Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-12-18
Fairness of Statement Harded
in BY the Pennsylvania
Company Challenged.
OPERATORS OPEN THEIR CASE.
Attorneys Representing Non-union
Men Began Calling Witnesses Yes
terday-Deputy Factory Inspector
Examined Regarding Child Labor.

Scranton, Pa, Dec. lS.-The anthra-
cite coal operators opened their side
of the controversy with the mine
workers yesterday before the strike
commission and the attorneys who are
on record before the commission as
representing the non-union men, who
have been admitted to the arbitration
scheme, began calling witnesses. The
sessions yesterday were probably the
liveliest yet held by the commission.
At the morning session the miners
lawyers challenged the fairness OF
certain wage statements handed to
the commission by the Pennsylvania
Coal company, and in the afternoon
Lawyer Darrow had spirited discus
sion with Chairman Gray as to
whether or not the miners had right
to know who is paying the lawyers
representing the non-union men be-
fore the commission. Mr.. barrow as
serted they were employed by the coal
operators. The commission decided il
was immaterial who was back of the
non-union men.
Preceding this Simon P. Wolverton,
counsel for the Reading company, who
delivered the opening address On be-
half of all the large coal companies,
made the point in his address that
the recognition Of the union is not an
issue before the commission. which
brought out protest from Mr.. OAR
row. The latter claimed that II it
were not, then the operators should
be forbidden from presenting testi-
mony that tended to show the union
was responsible for all the alleged
violence committed during the strike.
Child Labor.
The alleged unfairness of the wage
statements came to the notice Of the
commission as result of it's inquiry
into the child labor question in
this immediate vicinity Several lit
tie girls testified on Monday that
they worked all night in silk mill
in order to help their fathers along,
who were employed in the mines and
received poor pay Yesterday Everett
Warren, who represents the Erie conf
pany, which controls the Pennsylva-
mia Coal company, in whose mines
some of these fathers worked, handed
to the commission a memorandum
showing that one father last year re-
ceived about 81 400 for himself and la
borers, and the other father receiv-
ed $1,000 for himself and laborers.
At the opening of the session yester-
day the miners placed the two par
ents on the stand, and they swore that
the earnings mentioned was divided
among from four to six men. This
testimony surprised the commission,
and Judge Gray asked IL the figures
on the memorandum were taken from
the wage statement already filed by
the company with the commission.
and Mr.. Warren replied in the affirm
tive.
Explained System.
The company through its general
manager, w. A. May, was permitted
to make a statement. He said: "The
Pennsylvania Coal company has two
systems. one where four men work
in place and known as four-handed
place. and then they have another in
which there are only two men. The
place in which these two men work
is commonly known as a two-handed
place. There may be places where
only one man works and there may
be places where there are four men
working, but that fact is not known
to the company itself The company
does not keep a record of the in Ii.
viduals in a contract or the number.
1t only keeps the name Of the man in
whose name the place is run. II can
be possible that in that place there
are more men than the company has
any cognizance of, but that is entirely
outside its province.
The company, he said, does not pay
the laborer; it only pays the man in
whose name the place appears.
Challenged Good Faith.
In discussing the matter Mr. barrow
directly challenged the good faith Of
Mr.. May, who handed the figures 70
the company's attorney for presenta-
ton to the commission and said 1t
was unfair to have given them to him
or to the commission without indicat-
ing how many workmen's earnings
were represented in them.
This ended the matter, and the CON-
mission examined a deputy factory
Inspector regarding child labor ami
suggested that the legislature of
Pennsylvania be permitted to improve
the factory inspection laws.
The miners here rested their case
and Mr.. Wolverton formally opened
the operators side of the controversy
by reading a statement which repre-
scented the views of all the large coal
companies.
Ira H. Burns. one of the attorneys
for the independent operators, then
presented the opening statement of
the individual companies.
1t was arranged that the attorneys
representing the non-union men
should first call their witnesses and
Ave witnesses were produced who tes-
titled that strikers had killed one man
and had more or less seriously an
noyed two other men who worked dur
ing the suspension,
At O'Clock the commission ad-
Journed until this morning