Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-11-20
MIR. Mitchell, After a Siege OF
Four and a Half Days, Fol-
lowed by Rev. Roberts.
COMMISSIONERS URGE HASTE.
Arbitrators Remind Both Sides That
They Would Like to Have Suomis
sion Of Testimony Expedited-Non
Unionists Party to Arbitration.

Scranton, Pa, Nov. 2U.-21ter DelnS
ion the stand for four and half days,
President Mitchell, Of the miners
union. completed his testimony az
noon yesterday before the anthracits
strike commission. He was fSllowea,
on the witness stand by Rev. Petcf
Roberts, D. D., OF Mahonay City, Pa,
Congregational minister, who has
studied the anthracite coal industry
and has written a book On the sub
ject. He was still On the stand when
| the commission adjourned for the
day. d
One of the most important things
brough: out during the cross-examina-
ton of President Mitchell yesterday
was his emphatic declaration that the
miners were opposed TO separating
the bituminous miners from the ali
thracite workers, thus creating two
organizations He made this reply
10 a question Of eX-Congressman
! Simon P. WolvertOn. counsel for the
Reading company, as 10 whether II
would not be better 10 have separate
organizations. MIR. Mitchell's answer
was that 1T would not be possible or
desirable. The anthracite mine work
ers have had Independent organiza-
tions in the past. They have had
several They have gone. They arr
not here now. and the men do not
want any more Of their organizations
to go the same way Commissioners
Wright. as head OF the department
of labor. in his report to President
Roosevelt on the coal strike. dated
June 90. suggested, among other
things as reasonable and just" 70
prevent industrial conflict in the SG-
thracite field. that the anthracite
employees should organize an anthra-
cite coal miners union, in its au-
tonomy to be independent OF the
United Mine Workers Of America"
but might be affiliated with it. There
has been some gossip among the
small army Of attorneys at the hear
ings that the commission may possi-
| bly, suggest such a separate union,
and the fact tha: Mr.. Wolverton
touched on the matter shows that It
is being seriously thought Of in some
quarters. What effect Mr.. Mitchells
declaration will have On the attitude
Of the commissioners, IL this phase Of
the labor question is taken up by
them, Of course is not known.
! The non-union men-that is, those
who remained at work during the
strike-were made a party TO the ar
bitration plan yesterday by their
counsel agreeing TO make public the
names of the men who petitioned the
! commission. When the attorneys for
the "non-striking" workmen, as Chair
man Gray designated them, and who
number about 1000. made demand
to the commission for 90 per cent
increase in wages. with no reduction
in hours. their attorneys desired to
withhold the names Of the persons
they represented. The commission,
however, decided they could not be
a party to such a plan Of secrecy.
In connection with the non-union
feature Of the investigation, Mr..
Mitchell announced that he is also
representing thousands Of non-union
men who struck with the unionists,
and that all the workmen would abide
by the award Of the arbitrators, "or
get out Of the union"
The commissioners, while regret
ting they have to do so, are still re-
minding both sides that they would
like to have the SUBMISSION Of testi-
mony expedited. Chairman Gray sew
eral times during the day interrupted
and showed that ground then being
gone over had already been covered.
1t has been suggested that counsel
for both sides agree 10 rules for the
submission Of evidence. but nothing
has yet been done looking toward that
| end.
In the course Of his examination
by Mr.. DarTow. in the afternoon, Dr..
Roberts furnished statistics showing
that the anthracite fields covered 4so
square miles. Out Of a total popula-
tion Of $4,000 people, he said that
10000 were directly dependent on
the mines
The commission adjourned until
this morning at 10 O'Clock, with NJ.
| Roberts still On the stand.
increase In NanN<