The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-14
The UNIONS WORK <
Capt. May Shows How It Interferes
With the Discipline at
the Mines.
Since 1900 There Has Been an Aver
age Of One Petty Strike
Month.

PHILADELPHIA Jan. 14.-There was no
time lost by the coal strike commission
to-day in getting down to work. When
the session opened counsel for the Erie
company which operates the collerles OF
the Hillside Coal & Iron company and the
Pennsylvania Coal company, continued
the presentation of it's case. Captain w.
A. May general superintendent OF the GOAL
department Of the company who was on
the witness stand yesterday continued his
story of the conditions in and about the
company's coleries: Mr.. May said he
was always willing to- meet grievance
committees of his own or any one man
and where there was a real grievance 1t
was always adjusted. -
Bishop Spalding asked the witness II
the men do not feel timid about making
complaints, and the witness replied that
the men may possibly have been timid.
The instructions to the bosses, he said,
were that foremen must listen to the men
and that complaints will not count against
the men.
The superintendent said the company
had no blacklist and he never heard Of
one being in existence. in the coal re-
gions. 10
: There was no objection to the men in it's
employ organizing for the purpose Of
making complaints, but it did object to
the union as now organized because it
brought between the men and the COM
pany whose relations should be cordial.
persons who were not interested in, the
company and only indirectly with the
men.
The entrance Of the union into the
mines, he said, had the effect of making
the wOrkmen less efficient, caused a lack
of discipline, interfered with authority,
caused tyranny to prevail against other
workmen and limited the earning capacity
of the employees.
,f,;,, =
by the union miners, which stated that
any man placing more than twelve inches
Of topping on the mine cars would be
fined S. by the union for the first Of
Tense and SO for the second offense.
Between the strike Of 1900 and the late
strike there was an average of one petty
strike month at the company's coll
leries. -
Reverting to the discipline of the men,
the witness said a miner fatty refused to
obey the orders Of a foreman and that the
latter did not dismiss him because he was
afraid the union would tie up the collery
by striking for the reinstatement of the
man. 81. ,... -.
Commissioner Clark wanted to know if
the action Of the foreman in not dismiss
ing the offender did not affect the disci-
pine Of the men and the witness said It
undoubtedly did.
Captain May said the employment OF
coal ana IRON ponce was absolutely neCeS-
sary in time Of strikes. Deputy sheriffs
sympathized with the strikers and the
sheriff was unreliable. The witness said
the men were locked to discipline them
Witness was personally acquainted with
President Mitchell but he would object tc
meeting him as the agent of the men Il,
the employ Of the Erie company because
1t would bring in an outside element with
no direct interest in the business. The
company and it's men could reach an
agreement without the Interference of an
agent. In case the men and the company
failed to agree an agent could be called in