New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-19
LBY TELEGRAPH 10 THE rRIBl Ne

lBv TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBl NEl
Scranton, Penn, Nov. 1S.-The strike commits
sioners to-day made IT clear that they mean 10
allow no further protracted cross-examinations
after they have become familiar with the gen.
eraI conditions OF the case in point There is so
much testimony TO be heard that it is necessary.
they find, TO expedite the work as much as pos
sible, or the sessions viii be interninabIe. To-
day Chairman Gray said that he deemed it a
wise move 10 have the attorneys restrict them
selves 10 the conditions affecting their own com
panies and not TO go into long discussions con-
corning the general conditions. The commits
sion Is well informed as to them" he said
The result was that Wayne Macveagh, who
had been cross examining since Saturday noon
ended this morning before Il o'clock Francis
I Gowen, OF Philadelphia for the Lehigh Val
ley company. ended in an hour and a half IN
which time the commissioners did much of the
examining. and ". W. Ross, Of New-York. for
the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western took
up the afternoon and had nearly finished at ad-
joUTnment time The others are TO OCCUPY. even
less time, Mr.. Wolverton Of the PHILADELPHIA
and Reading, saying he would take only ten
minutes.
No attorneys are present for the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation Company, the Susquehanna
Coal Company, which is owned by the Penn
sylvania Railroad, any Of the big indie
pendent operators OF the Lehigh region. and
their absence is not explained.
The commissioners to-day took an active part
IN the hearing and brought out mere Of i'm
pcrtance than the lawyers have done Mr.
Mitchell declared his opposition 10 the incor-
pOraton OF the union. q most important Point
On which the commissioners are expected TO
base one Of their findings. Replying TO the OPP
position by the operators TO the majority OF
power welded by the colt coal workers over
anthracite conditions he promised 10 have the
power made equal This is the nearest step 10
q separate and distinct anthracite mine work
ers' union that he has yet taken. He was asked
by Commissioner Watkins If he had any OBJ
lection 10 union incorporation.
There are several objections 10 IT," he an
swered. 1t is not a necessary arrangement.
An organization, 10 become financially response
bic, must have large fund. The working peo-
PIE have not got q large fund: we have not got
it. II an employer were so disposed he might
6scredtt the organization, any labor organiza-
ton, by keeping IL constantly in the courts by
that employer finding an individual member
who had violated some provision Of the agree
Tnent- That provision might be something that
would do no harm, but still the employer could
keep our organization constantly in court hold
ing il responsible for some OF the individual
acts Of its members. And DO not think that.
VIII one IOLdDlE exception, a AaDoI organize
ZION has ever violated a contract in the United
States. And il is no pleasure TO refer 10 the
particular instance Of the steel strike, where
contract was set aside. But do know that
the American people sat down so hard on the
workingmen who violated ft-and that the first
10 protest We're the members OF the trade IN
ion-that that strike was dissolved and lost
So there is little danger Of q violation OF the
contract and the Incorporation. therefore, OF the
union is not necessary requirement"
MINERS COULD TIE UP FUEL INTERESTS
Would your objection stin hold" said Mr.
Watkins, TO its being incorporated If the en-
ployers Of labor IN the mining regions generally
willingly consented 10 their men becoming mem
bers Of your organization, and If they did be-
come members Of the organization and this an
tagonism which now exists were removed, would
you then have the objection TO your organiza-
ZION becoming incorporated and financially re-
sponsible for its contracts2'
I would not be able 10 answer afirmattvely,
Of course. What my organization does in that
respect il does in convention. I am not TOO sure
that they would be willing" Mr. Mitchell re-
piled.
That the miners union, II IL included every
mine worker in the country might tie up the
fuel interests Of the country, as suggested by
Mr. Watkins, Mr.. Mitchell thought while il was
possible il was not at al probable.
Is il not dangerous power 10 place in the
hands Of any one organization, without some re-
strictions in the contracts2" asked Mr.. Watkins
7 should think il would not be a dangerous
power, because they could do the same thing Il
they had separate organizations They could
make a coalition but il seems TO me that the
larger and more powerful labor organization is
the more conservative and safe il becomes, be-
cause Il is held 10 rigid accountability for its
acts
Commissioner spalding asked: Gould the
operators do the same thing, Mr. Mitchell?
Gould they form a coalition and stop the mining
OF coal throughout the United states?"
They could do il the same as we could.
Chairman Gray asked. TO avoid recurrence
10 This later on. do you consider il justihable
for the employers in a certain industry, in order
10 resist the demands OF labor union TO par
alyze that industry or any group Of industries
No I do not think il IS proper
Would the same answer be made II should
substitute unions instead Of employers"
7 think either side should seek some other
avenue Of adjustment than by paralyzing the in
dustry''
IN telling how he proposed 10 overcome the
feeling that the soft coal workers have TOO much
power over anthracite conditions. Mr.. Mitchell
said:
7 propose to recommend that the miners OF
the anthracite field cannot be called upon 10
strike by a majority vote OF our national execu-
tive board In other words. that we shall in
vest the same authority in the three members
from the anthracite field as there is now in the
eighteen from the bituminous field when the
question Of a strike is 10 be considered. giving
them equal authority
RIGHT TO WORK ANARCHY.
~ -....,, % AZ MacVaagh followed