Arizona republican., 1902-12-07
INDEPENDENT
 COAL COMPANIES
Receiving the Attention of
 Strike Commission.
Miners Testify to Condition of Low Wages and Heartless Treatment It is Probable That the Hearings Will Run Into Next Week.

Scranton, Pa, December 6.-The min CTS having finished their attack on the Coxe mines in the Hazleton region, to- day turned the attention of the coal strike commission to the collieries Of G. B. Markle & Co.,. in the same local ity. Witnesses for the mine workers scored what appeared to be telling points with regard to wages and other conditions prevailing in the mines of this independent company. The attor- ney for the company was not prepared to cross-examine the witnesses on all the things they testified to, and the commission granted the company the privilege of recalling witnesses to the stand for the purpose of cross-ques- tioning them on the statements made today.
 The principal witness called against the Marlxles was James Gallagher, who worked in the Markle mines thirty years. He asserted that the wages were so low that he was always in debt to the company, and that in seventeen years he only once received money III wages and that was $50. He furthe: testified that he had to deal at the company store, the only place where the miners could get credit, and that the prices were from 10 to 20 per cent high CT than in other places. He said he had made large wages and wiped out his debt, but the company would then give him such bad work that he would inn mediately go into debt again. He was evicted from his house and refused work, but he did not know why em- ployment was not given him. The witness, who is about sixty years of
  court constantly in good humor by his wit and sharp answers to the thrusts by lawyers. He said a man was never called hurt in the mines until he was half killed.
 He was half killed twice, he said which brought out the remark from Chairman Gray that if he was half killed twice. then he was now dead This caused much merriment, but IL was turned into a roar of laughter when the witness replied that the first hals was healed before the other half y-ils Esjured.
 A twelve-year- breaker boy was called to the stand and gave testimony to show that he was working at the l Markle mines to pay off a debt in- cured by his father who was killed in the mines eighteen months ago. He received no pay, but was given due bills showing how much his mother owed the company. The due bills also showed that the debt his mother was iEcUrring. such as house rent, etc, was growing faster than he could reduce it. IS he was only getting four cents an hour.
 The conditions prevailing at inc Le- high Valley company mines will be taken up next. The miners have large number of witnesses whom they desire to call, and there is at this time no in dicaf.on when the hearings will be con cludad. Some of the operators desire to place witnesses on the stand in their defense.
 1 Unless some agreement is reached nn many cf the points at issue, 1t is likely the hearings will run into next month. ! While settlement talk is still heard here. nothing of an authoritative na- ture has come to the surface. Belief is still prevalent that an agreement on some of the points will be arrived at ! before the commission is ready to make its award.
 President Mitchell will leave here to- morrow night for New York to attend the regular meeting of the executive committee of the civic federation there on Monday.