The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-11-20
Author of Book on Anthracite
Coal Industry Gives Inter
esting Data.
QUESTION OF TWO UNIONS.
President Mitchell Favors One Or
ganizatiOn for Miners in the
Soft and Hard Coal
Fields.

| 4NON lS.--AlltI ptillS oii
the stand for four and half days Presi-
! dent Mitchell of the miners union CON-
pleted his testimony before the Anthracite
| Strike Commission at noon to-day.
| He was followed on the witness stand by
the Reverend Peter Roberts, D. D., OF Ma
| hanoy City, Pa, a Congregational minister,
who has studied the anthracite coal indus
! try and has written a book on the subject.
| He was still on the stand when the COM
| mission adjourned for the day.
ONE ORGANIZATION.
One of the most important things brought
| out during the cross-examination of Presi-
| dent Mitchell to-day was his emphatic
declaration that the miners were opposed
| to separating the bituminous miners from
the anthracite workers, thus creating two
organizations He made this reply to
| question Of ex-ConSressman Simon P. VOL
| verton. counsel for the Reading Company.
as to whether it would not be better to have
separate organizations. Mr.. Mitcheils an
swer was that 'ft would not be possible or
desirable. The anthracite mine workers
lave had Independent organizations in the
past. They have had several They have
gone. They are not here now. and the
men do not want any more OF their organi-
cations to go the same way
Commissioner Wright of the Department
of Labor. in his reply to President Soose-
gested, among other things, as reasonable
and Just" to prevent Industrial conflict in
the anthracite fields that the anthracite
employees should organize an anthracite
coal miners union, in its autonomy to be
independent of the United Mine Workers
of America" but might be affiliated
with it.
There has been some gossip among the
that, thar the ,.S Commission m may possibly suggest
such separate union. and the fact that
Mr.. Wolverton touched on the matter
shows that it is being seriously thought Oh
What effect Mr.. Mitchelrs declaration
will have on the attitude of the commits
sioners, If this phase of the labor question
Is taken up by them, is, of course, not
known.
NoNUNIoNIsTs' PLEA
The nonunion men, that is those who re-
made a nartv to the arbitration plan to-
day, their counsel agreeing to make pubic
the names of the men who petitioned tie
When the attorneys for the "nonstriking"
workingmen, as Chairman Gray designated
them. and who number about sooo. n made ade
cent increase IN wages, with no reduction
in hours, their attorneys desired to with
hold the names of the persons they repre-
sented. The commission however, decided
they could not be party to such plan
Of secrecy.
In connection with the nonunion feature
of the investigation Mr.. Mitchell announced
that he is also representing thousands OF
nonunion men, who struck with the union
lists and that all the workmen would abide
by the award of the arbitrators "or get
out of the region"
= FAvoRs THE UNION.
In the course Of his examination by Mr..
Darrow in the afternoon Mr.. Roberts fur
nished statistics showing that the an
thracte fields covered 4S0 square miles. Out
of a total population of $4,000 people he
said that $4,000 were directly dependent on
Answering questions by Mr. wolverton
Doctor Roberts said there were four meth
ods of payment in the anthracite region.
by the car, by weight, by the yard and by
the day. The wages paid are far from uni
form, he said. and he then went on to de-
scribe the changes which had been made
in the size of the cars, from seventy-two
cubic feet until they now vary from eighty
to ninety-two feet. In moving the car
from the breast OF the mine to the shaft, n,
Shakedown.
$50 that this measurement" inquired Mr..
Darrow, gives the dishonest miner the
car carefully"
Subsequent examination brought out the
inches of Topping on his car received no
additional compensation for it.
Has the question Of mining coal and be-
ing paid by the car been a source or vexa-
tion and trouble and dissatisfaction to the
miners?'' Mr.. Darrow asked.
the complaints that have existed since 1850.
The first strike, in 1868. he said, was on a
demand for an eight-hour day.
IMPORTED LABOR.
Answering a question by Commissioner
Watkins, Doctor Roberts said there was an
effort made by the individual operators to
import cheap labor into the anthracite coal
ship agents who got men in New York TO
watch the vessels coming in and turned the
current If immigration-that Is, the Slav I'M
migration-into the coal fields
Have miners been obtaining homes TO
any extent?" the witness was asked. which
ELECTED the response that they had been,
with the possible exception of the Italians,
who did not settle in the United States,
Mr.. Roberts here compared the SlaV
standard of living with that of the native
born American. showing 1t to be far below
the standard of the American workingman.
Very few of the miners children, he said,
after they have passed the age OF IA, at
tend school.
The witness declared in response to ques-
| tions that a miners occupation Is more
risky than in any other large industry.
There was more deaths in the mines than
on the railroads but fewer accidents.
Have you noticed the effect of oaloons
on miners?" was the next question.
THE number of saloons in Schuylkill
County has decreased" was the reply, "and
| the consensus of opinion is that 1t is due
largely to the miners union" He said
that the social worth and manlfness and
| individuality of the Slav had been greatly
increased through the miners union.
do you know what was the result Of the
strike of 1902"