The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-01-06
The COAL STRIKE HEARING.

With the end of the Christmas hOl-
idays the attention OF the country
will again be turned to the coal STRIFE
hearing, and brief review OF the sit
uation at this time is not without in
terest While nearly all of the testi-
mony introduced up to adjournment
was in favor of the miners, in 1ica-
tons of the result are not favorable
to their cause. First of all, the men
composing the commission are by in
stinct and training opposed to the
miners, and this is SO because the
operators dictated the classes from
which the members of the commits
sion were selected; in fact, they
would consent to arbitrate upon no
other basis, and every important rul-
ing so far made by the commission
has been in favor of the operators.
They refused to allow the miners
to show that the principal mines are
operated by the railroads in violation
of law, and that The business is i'm
pOveriShed by excessive freight
charges. On the other hand, they
individual acts OF violence on the
part of the miners.
Although it does not appear just
how such acts could affect the ques
tons at issue, for should the miners
as a class receive less pay or less
humane treatment or should they
work longer hours because of such
al,
ers? Besides. had the operators
agreed to arbitration in the first in
stance all violence would have been
averted,
The commission also refused to al
low the introduction of testimony
showing that the lawyers represent
ing the non-union men before the
commission were hired ana paid by
the operators. They also admitted in
evidence the misleading statement
submitted by the operators showing
the yearly sums earned by the min
ers, although it was shown by the
miners that the sums charged in the
statement as being paid to different
individuals were divided between
from four to six men, and the yearly
sums so divided were from 5000 to
ST, 400.
Much of the testimony revealed
the existence of conditions that
would be a disgrace to the penal col
onies of Russia. Several little girls
testified to having worked twelve
hours a night for from three to five
and half cents an hour Many min
ors testified TO having worked for
sums ranging f!om $40 to s. per
week, and several widows told of
having worked in the coal breakers
or scrubbed the companys office to
pay rent and store bills due the com
pany at the time their husbands
were killed in the mines. The most
pathetic story was told by an aged
miner named Con-. and it is worth
preserving as told in the dispatches
as follows:
Coll is aged and bent, His face
and hands are scared by tse cruel
cuts of falling coal.
Il worked for Markle & Co. for 10
years." he said. "ani lived in one of
the company houses until few days
ago, when | was evicted. My family
consisted of my wife. my two adopted
children, my own son and my
mother-in-law, who is said to be 102
years old, and who has been blind
many years
Were you ever hurt in the
mines?" asked Mr. barrow
"Hurt?" said the old man. -
haven't whole bone in my body
My skull was fractured, an eye put
out, and one leg is as bad as a
wooden one.
Coll. who is 81 years old. tried to
and hands are SCARED by the crue
broke.
Once | was hurt so badly that
was laid up for long time. The
other miners contributed money, an,
Mr.. Smith the superintendent, CAV;
$50 The money was all turned owe
to the company store and kept Their,
to pay for my rent and groceries, AL
charges against me We're deducted
from the collection"
You say you adopted two chill
dren?"
Yes, one of them was the child o
&. miner who died on the same da
that the mother was buried. He lief
two children. James Gallagher too
one and l took the other We coul
not see the little ones starve."
Bishop Spalding turned suddenl