Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-12-15
ARRA|GN BAER MINES
Workers Latest Testimony Detor1
Coal Strike Commission.
THE OPERATORS ABE READY
They Will Open Their Case During
the Week 1t Close Of Miners
Testimony - stories Of
hey LaAoFeFs.

called Witnesses before the latest SEES
sion of the anthracite coal strike COM
mission to testify az to the conditions
existing at the collieries of the Phila-
delphia and Reading Coal and Iron
company.
They were the first persons to appear
against the company of which George
+. Baer is the head, and considerable
interest was manifested a. to the char
actcr of the evidence the miners would
present against that company. Eight
witnesses were called, and the prlnct-
pal grievance was that some men who
went OH strike were discriminated
against.
There were a large number Of other
witnesses called, and most Of the testi-
mony heard was Of cumulative ma
ture, relating mostly to alleged unfair
local conditions. Among the witnesses
heard was President Mitchell. His tes-
timony related principally to the man.
ner in which he computed the aver
ages he recently gave, In which he
showed that bituminous men received
from 40 to SO per cent more wages than
the anthracite miners. Counsel for the
Delaware and Hudson disputed Mitch
ellis method of arriving at the aver.
ages.
Nearing END of Miners Case.
The miners will close their case early
In the week. when the operators will
open their side. The coal companies
have decided to present only one open
ing argument. and former Congress
man Simon P. Wolverton, leading
counsel for the Reading company, will
make the Joint opening statement.
A discussion ensued over the question
of whether Mr.. Mitchell tried to pre-
vent interference with nonunion men
during the strike. and Mr.. Mitchell an
swered that the union was opposed to
all violence.
The miners president concluded his
testimony by making an explanation to
the commission regarding the unions
attitude on trade autonomy. He said
the United Mine Workers exercises ju-
risdiction over all employees in and
about the mines. II the engineers, fire.
men, pumpMen, etc, each had sepa-
rate organization and one Of these
classes struck, it would close down
everything He said last year 400 fire.
men struck, throwing out of work co.
600 mine workers. If all classes We're
in one organization, they could act to-
gether
William Laurie Of Philadelphia, MI
tional secretary OF the Glass Bottle
Blowers association. followed Mr..
Mitchell in testifying.
Trade Agreements.
He told of the trade agreements be
tween the glass blowers and the manu-
facturers and said that since they had
agreements there had been no strikes.
a breaker boy. aged ten years. was
called and said that he received GJ
cents Il day. Last month he received
only - cents the remainder being kept
for rent by the Delaware and Hudson,
company, which employed him. He
said he knew of one boy who received
only cent in Il month. When he ap-
piled for work. he misrepresented his
age, but his mother has since given the
company his correct age. He is still
employed.
A life insurance agent was called and
gave the life insurance rate for miners
and persons employed in other occupa-
lions. The rates for miners were very
high.
The last witness of the day was a
fifteen-year-old boy who lost leg
while working in breaker owned by
the Pennsylvania Railroad company
He said he received nothing for the
loss of the limb.