The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-04
MORE EVIDENCE IN
MINERS HEARING
Commission Examined a Number
Of Witnesses Yes .eriay.
A QUESTION OF WAGES
r suit Of Investigation Hinges Largely
on the MONEY Pad the Miners by
thu Opera;ors-TheE Evidence
in the Case.
(By Associated P!,ess.)

SCRANTON, PA, December s.-Ihe
anthracite coal coiA.anleo and their en-
plcN rs having iaiieu 20 come 20 an gree
mtnt curing the 1Nankse.N recess of
the StrlEe commission, the meaning of
tie miners side OF the case was con-
tinucd To-Day, as heretofore.
And unless something IS done By the
lawyers on both sides to curlan matters,
its proceedings Will surely run into next
year.
IN the reassembiing of the commits
s.or to-day. however, there was a re-
wal of the talk of a settlement out OF
court" Nothing definite has been done
and neither side has approached the
other. as far as can be learned, regard
liz: further negotiations, but, as one
prominent attorney expressed 1t. there
is something in the air. The lawyers
on both sides have heard the rumor, and
,rcfess they know nothing about II, out
would not be surprised if something IN
The way of an agreement is reached be-
fore the hearings are concluded.
Chairman Gray. speaking for the COM
mission, to-day again expressed the nope
that efforts would be made by both sides
to agree on as many points as possible,
and that the commission was rsady to
lend any concilatory help to bring about
that end.
MINERS TESTIFY.
To-days proceedings were of more
or less desuItory character. Six witnesses
ware on the stand during the two ses-
sons They We're President Mitchell,
two photographers two practical miners,
one Of them Hungarian ana the wife
Of a German miner Mr. Mitchell was
on the stand for a short time only. and
was called to show that % per cent.
increase in wages did not mean a cor
no ,,,.i~a
ton of coal The photographers produced
about a half hundred photographs they
had taken OF the homes Of mine work
ers in the Hazleton region, which ter
lftory was under investigation to-day.
The two miners testified with reference
TO wages paid and working conditions
at the collieries Of Coke Brothers and
Company, an independent concern in the
Hazleton region. and the woman, whose
husband is employed in the Coke mines.
told story of poverty
A QUESTION OF WAGES.
The commissioners at times We're
seemingly impatient at the way the pro-
ceedings dragged, While they had
half dozen witnesses before them. they
Gid not learn much more than they al
ready knew. On their trip through the
coal feds they saw houses. whose gen
eraI appearance was worse IMAM IllpSt
pictured to-day and they also received
much information along the lines pre-
scented to-day from the mon in the mines
which they visited They are anxious
for the documentary evidence such as
wage statements and other data bearing
on wages and conditions. This was
strongly evidenced to-day when they
&c gerly seized upon the due bills handed
up by the Hungarian witness. Every
man Of the commission examined these
and had questions TO ask about them.
one Of the commissioners said to-day
it was principally a question OF wages,
and they wanted these facts quickly
as they can get them. In this connec-
ton there was considerable discussion
between the attorneys for all sides. and
the commission regarding the dccumen-
tary evidence. Both parties to the con-
trovcrsy had agreed To try to agree, as
far as possible. on a summary of the
great mass of figures that the hundreds
of accountants for the different compa-
mics are computing but the task is such
a stupendous one taking in as it does
about li7.010 mon and boys. that neither
side IS vet ready to so into that feat
ure of the investigation.
The commission has decided to give
all companies who have not Yet become
a party to the Arbitration Commission
until 10 O'Clock Tomorrow morning to
file their answer to President MitchelHs
original statement OF The miners case.