The daily Republican., 1902-12-18
OPERATORS NOW
OPEN THEIR CASE
Yesterdays Session Of Strike
Commission Lively From
Start to Finish.
UNION IS NOT AN ISSUE.
Counsel for Coal Companies
Makes This Point in the
Opening Ad-
dress.

SCRANTON, Pa. Dec. 1S.-rhe an.
| thracite coal operators opened their
side of The controversy with the mine
workers yesterday before the strike
commission, and the attorneys who are
OH record before the commission as
representing the nonunon men. who
have been admitted to the arbitration
scheme. began calling witnesses. The
sessions were probably the livcliest YET
held by the commission.
At the morning session the miners
lawyers challenged the lairnnss of GER
tain wage statements handed 10 the
commission by the Pennsylvania Coal
company. and in the afternoon Lawyer
barrow had Il spirited discussion with
Chairman Gray rs to whether or not
the miners had right to know who is
paying the lawyers representing the
nonunion men before the commission.
Mr.. barrow asserted thar they We're
employed by the coal operators.
Preceding this Simon L. Wolyerton,
counsel for the Reading company. who
Of all the large coal companies, made
the point in his address that The rrcoe-
milton of the union is not an issue be-
fore the commission, which brought
out a protest from Mr.. barrow. The
latter claimed that If it were not then
the operators should be forbidden from
presenting testimony that tended to
show the union was responsible for all
the alleged violence committed during
the strike.
The alleged unfairness of the wage
statements came to the notice of the
commission as result of its inquiry
into the child labor question in this
vicinity. Several little girls testified
on Monday that they worked all night
IN silk mill in order to help their IA
Tiers along, who were employed in the
mines and received poor pay. Tuesday
Everett Warren, who represents the
Erie company, which controls the
Pennsylvania Coal company. in whose
mines Some of these fathers worked,
handed to the commission memoran-
DUN showing that one father last year
received about 81 400 for himself and
laDorer and that the other father re-
ceived 81 900 for himself and laburer.
At the opening of the session yeSter-
day the miners placed the two parents
Oh the stand, and they SWorc that the
earnings mentioned were divided
among from four to six men. This tes-
timony surprised the commissioners,
and judg" Gray asked il the figures on
til" memorandum were taken from the
wage statement already filed by the
company with tn" commission. and
Mr.. Warren replied in the affirmative.
Chairman Gray then requested coun-
sci for the company 70 Indicate in its |
statement handed UP whether the fig
1lr"s given are for one, two or more
men.
1--WE don't say it shakes our faith in |
III" statcmcnt,' he continued. "lnlcss
You can show. however, that there are
non" of these eases. such as are sug-
s"Strd by this testimony. it will very
shake our faith IN IT,"
The company. through It's general
manager, W. A. May. was permitted
to make u statement. lie said: THE
pennsylvania Coal company has two
systems, one where four men work in
= plac" and known as four handed
place. and another in which there are
only two men and known as 4 two
handed place. There may be places
Whor" only one man works. and there
may be places where there are four
men working, hut th" fact is not
known to tn" company itself The
'"nlpamy does not keep record of tho
ind yiduAls in contract or the num-
b"r 1t only keeps th" nam" of the
man in whose name the place is run"