Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-11-07
ORGANIZE COMMISSION
RECOGNITION OF THE UNION
WILL BE CONTESTED POINT
5AER OBJECTED TO PRESENCE OF
MITCHELL EXCEPT IN PER.
soNAL cAPAcITY-THE
PRESIDENT.

Washington, Oct 27.-The anthra.
cite coal strike commission today, in
the hearing.room OF the Interstate
Commerce Commission, held its first
conference with the parties to the con-
,royersy in the anthracite regions.
There was a full representation Of
both operators and miners and mem.
Oers OF the press and other interested
| parties were present. The commits.
sion occupied the elevated seats gen.
orally filled by members of the Inter.
state Commerce Commission, Judge
Gray as president, occupying the cen.
ter, and Wright, Watkins and Clark
the seats to the right of him In the
order named, while General Wilson.
| Bishop SpaldiDg and Mr.. Parker sat
on the left in the order named. The
proceedings covered about two hours
time and were given up entirely to a
| discussion of the time and method of
proceeding with the proposed investi.
CATION.
The commission decided to begin
its work next Thursday morning at 8
o'clock, the first days of the investiga.
ion to be devoted 10 a physical exami.
| nation Of the mines and the homes Of
the miners. starting in the vicinity of
| Scranton. The entire anthracite field
will be covered. There was much dis.
| CusslOn over proposition made by
he commission to have expert &C.
Countants audit the statements of
wages and classification of miners to
be made by the operators for the use
Of the commission, but no result was
reached on this point, beyond the an.
| nouncement by the chairman OF the
commissions intention to appoint such
an accountant In case his services
should be found necessary.
During the progress of the meeting.
Mitchell, as representative of the min.
ers. presented copy OF the original
declaration of the miners as tormu.
lated by the Shamokin convention, as
the basis Of the demands OF the min.
ers. This demand is, first, for an in.
crease Of 90 per cent in wages of those
not engaged by the day: second, a re-
duction Of 20 per cent in working
hours of those engaged by the day;
third, the payment for coal mined by
| weight Of a minimum rate Of 60 cents
per ton OF 2,24O pounds; fourth, wage
agreement between the GENERATORS and
miners for an adjustment of wages.
Hanr n he at -
tors, took exception to Mitchell's ap-
pearance before the commission as
representatives of the Mine Workers
Union, but said he had no objection TO
his presence as representative OF the
strikers as such In their individual ca.
pacity. The commission made no at
tempt to settle the controversy. but
II was made apparent that the recogni.
ton of the Miners Union will be an
important and knotty problem for the
arbitrators.
When the session of the commission
began there were present: John Mitch
ell, president Of the United Mine
Workers. and District President Fahey
appeared for the miners, and the coal.
carrying roads were represented as
follows: President Baer of the Phila.
delphia and Reading, Z. b. Thomas,
chairman of The board OF the Pennsyl.
vaniH Coal Company and Hllsdale
Coal and Iron Company: Alfred Walk.
er. president Of the Lehigh Valley; w.
II. Truesdale, president of the Della.
ware, Lackawanna and Western; Dav.
id Wilcox, vice president of the Della.
ware and Hudson; JOIN b. Herr, vice
president OF the Scranton Coal Com.
pany and Elkhill Coal and Iron Com.
pany; j. II. Torrey, attorney for the
Delaware and Hudson, and Francis |.
Gowan, attorney for the Lehigh Valley
Company.
Before opening the proceedings the
members of the commission and the
representatives Of the contesting par.
ties were photographed. Judge Gray,
the president Of the commission, then
read the order Of the President Great.
ing the commission, and in a general
way outlined the procedure to be fol-
lowed from the presentation of the is.
sues. He stated that In accordance
with the immemorial practice among
English'speaking peoples the commits.
sion would first receive the statement
or demands Of the miners, who were
to be regarded for the purposes Of this
case as the prosecutors. The reply of
the other side would then be heard,
Judge Gray said, in order that the
commission might have before It a
definite issue.