Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-13
Men experimenting Scales Told to Gut
Every Consignment
TREATED CLEAN AND DIRTY FUEL ALIKE
Miners Thus Lsse from Five to Eight
Per Cent.
UNION HAS HELPED MATTERS SOMEWHAT
since Men Imposed Check Loss Has
Decreased, Though Even Now
Thousands of Tons Are
Never Paid For.

SCRANTON, Dec. 12.--The greater part OF
ltoday's session OF the coal strike commits
sion was taken up In presenting evidence
showing excessive docking on the part of
the operators. But late in the day Mr..
Mitchell was called to present comparisons
showing that men paid by the day received
from 40 to 80 per cent higher wages in the
bituminous regions than in the anthracite
fields. His figures for the anthracite fields
were gathered by his own officers. and a
hurried comparison with those handed in
by the Delaware & Hudson company showed
that his we're generally higher.
Must Dock All Cars.
The first witness was Edward Ridgeway,
formerly a company docking boss in the en-
pioy OF the Temple Coal and Iron company.
He said he was a member Of the union and
did not know II was contrary to the rules
for a company docking boss to 'N'ong to
the union.
He said that nine years ago he wRs told
by the mine foreman that he must dock a
certain percentage, no matter whether the
coal was clean or full Of dirt This per-
centage ranged from to s per cent After
the union had a check docking boss ap-
pointed the percentage fell to 1.S per cent.
John McGlone, a check weighman for the
the men at the No. coliiery of the Penn
sylvania Coal company mined 1873 mere
tons OF coal from April, 1901, to April, 1902,
than they had been paid for. He explained
this by saying there was more than 2,240
pounds OF clean coal in the miners ton of
2.7O0 pounds,
He gave figures to show that the average
monthly wages OF the miners laborer was
s27.72 ard the miners wages $34.77. The
accuracy Of his ngures was questioned by
the companys attorney and Mr.. McGlone
was temporarily withdrawn from the stand
by the miners lawyers.
Works mt Eight Years OLD.
A small Polish boy, who said he was
years old and had worked three weeks ir
q coal breaker, was called, but as he die
Iot understand the nature OF an oath wat
.sot- examined --ss ~ s, r -
August Baker, a miner employed by ]. S
'Hentz a Co., at Hazlehrook, said he lived
3u q company house. for which he paid SAT-
per month. II was a rickety building anC
entaiIed severe hardships on his family II
stormy weather
The superintendent Of the colliery toll
him that if he expected work he must dea
at the company store, where prices To-
most articles were double the price charge'
In Hazleton. Under cross-examlnation h.
admitted owning a house which brought hin
SIS a month. and IL appeared from the com
lpany's payroll that last winter he earne
over $500, and his two sons, who ais
worked at the colliery, increased thes
earnings to more than 81. 500 for the year.
Mr.. Mitchell was the last witness an
occupied the stand for an hour. He sub
rlitted the contract between the union an
soft coal operators in Illinois, which
somewhat similar to those made with op
orators in Indiana Ohio and western an
central Pennsylvania. where eight hour
constitutes a days work.
He then presented comparative figure
which showed that company men in the bi
luminous regions earned from 40 to so pc
cent more than company men in the anthra
cite felds, ana the former only work eigi
hours a day. His figures we're gathered b
his own officers and they were general
higher than those submitted to the con
mission by the Delaware Hudson CON
pany.