The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-17
GOMPERS BEFORE
 THE COMMISSION
Miners Did Not Close Their
 Case as Expected I
QUESTION UP
Mir. compers Says Coal Companies Are Responsible for llliteracy In
 Unions By Bringing Ignorant
 Foreigners to This Country.

Scranton, Pa, December 16-Notwith standing the fact that the mine workers announced yesterday that they had closed their case with the exception of calling one more witness, the entire two sessions of the strike commission today were consumed in hearing three witnesses for the men. They were John c. Haddock, an individual. operator; the Rev. Dr. Pe- ter Roberts, who is assisting the miners, and President Samuel Gompers of the American Federation of Labor. The principal point in MT fIaddock's testimo- ny was that he favored giving the mine workers concessions under certain condi- tions He looked upon labor organiza- tions as a necessity, and had no objec- tion to dealing with them. if they were properly conducted. He also believed in combinations of capital
 The miners made another attempt to- day to have the commission admit as evidence a large mass of testimony tend ing to show that the anthracite coal carrying roads charge extortionate and discriminating freight rates, and that monopoly exists in the anthracite mining industry which keeps the wages of men at an unnaturally low level. The com mission again decided that the evidence must be limited to the scope of the com mission, and that if 1t did take up the claims made in the evidence proposed to be submitted, the justihableness of the mine workers demands would still re- main.
 Gompers as an Expert.
 President Gompers testified as an ex- pert on the trade union movement He created a stir when he strongly implied during his examination that the coal con- panies are responsible for bringing im- migrants to the coal region. When one of the lawyers for the coal companies asked him if he knew from personal knowledge, he said he could prove 1t If necessary.
 Mir. Gompers began his testimony by giving the history of the Federation of Labor and followed this with brief sketch of the progress and influence of or ganized labor which, he said, has been very great.
 The hours of labor of the workmen gen. orally throughout the country, he con- | tinued, have been materially reduced.
 Regarding trade agreements. MT. Comp CTS said they have always been advan- tageous to both the workmen and his em- ployer.
 Chairman Gray, who is taking an es- pecial interest in boycotts, asked MT. Gompers what he thought of such meth- ods.
 The witness said he would boycott man who chooses to do business with the person that Is boycotted.
 The question of the recognition of unions was then taken up and MT. Gompers said that employees made 9 mistake when they refused to recognize organized labor. The employer, he said, has no moral right to refuse to confer with committee of his employees.
 Does Not Favor Cooperation.
 In reply to Bishop Spaldng, MT. Comp CTS said he would not favor incorporating | union.
 MT. Gompers was then cross-examined by James Torrey, counsel for the Del aware and Hudson company Asked if he did not believe that members of the Uni ted Mine Workers should be 21 years of age, and able to read and write, before they were admitted to membership in tho union, the witness replies:
 'Yes; ten years from now. and when the companies stop bringing illiterate foreigners to this country. They are brought here by the companies, and the labor union must protect them and See that they get their rights"
 Mr. Torrey asked him if he could prove that the coal companies were guilty of such thing, and the witness replied that he felt certain 1t was true because he had seen copies of circulars, which have been sent around in Southern Europe asking people to come into Pennsylvania and stating that there was plenty of money to be earned in the mines
 MT Torrey asked him if steamship com panies were not the authors of these cir culars, to which MT. Gompers replied that he had seen ten, twenty and thirty men huddled together in huts in the an thracite coal fields, and he noted that 1t was not long after they arrived here that they were given employment in the | mines.
 He offered to give the commission the name of man who could give the facts to the commission. He did not care to make his name public.
 The cross-examination adjourned until tomorrow morning.