Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-10
SUBMITS WAGE SCALE
Agent of Reading Hands in
Statement.
MORE DETAILS LATER
JUSTICE GRAY WARNS ATToR-
NEYS AGAINST RANCoR.
Union Miners Charge Discrimination
and Operators Accuse Them
of Violence.
MORE DETAILS LATER

SCRANTON. Pa. December 10-The first
business to come before the strike commits
sion today was the presentation by Simon
P. Wolverton of a part of the statement Of
the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron
Company, showing the average wages paid
to contract miners and inside and outside
laborers. further statement will be made
later The statement Is not Yet off1cially
on file. but was presented 30 that the COM
mission could determine whether the fig
ures prepared are in the shape they wish
them.
The first witness called was Alexander
McVicar. a Delaware and Hudson miner
who told the same story that dozens Of
others have told, to the effect that he was
not given back his old place in the mine
but was placed work in a more unde-
sirable part of the colliery. On cross-ex-
animation he denied that the miners boy
cotted certain breasts chambers by
marking a half moon on the place thus
notifying other workers Of the boycott.
The miners, through Mr.. Darrow, an
nounced at this point that they are pre-
pared to pile up cumulative evidence on
their claims that members OF the union are
being Disseminated against by the compa-
MES, but they did not wish to take up the
time of the commission. Mr.. DarrOw asked
that In case the companies when they
present their side OF the controversy, piled
IL.
union could put on more witnesses on the
same line of evidence.
Witnesses as to Violence
Mr.. Torrey, for the Delaware and Hudson.
said that company had a large number OF
witnesses to testify on the violence phase
of the case, which has direct bearing OF
the recognition of the union. Chairman
Gray, in reply, said that he hoped both
sides would do the best they can not to
produce too much cumulative evidence, and
concluded by saying: II think that matters
growing out of the mere exhibition OF feel
ing will not have much weight with this
commission"
G. W. Phillips city superintendent OF the
public schools of Scranton, was then called
to the witness stand.
Superintendent Phillips, in his testimony,
showed that children OF mine worksrs lsavs
the schools earlier than the children OF par
ents engaged in other occupations
The superintendent concluded his testi-
mony by saving that the conditions, SO far
as children attending school Is concerned.
are better in Scranton than in other parts Of
the anthracite fields.
John Archibald of Hazleton, who is sixty
five years old, and says he has worked in
and about the mines fifty-fve years, was
called. He said that some Of the miners
employed in the Lehigh valley mines. where
he works. receive only 81 day. He could
not give the names of any of the miners.
Attempt to Break Strike.
After superintendent of schools in Lack
awanna county, J. C. Taylor and Superin-
tendent of Schools NJ. w. Cummings OF the
borough of Olyphant, had told the commits
sion that 81 Ia per cent of the children
In the mining region were out of school, a
sensation was caused by the testimony OF
John Early, check weighman employed
at the Gypsy Grove collery of the Erie
company, who was president of the Gypsy
no N n.
duced to a former mine foreman named
Michael Grimes in the Lackawanna Valley
Hotel, Scranton. Early and a miner named
O'Hara, who was also president of a local
union were each offered s.. 500 TO get ten
men to pass resolution ordering the men
from the two locals which they represented
back to work. Early's story was as fol-
lows:
He met Grimes in the hotel through an
other person. In the course of conversation
Grimes asked him how he stood in politics.
Early replied that he had not made up
his mind, and Grimes said that being prest-
dent of a local union he had a good deal of
influence among his friends in Dunmore.
and that If he worked for William Connell
for Congress he would give him $1,000 This
was on September o.
After Grimes made the $1,000 proposition,
Early continued Grimes said
How about the strike. don't you think
the men are weakening?' To which Early
replied that he did think they were waver-
ing just a little.
Grimes then told him that he knew a
break was coming in the ranks of the men
and that they would be defeated. Grimes
recognized that the men had grievances,
and that they had put up good fight. and
as long as they were going to be defeated
by the operators Early ought to get some
thing out of it. Grimes then made this
proposition:
Grimes Alleged Offer.
If Early could get ten men to have res
hi GRIN
give nine of them 800 each. the tenth man
500 and Early 81, 800 and all expenses nec-
essary to carry out the sch f.e. He further
added that Early need not apply for work
for three months and that he then would
be given a foreman's position. During the
three months his expenses were to be paid.
There would be no trouble In getting mine
foreman's rtificate as the companies con-
trolled the boards that issued them.
Later on during the conversation Grimes
amended his proposition by Offering to give
two of the ten men 500 each, and at the
same time offered Early $40 for current
EXPENSES Early refused the money and
told Grimes, he would see him later. Early
reported the matter to District President
Nichols of the Miners Union, and It was
decided to see how far the bribery scheme
would be carried.
Another Meeting Arranged
Another meeting was arranged. and as
Grimes ldQ SPOKEN VI udSlu6 dpPAouSuC0
P. F. O'Hara. the latter went along. The
same proposition was made to O'Hara. Tho
same night there was to be a joint meeting
of all the locals in the vicinity OF Dun
more and Grimes wanted them to pass
the resolution that night. but the two pres
idents could not see their way clear to 90
it. Grimes then proposed that they size up
the men in the meeting, get thirty Of them
interested and If the resolution was passed
the thirty would each receive $SU.
Early went on to say that the ministers OF
the vicinity were to be approached, but
they were not to get as much as the min
ers for breaking the strike. President
Nicholls he said, then gave out a public
statement in which he fntimated bribery
was being resorted to in order to break the
strike and the whole thing fell through.
Grirnee wanted Early to help him out OF
the fx but Early would have nothing to do
with him. The story held the attention OF
the commissioners and the spectators, and.
after Early had concluded none of the law
yers would cross-examine him. Early then