The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-14
TESTIMONY OF
CRIPPLED BOY
No Compensation For the Loss
of a Leg.
HARD LIFE IN COAL MINES
FIGURES PRESENTED TO THE
STRIKE COMMISSION.

STRIKE COMMISSION.
q CRANToN. Pa, Dec. 1.-THE min
ers called witnesses today before
the anthracite coal strike commits
sion to testify to the conditions ex-
listing at the collieries of the Phila-
delphia & Reading Coal & Iron COM
pany. These were the, first persons to
appear against the company of which
George Il. Baer is the head. Eight
witnesses We're called and the Drinci-
pal grievance presented was that some
men who went on strike were discrim-
mated against.
A large number of other witnesses
were called during the two sessions, but
a cumulative nature, relating mostly
10 alleged unfair local conditions.
Among the witnesses heard was Pres
ident Mitchell. His testimony related
principally to the manner in which he
computed the averages he gave yes
terday, in which he showed that BIZ
luminous men received from 40 to so
per cent more wages than the an
thracite miners. Counsel for the Del
aware & Hudson company disputed
Mr. MitehelPs method OF arriving at
the averages.
The miners viii close their case prob
ably on Monday The coal companies
have decided to present only one open
! ing argument, and former Congress
man simon P Wolverton. leading
counsel for the Reading company, will
make the joint opening statement.
Mitchell Explains Figures.
President Mitchell of the United
Mine Workers was examined by James
Torrey, counsel for the Delaware &
/ Hudson company. Mr. Mitchell yes
/ terday presented figures gathered by
| his own agents, he said, which showed
a higher average of wages paid than
the figures handed to the commission
| by the Delaware & Hudson company
| Mr.. Torrey criticised many of Mr.
| MitchelPs figures, and finally said that
| almost anything can be shown by jug
Cling figures Mr. Mitchell denied any
| juggling.
Mr.. Torrey next tried to place the
| responsibility for the strike on Pres
! ident Mitchell. The witness said he
opposed the strike at the time it was
inaugurated. but favored one later IN
/ the year.
Counsel for the independent opera
tors asked Mr.. Mitchell if the opera
| tors made a contract with the miners
| in which there was clause providing
for non-interference with non-union
| men, whether the union would enforce
4 the clause. Mr. Mitchell said: SC
/ long as we have no contracts or joint
! conferences, we are not willing to tel
! in advance what we will agree to.
| A discussion ensued over the ques-
ton whether Mr.. Mitchell tried to pre-
vent interference with non-union mer
during the strike and Mr.. Mitchell said
| that the union was opposed to al
| violence.
The miners president concluded hi
/ testimony by making an explanation
to the commission regarding the union
| attitude on trade autonomy He salt
1 the United Mine Workers should eXer
| else jurisdiction over all employees II
and about the mines. If the engineers
| firemen. pumpmen, etc, each had
separate organization, and one OF thes
| classes struck, it would close down
/ everything He said that last year 40
4 firemen struck, throwing out Of worl
81. 600 mine workers. II all classes wer
! in one organization they could act to
gether.
A IO-year-oId workman"
/ A breaker boy, aged 10 years, said h
received IS cents a day. Last month
he received only 25 cents, the remain
der being kept by the Delaware {
1 for rent. He said he knew of one DO,
1 who received only l cent in month
When he applied for work he misrep
resented his Sge, but his mother ha
since given the company his eorrec
age. He is still employed by the com
pany-
The remainder of the morning ses
sion was taken up with the testimon
of men who are, or have been, EN-
ployed by the Philadelphia & Readin
Coal & Iron company. The principa
grievance complained of by the wit
nesses examined was that of discrim
ination. One man complained that n
! was not getting regular pay for repal
| work: another. said there were Nv
/ sizes of cars where he worked, and onf
one price for both; another, who ma
lost his leg, complained that he wa
taken off light work and given heav
work, and that when he complained q
was told that he must do it or get on
The men who did not get work afte
the strike gave as the company's rea
son that they took too prominent par
in the strike.
On cross-examination it was brough
out that the general treatment of tn
witnesses by the company was 500
except in the instances complained o
and that there was some friction be
tween the men and the eolliery super
I
, eral mining superintendent, had had n
knowledge.
II The Company's Figures.
! James Torrey, counsel for the De
| | aware & Hudson company, presente
| the corrected summary of that con
: pany's figures to the commission TIL
{ / corrected figures, according to Mr.. Tol
rey. show that the Delaware & Hu6
sons wages are considerably hight
than those paid in the bituminous II
gions. Those figures were examine
I | and found correct on Dec. 4, and wei
certified to by James Warwick for tt
miners, and A. 1. Culver, comptrollt
a of the Delaware & Hudson company
A life insurance agent was called ar
i gave the life insurance rates for minel
. ! and persons employed in other OccI
j pations. The rates for miners wei
very high.
The last witness of the day was
14-year-old boy. who lost his leg viii
working in a breaker owned by Il
| Pennsylvania Railroad company.
said he received nothing for the loss