New-York tribune., 1902-10-31
INSPECTING THE MINES.
ARBITRATION COMMISSION AT WORK IL
THE COAL REGION.
THEY CLIMB INTO THE WORKINGS AND ASK
MANY QUESTIONS OF THE MEN-Borh
OFFICIALS AND WORKERS PLEASED.


scranton. Penn, oct 3O.-The Anthracite
st,ike Commission ended its first days actNe
,co,,tr,, INTO the conditions Of mining tonight,
seven as tired men as were to be :ound IN 'he
e,,l-s reRion. They had tramped along gang
ravs. cIambered into breasts, marched along
railroad tracks slid down slope and toied up
on clir1bed through a breaker. and covered IN
al territory Of some sixty miles. From 10
o'clock in the morning until $50 tonight they
y,e4e constantly on the move. and they returned
with q better understanding Of how coal is
mined and prepared for market than other men
have obtained who have spent days in the
mines They saw many different conditions OF
mining. with expert officials and workers TO eN-
plain the methods 10 them.
Hsf way through their journey to-day they
held 9 thrty-minute conference Commissioner
Vrirb, the spokesman. said that general plans
were discussed No details have yet been ar
ranged The commissioners Wil visit the mines
as many as they deem necessary 70 get thor
ouyh understanding Of the conditions Of mining,
aud then via take testimony. But when the
hearing Of testimony Will begin they cannot say
I'm the party to-day We're General Wilson, r..
r Clark Thomas n. Watkins. Bishop Spald-
ing Commissioner Wright. Justice Gray and r.
" Parker of the arbitration commissions Ed
ward A. Mosley and Charles NJ. 0Neih, re-
corders. Superintendent r. A. Philips OF the
Delaware Lackawsnna and Western company;
Sliperintendent W. A. May Of the Erie COM
many. Superintendent Thorne Of the Temple
Coal and Iron Company. Superintendent }. r.
Rrvden of the York. Ontario and Western
Company. District President Nichols and some
practical mine workers.
THE PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY.
The start was made from the commissions
a. ,n11niS-
sioner Watkins arranged the programme for
the day. II vas a trip to the No oolliery Of
The Erie company, where. as the mine 81 the
extrere northern edge Of the coal fields. the
commissioners could get good idea OF the
conditions Of mining in the upper region. Later
a visit was made 10 the Cosl Brook colliery OF
the Delaware and Hudson Company at Forest
city.
The commissioners were taken 10 the Erie
colliery from the Forest City station IN car
riages to give them an opportunity OF seeing
some of the miners homes and their mode OF
li,irg They saw in the town many comfortable
homes. occupied chiefly by the English speaking
men. and on the outskirts the usual miners
houses Of four rooms each With a number OF
dirty children playing outside and unattractNe,
sol-alid women They were the houses OF the
Iathusnians and the Slsvs. There was now
ever, no time 10 make a closer examination
Al the mine the company provided overalls'
houses rubber shoes and caps for The party.
The news reached the commissioners that d
man had been killed couple of hours before
in tSe Clifford mine, which they were to visit
as mart OF the workings OF the No 3 though
the officials tried TO prevent them hearing II.
II perhaps. made them a little more mindful
hat the undertaking was attended with risks.
but no man hesitated in going down. 1t was
originally intended 70 limit the party. but the
interest was so great that all those who accom-
panied the commissioners entered the mines
and the party. some thirty-five or forty. was
found TO he so cumbersome that TO- morrow the
limit will be enforced.
THE COMMISSION IN THE MINE.
Al the foot of the shaft trip Of coal cars
hauled by an electric motor, awaited the party
and IN this 1hey were taken inside about
mile the depth from the surface never nelng
more than 200 feet. owing TO the limited time
tba, could be spent in the mine it decided
20 visit the best the medium and the worst
places. known so because Of the difficulty IN
qet,inr q, the coal In the two-foot vein which,
the miners saw. is the hardest place in the mine
10 work there IS split which makes the work
ing doublv dangerous double set Of props he
ing necessary on account Of the rock separating
The two portions Of the vein. Owing to the
i dangerous nature OF this working only the com
rrissioners and a couple Of officials were allowed
70 enter. They remained half an hour. Later
they visited the seven-foot vein.
There Wss no general plan of inquiry Ihe
commissioners walked along fifteen or twenty
Yards apart, al times accompanied 10y mining
official. who explained the general conditions TO
tbem Commissioner Watkins. for many years
mine owner. directed his colleagues, pointing
ont the features which were Of special interest,"
and explaining IN detaL how the coal Is 1olhG'
reached mined and sent 70 the surface. With
him while he made these eNplana tions were ON
cials of The company and District President
Nichols
The commissioners were eager 70 ask ques,
tons of the men themselves. They clampeIea
INTO the breasts and asked the workmen what
money they made, what time they worked and
what complaints they had. The door boys were
questioned. the laborers spoke Of their work the
driver boys told II the dangers they encounter
the stahlemen showed how the stables were
managed, The foot men and the head men eN
plained the hosting Of cars. and the engineers,
hremen and company hands we're all seen.
Every member II the commission as active IN
this work and took a keen interest in getting
al the bottom of the actual conditions
THE QUESTION OF PAY.
They paid particular attention the question
of pay by weight In the No > mine the work
ers ge, - cents a ton, hut they are required
they say. 70 mine 5000 pounds of coal to MAKE
that ton Ot this 1900 pounds is demanded by
the company. while the doCkage makes up the
rest OF the - cents they get they give the
labNfeF y CellLS. ana pay also Inr inelE Oh anu
other supplies They net from 81 40 cents a
ton according 10 the condition Of the vein and
the working they are in on good day they
mine six carloads. amounting 10 from eight 10
ten tons that IL Is possible To make from N3
81 day. They complain Of the unfair sys-
TEN 81 weighing. and want d system which VIII
give them credit for the actual number of
pounds they mine.
Al the No. slight accident occurred The
car on which Commissioners Wilson
Parker, Clark and Gray jumped the track They
were not injured From the No. the party pro-
1a1 ~ he ffaa1 1~a. .l-ay ri