Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-12-04
C0ACINQUlRY RESUMED
Chairman Outlines Boards Attitude
to Private Settlement.
HOT TO ABR0GATE DUTIES
Statement MaAe That Private
Agreement Would Not Mean the
Cessation of the Com
'nission's Work,

Scranton, Pa, Dec. 4.-Aftsr an ad-
journment of ten days, during which
time the representatives of the opera.
tors and the miners were kept busy at
work preparing evidence for submis.
sion to the anthracite coal strike com.
mission, the hearings Of the miners
Gide of the controversy was resumed
TN the state superior court room.
The usual large crowd was in at
tendance and, in addition, there were
several new faces among the large ar.
raygof attorneys. The most prominent
among them was Samuel Dickson of
Philadelphia, representing the Lehigh
Coal and Navigation company, q large
independent company whose collieries
are all located in the Panther creek
valley.
Among the spectators were about
twenty Italians and Poles, who will
be called upon to tell of the conditions
prevailing in the middle .Hazleton re-
Hion.
Before the hearings began the COM
missioners held a brief conference,
which delayed the opening Of the pub
lie hearings about ten minutes.
In opening the days proceedings
Chairman Gray made an explanation
OF the attitude of the commission re-
garding the efforts at an outside settle
ment He said there had been a mis-
understanding in some quarters. The
idea had gone out that the whole mat
ter would be dismissed IL an agreement
was reached. This, he said, was in
correct.
Responsibility OF Commissioa.
He read statement made by the
subcommittee in which it was stated
that the commission would not abro-
gate its duties and that 1t would stand
responsible for any agreement it ap-
proved or award It made. The chair
man also added that the commission
wished to say that parties to the con-
troversy may not withdraw without
the consent Of the other parties before
the commission.
1--WE would be glad to have every
body represented and have the whole
field covered" said he.
Mr.. Dixon announced that in addi
ton to representing the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation company he appeared
for the individual concerns in the
Hazleton region. On the outside agree
ment proposition Chairman Gray an
nounced that the commission still ZEN
tertained the hope that efforts to agree
would continue and that the commits
sion would gladly lend it's good Offices
to that end"
Judge Gray said that unless some
common sense agreement was reached
as to the presentation of figures the
expectation of life Of most of the mem.
bers of the commission would be in
sufficient to reach an end to the con.
troversy.
President Mitchell was called to the
stand and in answer to questions by
his counsel said the 20 per cent in
crease in wages would increase the
labor cost less than 10 cents ton.
Taking President Baer's statement as
4 basis, he said, the increase would be
about II cents ton.
Cross Examined by Marveagh.
He was cross examined by Wayne
MacVeagh and other attorneys. In re-
ply to,a question. Mr.. Mitchell said the
companies were not averse to increas-
ing the wages of the men. but did not
do SO because they were opposed to the
union.
Two photographers were sworn and
presented photographs of mine work
ers' homes in the Hazleton region.
W. Fl. Dettry. president of a local
union, employed as miner by Coke
Bros e. Co., Drifton, said company
men are paid an average of $40 a
week and all contract miners are re-
CURED to stay in the mines from a.
m. until 3 .. M, regardless of whether
they have enough cars to fill with coal
they had mined.
He testified that the black list exist
ed at the Coke mines and said that he
was on it for nine months because ne
refused to work breast which netted
him only So a week. He also com