The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-12
Finally Admitted His Company Was
Paid High $2O Ton
During the Strike.
TESTIMONY OF COAL DIGGERs
WAGES REDUCED AND SIZE OF
NINE CARS INCREASED.
Boy Who Lost Leg Received No
Compensation and Was Forced TO
Pay a Debt Owed by HIS Father.

SCRANTON. Pa, Dec. 1l-Representa-
tives of the miners before the anthracite
coal strike commission to-day called L. ~.
Crawford, one of the independent operators
to the witness stand TO tell the exact price
he received for his coal. Crawford. who is
president Of the Peoples Coal Company, re-
fused. giving instead average of the
price he received. The request for Craw-
ford to take the stand was a surprise. The
Oxford colliery during the strike managed
to get enough men to operate the plant.
and for one month. according to Crawford.
his company received $50 ton for its coal
Objection was raised by the operators law
yers, and the commission said the excep-
tional high price of coal during the strike
was not pertinent to the present inquiry.
The miners announced that they expected
to close their case Saturday. and thus gave
notice to the other side to be ready TO pro-
ceed with their testimony. The companies
attorneys announced that they may have
to ask for a short recess In order to prop
erly prepare their case. Judge Gray said
he hoped there would be no interruption
in the proceedings and that the companies
will be able to proceed as soon as the min
ers have concluded their case.
From the large number of witnesses yet
to be called by. the miners it is not likely
they will finish their case on Saturday.
Nearly the entire day was taken up In
hearing witnesses who had some specific
complaint to make. among other things
the price paid per mine car and the size OF
the cars AS soon the afternoon session
began Mr.. Darrow. with the permission of
the commission. requested Mr.. Crawford.
the commission the last bill of sale he had
in his possession. Mr.. Crawford did not
think ii necessary TO bring the bill before
the commission.
WAGES REDUCED.
Two witnesses, employed by the Della
ware. Lackawanna & Western Company.
were then called and each testified that
before the strike of 1900 the men, when,
they worked. received "a cents a car, and
that the strike was ended by the company
agreeing to give the men an increase In
wages of 10 per cent. 21z in cash and the
other 7h per cent. to be considered in the
reduction of the price of powder. Instead
of receiving the increase they now get &c
car less. or 81 cents. They did not know
why IL was reduced.
In cross-examination the company pro-
duced figures which showed that one OF
the witnesses earned average OF A8
day for seventeen days worked In Noven-
ber. The witness said he went into the
One of the same witnesses handed In q.
statement which was given him some time
ago by a mine superintendent, showing
that there were seven sizes of mine cars
at the coliery where he worked. The wit
ness said the same wages are paid for I'LL
ing all of thm.
Patrick O'Boyle a miner, gave the his
tory of the increase In the sire OF the
miners ton from 2,24o pounds to 3.136. He
said twenty-five years ago sizes under pea
coal were not used and therefore IL was
| dumped on the refuse pile and the ton
raised to 3.l36 in order that the companies
could get out 2,24o pounds OF marketable
coal. At present the companies are using
coal three or four sizes under pea. and the
men are not being paid for II.
John William Grifhth, superintendent OF
was called TO the stand to show that
miners children do not go as high in the
school grades as the children of other par
ents.
CRAwFoRDs TESTIMONY.
When Operator Crawford called he
remarked as he took the stand: This is a
new turn of affairs"
When did you ship coal last?'' said Mr..
Darrow.
YESTERDAY"
What are you getting for itr''
! Il don't know exactly"
"Can you come near it?" =
Il can If / want to:
Don't you want to?"
NO sir
''You are a party to this commission. and
| went to New York to the coal presi-
dents?"
Yes, SIR.
Then you refuse to give this commission
Il don't think l am compelled to tell"
(which road do you sell TOP
| Delaware. Lackawanna & Western
what do you get for it?'
About 60 per cent Of what the Delaware
Lackawanna & Western gets for IT.
AT this point attorneys for the operators
| objected TO the inquiry proceeding any
further along the lines of what COM
pany's profits were. Mr.. Darrow said he
called the witness 10 show that the coal
companies were able 10 pay the advance in
wages asked for. Wayne MacVeagh. I'm his
/ cross-examihation OF Mr.. Mitchell he said
! intimated that the increase. IL granted.
would ultimately be placed on the bowed
backs of the poor" and he wanted TO show
4 that the companies well able 70 give
on the poor. Mr.. Darrow then continued
! the examination.
/ How many tons do you produce a davs"
Mine hundred TO one thousand tons"
And you don't know how much you get
4 for it?"
! L can give an estimate"
| We'll, what is IL"
About $3.50 ton."
On further examination Mr.. Crawford
said that during the latter part OF the
| got so a ton for his coal. Chairman Gray
here stopped the examination.
| The miners called several witnesses who
told of conditions at the coIlierfes OF the
| A Pardee Company in the Haxleton region
/ Cne OF the witnesses was a boy who said
he lost leg I'm the mines. received notn-
ing for its loss, but instead when he re-
turned TO work the company took OF his
wages his fathers debt.
Military Societies Merged.
COUNCIL BLUFFS. Ia. Dec. 1.-THE
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