The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-15
CALLED DOWN.
John Il. Lenahan, Attorney for
Nonunion Miners,
Must Show How He Got Into
the Arbitration Trial.
MITCHELL is CLEVER.
Cross Examination by Attorney
for the Operators
Fails to Disturb the Chief
Strikers Equilibrium.

OcTdItOH, 9ds NOV ID ne COdl
strike commission resumed its sessions
today. After few preliminaries, Presi-
dent Mitchell, who was on the stand all
day yesterday, again went on the wit
ness stand and his cross examination by
David Wilcox, general counsel of the
Delaware & Hudson company, was con-
tinued.
Some of the attorneys connected with
the case are of the opinion that some
arrangement will have to be agreed
upon to expedite the proceedings. Each
side is anxious for speedy ending of
the hearings, but this will be1impossible
if the present plans of the contending
parties are carried out. The miners
nave a large number of witnesses to be
heard and the attorneys for each of the
local companies are anxious to cross
examine them After the miners have
closed their case the companies will also
present a long list of persons to testify
and it is the intention of the lawyers on
the miners side to cross examine the
witnesses for the companies.
Immediately after the opening of the
morning session Chairman Gray for the
commission addressed John T. Lena
haB, one of the attorneys for the non
union men. AT yesterdays session Mr.
Lenahan said he represented the nom
union men who worked during the strike
and wanted to know what their status
would be before the commission. Judge
Gray said the commission could not
give a decision until after it had care
fully considered the matter and prom
fsed some sort of an answer today. This
morning the chairman said:
9wFhe commission have considered the
matter of your application and have de-
cided that it viii ask you to submit to
| them a statement showing whom you
-11af hr.a-ifx hat
/ points other than those already at issue
] between the formal parties to this con-
| troversy you wish to inject into this
hearing and a concise statement of what
you Claim or what your position is in
regard to the general propositions be-
| tween the formal and logical parties to
| this commission and also state that you
guarantee submission to award of this
Mr. I-enahan asked, How soon must
this be dOne?"
LAS soon as you can," replied Judge
Gray.
the attorneys for the nonunion men.
Mr.. W-IIeox resumed his cross-exan1ina-
ton of Mr., Mitchell He put in evil
dence extracts from the proceedings of
| the ShamblSin convention which formu-
flated the demands which caused the late
strike; a copy of the United Mine Work
ers' Journal. the official organ of the
union. and a voluminous copy of the
t.
| the American Federation OF Labor.
Mr.. Mitchell, answering a question by
! Mr. Wilcox, said that the local unions
or mass meetings may direct the opera
tions of rickets-
Mr. Wilcox then read from a state-
ment made by President Gompers of the
Federation Of Labor at the Chicago
trust conference in September, 1899, III
| whicL Mr.. Gom0erS is alleged to have
said that any trust legislation which did
! not specially exempt organized labor
from its operations would meet the un-
questioned opposition of all the labor
forces, and asked the witness if thar
expressed his views. Mr.. Mitchell re-
Piled that organized labor would not
looE favorably upon any law that would
iegislate them out of business.
Mr.. Mitchell, answering further ques-
tions, said he regarded living wages
for a miner not less than $500 per annum,
which would cover all his actual neces>
stiles and permit him to educate mis-
children.
At this point Judge Gray asked the
witness If Re meant to say a wage suff1-
cient to permit the children to ava-
themselves of the public schools or to
directly for education and sufficient to
render it unnecessary to employ child
labor to increase the income of the fam
lily. The witness answered in the affirm
at!ve.
On the question of the minimum age
at which boy should go on the breaker,
Mr.. Mitchell said he would advocate
that it be put at IA years.
Mr.. Wilcox examined Mr.. Mitchell at
some length regarding the various de
mands Of the miners.
DO you know the wages that are paid
are about $50, ,000.000?'
Il haze read that statement" the
witness answered.
That the time is ripe for the ergani-
zation into union bodies of the schoo
| teachers in all sections of the country
That the federation aid as much a.
POSSIBLE the passage of the bill intro
: duced into the United States senate By
Senator McComas of Maryland to Sc
cure payment for overtime to laborer:
, on government work.
That the federation condemn the re
cent utterances of President Eliot o
Harvard college, in which he character
ized "scab" workers as heroes"
That no recognition be extended by tn
: federation to any laboring man boldine
; political Office.
That congress be asked to appropriate
money for the purchase of the mining
lands in the Choctaw nation.
That the hodcarr.ers and builders Ia
: borers be denied : charter unless the,
: abandon all cement work.
Max Morris, of Denver, chairman o
the common central bodies. read the re
j port of that body, which contained tn
, following recommendations
. That the present system of reDresen
8 alton be one vote for each one hIlndre
q members: that where local unions ar
u widely separated they club together fo
{ the purpose of sending delegates to tn
T. | conventions OF the fedora ton and tina
a per capita tax of five cents per mont
be assessed upon all members for a de
feESe fund
The report was referred and an ad
' journment taken until o'clock.