Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-15
AGAINST BAER.
The Miners Show Up Faults of
His Company.
Managers Discriminate in Many Cases
Against the Employees.
The Miners Expected to Close Their
Case, Today.

of the Philadelphia * Reading Coai
and Iron Co.
These were the first persons to appear
against the company of which George
+. Baer is the head and considerable
interest was manifested in the EVIL
dence.
Eight witnesses were called. The
principal grievance presented was that
some men who went on strike were
Disseminated against.
A large number of ether witnesses
We're called. but most of the testimony
heard was of culminative nature, re-
lating mostly to alleged unfair local
conditions.
Among the witnesses heard was Pres.
Mitchell. His testimony related prin-
cirally to the manner in which he COM
puted the averages he gave, yesterday,
in which he showed that b!tlminous
men received from 40 to 30 per cent.
more wages than the anthracite miners.
Counsel for the Delaware * Hudson
disputed MitcheIrs method of arriving
at the averages.
The miners will close their case prob
ably on Monday, when the operators
will open their side. The coal COM
panies have decided to present only one
opening argument, and former Con-
gresham Simon p. Wolverton, leading
counsel for the Reading Company. win
make the joint opening statement.
The presentation of the wage state
ments of tine Scranton Coal 90. was
the first business to come before the
commission. today.
The statements We're presented by
John +. Kerr. vice president and gen
eral counsel for the New York, Ontario
q Western Railroad, which controls
the Scranton Co.
The statement shows that during the
year ending, April 90, 1902, the COM
pany operated nine collieries.
Two were worked only II months on
account of fire and flooding and one
but 111 months on account of the min
crs strike.
The average earnings Of miners n
year were $53S90 and those of mine
laborers. $3l376; average per breaker
day of 10 hours, for miners, $3.13, and
for miners laborers, $l.S2. The wages
Of other employees ranged from $1,000 a
year for engineers down to $50 for
breaker boys.
Pres Mitchell was again called to the
stand ana examined by James Torrey,
counsel for the Delaware & Hudson
Company.
Mr.. MitGhell. yesterday, presented
figures gathered by his own agents
which, he said, showed 4 lower average
of wages than the figures handed the
commission by the Delaware & Hudson
Company.
MIR. Torrey criticised many Of Mr..
al
anything could be shown by Juggling
figures. Mr.. Mitchell denied any jug
Cling.
Mr. Torrey next tried to place the re-
sponsbilty for the strike on Pres.
Mitchell, who replied that he opposed
the strike at the time it was begun. but
faNored one later in the year.
Counsel for the Independent opera
tors asked Mr.. Mitchell if the operators
made u contract with the miners IL
which there was a clause providing for
non-interrereEce with non-union men.
whether the union would enforce the
clause Mr. Mitchell said:
so long as we have no contracts or
joint conferences we are not willing TO
tell in advance what we will agree too. 1"
A discussion ensueG over the question
Of whether Mr. Mitchell tried to pre-
vent interference with non-union mcn
during the strike. and Mr.. Mitchell an
swered that the union WRs opposed to
all violence.
The miners president concluded his
testimony by making an explanation
TO the committee regarding the union
attitude on trade autonomy.
He said the United Mine Workers ex-
ercsed jurisdiction over MI employees
in and about the mines. II the engi-
neers. dremen, pumpmen, etc, eacl
had a separate organization and one OF
these classes struck. it would close
down everything. He said last year 40,
firemcn struck. throwing out of WORK
10000 mire workers. If all classes were
in one organization they could act to.
gether.
William Laurie OF Philadelphia. ma.
tional secretary OF the Glass Bottl,
Blowers Association, told of the trad,
agreements between the glass blower,
and the manufacturers and said tina
since they had agreements there haC
been no strikes.
The remainder of the morning sessioi
was taken up by the hearing of witnessc
tions at collierias owned by the Delawar,
& Hudson co.
Practically the entire afternoon session
was taken up with the testimony ~ me-
who are or have been employed bv Ia,
Reading Co. The principal grievance com
planned of was discrimination. one MAJ
complained that he was not getting re-,
ular pay for repair work; another on,
said there were two sizes of cars whert
he worked and only one price for both
another who lost his leg complained tina
he was taken OF light work and ciyei
heavy work. and that when he ooiecte.
he was told he mast do 1t or set out TIL,
men who did noc get work after the strik,
gave as the ccmpany's reason that the
took a 700 prominent part in the strike
On cross examination Ii was br0tlc n
out that the general treatment of tn,
witnesses by tue company was good. ex
cept IN the instances complained or nnC
that this was some friction between IN,
men ana the colliery superintendent y
which John Noith. as general mining su
perintendent, had no KNOWLEDGE
James clark. president of one of III.
local unions at Ashland presented alops
with the miners grievances those ~ ibs
leimsters L MON of Ashland but Chair
man Gray would not admit them 81 vim.
the commission had enough troubles ser
tihS the miners affairs
lanes iorrey, counsel for the Dglavy,r.
TUCSON Co. presented the corrprIa,i
testlmony of that company's 6onreS ~
c 81 -f.s- -.