.
| II say" said Mr.. Mitchell. further ar
guing the question. that that informa-
i ton is contrary to the statements made
by the presidents of your companies.
AT the request of counsel Mr.. Mitchei
here gave history of his connectioi
with organized labor He said that ne Sc
cured recognition of the union ana .
change from 10 hours to s in the stat.
!, of Illinois in the spring OF 1878 Tnert
. | was no strike. I'VE did. what we are
trying to do here-we asked the operator.
| 10 meet us and we agreed on an advance
t, of is per cent. and an S-horr day.
| After some unimportant testimony as u
ms. comparison of wages. the social fea
fure of life in the coal fields was takei
= I'm and Mr. Mitchell said he could not SCI
any other reason in child labor than tina
the families required the money TO nv
, on. the exception being where the parent
may lie inhuman. 80 :.
AT this point Mr.. Ross said that HI
2 company owned 2S4 houses. which WEI
e rented to the miners on an average o
T s. a month. :,
You charge enough for them wa
I Mr. Mitchelrs dry response. which cause
s merriment among the miners in tn
After securing an expression from tn
[ miners president that the company PAL