Daily Kennebec journal., 1903-01-16

wanted to load only six cars a day ex-
cept that some OF the employees said
six cars a day were enough.
Answering Mr.. Mitchell, Mr.. Patterson
said that he did not know whether the
men at present were getting out all the
coal they possibly could He did know.
however, that since the strike ended the
men had been responsible for some of the
lost time.
FL. C. Macmillan of West Pittston, as
sistant superintendent of the Pennsylva-
MIA Coal Co., testified that the relations
between the company and the men prior
to the strike of 1900 were always pleasant.
He also said that the men 40 not mine
all the coal they are capable of mining.
The witness read list of names of
miners who We're not taken back because
of acts of lawessness.
Theodore Hagan of Avoca. mine fore
man of the Pennsylvania Coal Co... said
that prior TO the advent to the miners
union the relations between employer and
employe were pleasant. He said that
President Dempsey of the Moosick local
dnion notified him in November, 1850, tina
the miners would send out only certain
number of cars each day. He said that
Dempsey tcld him that the union had
decided to restrict the output of anthra-
cite coal.
John 4 Clark. a foreman at the Bar
mum colliery No. 3, at Hughestown, and
Sward Button, foreman of Avoca, cor
erence to restricting the output Button
said, however, that the rule came into
existence in 1885, several years previous
to the advent of the union.
At the afternoon session William Rob
ertson, assistant foreman at No. col
liery of the Pennsylvania Coal Co. testi-
fled that be fore the strike of 1919 the
men made no objection to loading 10 cars
in one day, but since that time they would
not load more than six or eight cars. He
said the miners told him the union would
not permit them to load as many cars as
formerly.
He said he knew of only two cases of
the disease known as miners asthma
in the mine at which he was employed,
and expressed the opinion that mining
was not an unhealthy occupation.
William Zorn, miner, told how he had
been compelled to give up contract work.
He said he was engaged in the work
known as '.robbing pillars but the driv
er refused to give him enough cars, tell
ing him he was acting under orders from
the president of the local branch of the
union.
Mr.. Mitchell cross-examined the wit
ness He said: ''When you took the con-
tract you got it by bidding, did you not?"
Yes
You had u or Is laborers?"
You required three men to fill 10 cars
in a day and the union simply wanted
YOU to have the same number of cars
as the other miners Is that correct?'
Witness was not certain, bGt was posi-
tive that the driver had told him the
president of the local union would not
permit him to have enough cars to con
tinue the work.
NJ. B. P. Blauvelt. auditor of the two
companies, gave considerable statistical
testimony. He said the mine laborers are
not ON the books of the company. They
are paid by the contract miners and their
share is supposed to be one-third of the
miners gross earnings.
p. M. Beyea. land agent of the compa-
nies, who was called to testify concerning
the prosperity of the employees of the
Pennsylvania Coal Co. said $50, or q SIC
per cent. Of the. whole number, are as
sessed as property holders and 341, or 13
per cent of the Hillside Cos. men, are
similarly assessed. The companies, Mr..
Beyea said. own building lots and sell
the same to their employees on five-year
terms.
The Erie Co. will probably finish its
case. tomorrow.