Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-16
PAY FAIR WAGES OR QUIT
Judge Gray Lays Down Rule for Employer
Guidance.
MILL GIRLS WORK ALL NIGHT
Son. u --ee Cents an Hour and
Som, II More, on Hearing
WINK stors' Chair
ma smant.

this afternoon.
Today's session was one OF the most i'm
portant yet held, as the close relations Of
the coal-carrying roads with the mining
companies came squarely before the arbi-
traitors.
Judge Gray deprecated the introduction
Of new questions saying:
The commission, in a general way, Is
averse to widening the scope of the investi-
cation beyond the terms of the submissions
Of miners and operators. In carrying on
the investigation II assumes the coal COM
panieS can anord 10 pay IalT wages, anu anu
their side of the case, maintain that they
cannot afford an increase, the commission
will hear what the miners have TO say. IL
assumes, further, that II business can
not pay fair wages the employer ought to
get out of 1t.
Try to show Combine.
The mine workers appeared to place
much Importance on the evidence they pro-
duced that the coal roads controlled the
coal companies and that the roads charged
exorbitant and discriminating freight rates,
thus increasing the revenues Of the mining
properties.
The early part Of the afternoon was ta-
ken up in hearing witnesses in the employ
of the Reading company, after which Mr..
Darrow announced the close OF his case,
excepting that he would. call one witness
tomorrow on a matter entirely different
from anything that had been offered.
Il will present a table" he said, SHOW
ing fluctuations in the anthracite industry
as TO the tonnage mined in the past ten
| years and the amount turned out per man.
We will claim, of course, that the last
year is not a fair criterion as to the
amount Of wages that a miner should earn.
%
ask some questions about combinations of
various railroad presidents when we get
them before this commission, but we
leave that as it is; we may or may not
want to ask that"
| The Chairman-well, we will have to de-
eide when questions Of that kind come be-
| fore us. The scope of our inquiry is to
investigate and decide upon the matters in
| controversy between the anthracite mine
workers and the operators who have signed
the letter of submission or those who have
| intervened since. The question of a coal
trust cannot be Investigated here.
take 1t that this commission will con-
slider that 1t has quite enough to do to de-
eide the important issues that now con-
stitute the controversy. and without de-
Gliding anything until It is actually pre-
sented, 1 can state as a general opinion
that we shall be adverse to widening the
scope of this investigation beyond the
terms Of submission.
Mr.. Darrow-Still, take 1t that the
commissions authority is a little broader
than to inquire into the conditions here
and that 1t embraces anything that would
tend TO the permanent settlement of this
matter. l rather inferred that the com
mission would want to know something
| n frai ipl honf ha
between the railroads and the mine own.
ers. l also think it has direct bearing or
this case At least ono company ha.
pleaded directly that it cannot afford to pa,
any more wages.
Brings OmciaI Evidence.
Mr. Lloyd then read a syllabus Of doc
uments he had prepared. He said:
For the purpose of connecting the pres
! ent facts with the past we offer evidence
of the causes, character and result OF tn
, combinations, both of labor and capital
/, In the anthracite coal industry. Tn,
profits of the business, both of mining ant
, of transportation; the reslations of trans
, portatton companies to operators ant
miners and the political and social conse
quences that have resulted. This evidenc
thus offered we obtained from the reports
Of various legislative Investigations by tn
' by congress from 1871 to the present time
Y and II embraces, we believe, all the i'm
have been made.
Then he started to read an extract fron
, the annual report Of the Bureau of sta
tistlcs OF Labor and Agriculture Of Penn
{ sylvania for 1872 and 1873, showing tha
the reorganization of labor was mad
necessary by the previous organization o
employers in the anthracite fields.
He submitted five points in evidence, a
D follows
e ]. The ownership by certain railroads o
. mining properties in the anthracite fields
?. That men who were directors in on
mining company are members of boards o
: directors OF other railroads and minin
8. Joint resistance Of the coaI-carryin
railroads to the individual operators build
y ing an independent road to carry thei
1 ! product at reasonable rates.
T. The community OF interests of tn
= coal-carrying railroads and their minin
4 5. Constant acquisition of additional un
mined coal by the coal-carrying railroads
Then he wanted to show that exorbitau
4 freight rates were charged by the com
= panies, and a specific objection wa
promptly entered by Simon H. WoIvertoI
counsel for the Reading company.
\ Two OF the commissioners had ten
porarily left the room and Judge Gray hee
itated to rule and asked Mr.. Lloyd to rea
. something else for the time being.
Al TINS suBBesllon MT. LlOyd began
present evidence relating to the profits
II the coal railroads and mining companies
y Mr.. Wolverton stopped him again, how
ever, and a long colloquy ensued as
y whether freight rates and the profits Of th
two classes OF companies could properl
be introduced.
Judge Gray did not think so, and weI
on to make his announcement, Assumin
=! that the operators could pay a fair wag
u and IL not, ought to get out OF business.
J. Mr.. Lloyd seemed satisfied and said /
y would go no further, that the prineipl
. thus laid down would be welcomed by II
J. workmen Of the country and set a prect
Is dent.
{, Girls Work All Might.
! Several little girls employed in silk mil
~ nearby were called, and as a result Il
A. chairman plainly gave his opinion Of pal
- ents who send their children to work at
"A tender age.
n The first girl called was only II yea
: old and had to go to work because h,
~ father was hurt In the mines. She workt
" from I a. m. until p. m. for 81 a week.
In answer 20 the chairman. she said h
father expected TO take her out OF a
mills next week. to which Judge Gray r
piled that he should be commended.
~ Annie Denks, aged Is, worked at mig