Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-10

ident of the Order of the Railway Con-
ductors is also member Of the Fed
GRAFTON. did not go.
Upon the opening Of the session
Chairman Gray told the lawyers Of the
companies and those of the miners that
the statements of earnings, hours, num-
Der of men employed and other data of
that kind should now be in the hands of
the commission. The commissioners,
he said. are very anxious to examine
these statements. aa.
The first witness was James Gala
on the stand. Saturday. He said that
the size of the mine cars has steadily
been increased. but the wages paid
have not been raised.
Frank Rea, a practical miner en-
ployed in the Markle mines, was then
examined on conditions under which
the men are working. The questions
were mainly technical.
The powder question came before the
commission at the afternoon session
and caused considerable discussion
and when it was over the commission
ers knew little more about the intri-
cacies of the question than they did
l
missioner Clark asking for the recall of
Paul Dunleavy, a Markle miner. who
had testified at the morning session.
Mr.. Clark read to the witness the state
| ment of wages submitted by him in
| the forenoon. which showed that some
months he owed the company money
| for powder. The witness could not tell
clearly how it was that he was in debt,
and added that in his way Of thinking
the 10 per cent. increase granted by
the company in 1900 was not an in
crease at all.
| J. w. RittenhOuse, secretary of the
Retail Grocers Association, which does
a large business among the mine work
ers, gave the prices for necessaries of
| life. The increases in prices ranged
| from Is to IS per cent, making ne gen.
eral average for groceries about 80 per
cent. higher than two years ago. Wit
ness said the ability Of the mine work.
ers to pay their grocery bills has not
improved.
John D. Hughes, the Scranton man
ager for Armour &, Co.. gave the
wholesale process for all meats, which
showed that the prices of meats of all
kinds have increased Is Is per cent.
over the prices of 1900
Ira II. Burns. lawyer for the indie
pendent operators, crOss-examined Mr.
Hughcs-"pon't you know that the rise
in the prices of meats was due to the
meat trust"
i Witness-"I don't know of any such
institution
Mr.. Burnside you agree with what
| w. Ia
trusts?"
Witness-"I believe in some of it"
Before the witness could finish his
answer. Gen. Wilson jumped up and
with rising Indignation said: Mr..
Chairman. l object to any person he
fore this board referring to the Presi-
dent of the United States in that man.
ner."
This caused furry, but Mr.. Burns
calmly replied: He sometimes calls
himself that
hartman Gray. however. smoothcd
matters out by saying: II think the OBJ
jecticn is well taken" to which MI.
Burns replied: well. we will call him
the President Of the United States
Mrs. Andrew Chippie. the mother of
the 12-year-old breaker boy who tcsti-
fed, Saturday, that he mad to work
| out the debt of his dead father. took
| the stand and substantiated all the boy
had said.
| Another Hungarian woman, whose
| husband was killed at the same time
| Mrs. Chippic's husband lost his life
told precisely the same story in every
detail.