The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-16

The respondents will show that after
the settlement Of 1900 there was appar
emily a concerted effort on the part of the
miners to restrict the output evidently
to prevent the producers from accumulat-
ing stock of coal to meet emergencies
ruch as floods and strikes, and when the
strike was order ed in May there was less
than one months supply to coal in the
market
The Rate Of Wages.
'The rate Of wages in the anthracite
region is not 40 or so per cent lower than
in the soft coal region, but actually high
err It will be shown that the average
earnings of all employees Of manufa curing
establishments covering 300 different
classes, skilled and unski!led labor is be-
low the average earnings of the miner in
the anthracite coal region. 1t Will be
shown that the system by which coal is
weighed is the only method that can be
adopted and that the MIXERS and laborers
Go not now work eight hours and in the
rniority of cases Of miners they work less
than six hours
Several little girls employed in silk
mills were called to the witness stand.
The first girl was only II years old, and
she had to go to work because her father
had been hurt in the mines She said
she worked from a. m. to p. m. for 81
q week.
Annie Denks, aged 10, said she worked
from $50 p. m. until $50 a She had to
stand up all night and received IS cents
night. Every member of thle commission
seemed to be shocked. Judge Gray ap-
peared especially indignant. y,
Be asked her where her father worked.
and she told him in the mines. The girl
also told the number of persons in the
family, and finally Judge Gray said he
would like to see the father. II would
like to see the fathers of these girls he
.:~>l, e. fI,ny hoe, n
right to coin the flesh and blood OF his
children into money. 1t is an outrage
The chairman spoke with much feeling,
and his views apparently received the ,ap-
prevail OF the other commissioners. Mr..
barrow. for the miners, said it was not al
together the fault Of the parents, but the
employers are to blame for not paying
wages enough to permit a man to keep
his children in school. Judge Gray replied:
That may be, but there are miners who
receive enough pay to enable them r.
keep their children out Of the workhouse.
A small Slavonian girl aged IT, who also
worked all night. gave her testimony
through a 13-year- girl interpreter
She worked twelve hours each night ant
received cents an hour. She was asked
whether her father owned the house sht
lived in, and she replied yes" Chairman
Gray. who was standing up and leaning
over to get the girls answer. Strengthened
up ana TeHldIheu Yen, u line ~ SS'
her father.
Another 13-year- od girl said sh
worked all night in the silk mills at Dun
more for sc cents a night.
Judge Gray: Does your father owl
his house?'' r. ---.<.e - p.
YES. sir; he's my stepfather."
He is your stepfather; n thought so.
Judge Gray inquired as to the law i
Pennsylvania regarding child labor a
night One statute was found which par
TALLY covered the case and the charma
remarked that it seemed as though tn
statutes of Pennsylvania in this part c
the state do not seem to bother any one
Mr.. Darrow remarked that the law
cannot enforce themselves. = III t..
The afternoon session was most impor
tant because the question of whether tn
close relationship Of the coal-carryin
roads with the mining companies shall fig