The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-20
STATUS OF NON.UNION MINERS.
tONNfS>IOS DEFINES THEIR
RfGHTS PENDING TNQTIRY.

Judge sIa, Announces That They Are
mt 4" Bc intrrfered Win Nor his.
placed 10y nioD Men Pending the
Hearing Rev. Nr. Roberts Males
Poor witness ~ Mining Expert
onfron'ed by Quotations From
Ills Book ON Mining Nitchrii's Gross.
INamins ton Ended--IIe Very Prompt.
!, Changes a Compromising Ans~ er.
SCRANTON. Pa Nov. ~ At tho morn
ing se@sion Of the anthracite strike com
mission Judge Orsy. chairman Of the com
mission made an important ttAt~rnent ro-
garding ,he status ~ tho non-'Inion miners.
Precedent Mitchell 81 the Mine Workers
had just said in answer 10 "A question:
III a striker VIM, he gets back his posi-
ton. II he loses, he goes back with his
hat In bis hand and asks for job"
Judge Gray here broke in To explain the
commissions views on the status of nom
union men. He said:
4 think the understanding Is that, pend
ing the consideration Of the questions by
this commission the strikers were to re-
turn immed lately to work. and think the
further understanding is--don't lot ma he
risundrrstood--ia.t that the non-union men
should not be interfored with nor displaced
from employment generally by the return
- the union men"
Before the Rev. Peter Roberts Of Ma
hanoy City left the witness stand At the
adjournment Of the commissions session
this afternoon there was no doubt that the
counsel for the miners regretted having
called him. Mr. Roberts was put forward
as one II the most important and useful
witnesses for the miners He Wa marked
down a. the second witness 10 be called bv
them, largely because Mr. barrow expected
that, being n clergyman and a student Of
conditions in the anthracite region, his
testimony would benefit the miners
greatly.
II was case. however, - tho n1empli-
fcation Of the adsge. 20 far A. the operators
we're concerned. 81 "Oh, that mine enemy
would write a book Mr. Roharta has
written book upon he AM hracitA industry,
and II was that which made wort hle-s his
testimony, from Ia" standpoint Of the
miners
When President Mitchell waz upon the
stand The cour sol for the various companies,
particularly Nr MacVeagh Of IN. Penn
sylvania company, made az of r' 10 Undue.
the miners leader 10 admit that the con
tract miners often did not remain in their
chambers after 10 o'clock in tho morning
Tho miners who were ia the room at the
lime laughed d"ri-ivelv AZ this question
Mr. Mitchell denied that the aseertio ion Of
Mr.. MacNsagh was true and the latter
then said that he read il from the reports
It Inspector Roderick Of TN" First Anthra-
otto dls'ric' Mr Mitchell refused 20 accept
"a correct cvon This official document
When Nh wolver,on, counsel Of the
Philadelphia and Reading coal Company,
took M IA" cross examination Of Mr. Rob
crts thi- afternoon he was provided with
= copy ~ Mr. Roberts's book and he bro
ceeded 30 quote from il at length, asking
{ ne clergyman if the statements contained
therein were bated upon the best informa-
ton that he could obtain. The answer
of the clergyman vas invariably in the
affirmative.
Finally Mr. Wolver,on came to long
paragraph which touched upon this qu,s- !
ton Of the number Of hours that Ia. miners
are forced TO spend in the discharge Of |
their duties. In this paragraph Mr. Rob |
erts Guotee az a fact the very extract from |
MI. Roderick's report that Mitchell had |
rejected. He went on TO say that the Eng |
lish-speaking miner cannot hope to better |
his condition unless he spends more hours |
in his chamber: that he seems to be in too
great hurry TO get to his home tina, he il
seldom found In the mine after 10 O'Clock |
in the morning; that he does not work |
much over five hours a day, &c
Concluding the reading Of this long ex-
Tract. Mr.. Wolverton looked al Mr. Roberts
and asked impressively:
Were these facts you cite based upon
the best information thai you could ob-
tain?"
Yes, sir answered Mr. Roberts
OPERATORS TURN 10 LAUGH
The operators in the room laughed glee-
fully and pleased sm lie spread over the
features Of Mr.. Wolverton The face of
M john Mitchell was a study
Mr. Mitchell, looking radiant aud happy
and not one bit wesried because Of his severe
trial Of five days upon the witness stand, was
excused a little after /? O'Clock An admis-
ION that the counsel for the operators
'ceme! important slipped from him just
before he left the stand Mitchell was
Swing redirect testimony, with Mr. Darrow
askIng the questions. He was asked CON
'orning tho violence that had loen COM
mit'od IN the anthracite region while the
,'rike was in progre-s. Ne said that there
had been more disorders than he wanted.
Tho attorneys for the various companies
AN diVod for their pencils and notebooks
20 lot down the answers. Seeing his mis-
take. Mitchell changed the form Of his an
-N"r and said that there had been more
violence than any one could wish
EoN-UNIoN MEMS LAWYERS LET IN.
A. tho morning session tho commission
announced that it had decided to recog-
nize the attorneys for the non-union men.
Mr.. Darrow made a protest, saying that
his information was to tho effect that the
two attorneys we're In the pay Of the opera
tors. He said the men whom they claimed
10 represent and whose names were signed
10 their petition were stool pigeons The |
counsel for the miners would attempt Ia |
good tim" 10 present proof to that effect.
Judge Gray sad that was a matter that |
could 10 considered later but their pe,i-
ton was In proper form and the commission |
had decided that il would have to recog-
nlIc the appearances.
1.. sL.A, ~ I.