New-York tribune., 1903-01-25
COAL STRIKE INQUIRY.
NEARING THE END.
Expect to Close Testimony an a Fort
moht--4scarG To Be Made Soon.

Washington Jan. 24.-Commissioner OF LABOR
Carroll d. Wright, one of the members OF tne
Anthracite Coal Strike Commission. MADE NY
ing trip here to-day from Philadelphia lie salo
the commission expected the hearing OF tesu-
nony would be closed within fortnight, ano
that the award would follow Immediately ne
said the commission would then begin the frar'l-
ing of its report looking to the preVeh'AoH -
similar strikes in the future
EVIDENCE BEFORE THE COMMISSION
Philadelphia. Jan. 24.-The Coal Strike COM
mission to-day concluded the examination Oh
witnesses called by the independent operators
of the upper coal fields. Beginning Monday tne
individual operators of the middle region wiz
n-essn, their evidence Among the latter is e.
r Marlle & Co. in the presentation OF whose
case there is considerable interest, because OF
the attacks made by the striking miners against
that company in their testimony before the colii
mission at Scranton. After the lndlVioua4 colii
panies have completed their case, the fhIauei-
mia and Reading Coal and Iron Company the
last of the signatory companies TO the Original
arbitration rlan will be heard. Then the miners
Mill consume several days in rebuttal. after
which nearly a week will be taken up oy poIn
sides in summing the case So far more than
seven thousand pages of testimony nave Oee4i
taken
Mine witnesses representing almost as many
email coal conpanies were heard to-day. Thelr
evidence was along the same lines as that al
ready introduced by the large companies 1heS
swore that the union miners are not hliliile As
-,uc, caal as they did before the organization OF
rho ,,nion- that in some instances where de-
,,snds had heen granted the men were not per-
r1itted 10 go TO work until all men hao peeii
granted their demands; that no blacklist exists
among the companies; that miners ooycott
rlaces that are hard 10 work: that it is dlfncult
"a maintain discipline since the men formed an
organization and that the men are party re-
xnonsihle for the curtailment Of coal
lust before the adjournment until MONDAY
s.rnne1 Dickson. Of Philadelphia, read to the
commission a telegram from R. c. Luther, gen
eral superintendent of the Phiiaoeiphla anu
Reading Coal and Iron Company. to President
Baer Of the company, which was received oy
-be last named shortly before noon to-day 1t
was follows: - -, oA
T'hirtv-one coIIieries and six jighouses work
,,,r 4o-dav North Mahanoy colery men went
home refusing TO wait until frozen waterplpe
could be changed to enable preaher 10 s'@i =
CoIlierv was ready TO start at i'5o
Counsel for the miners followed this up oy
reading to the commission an article from
Scranton newspaper to the effect that nun
drads OF men are idle and ready 10 go TO WORK.
l,r- the companies will not give them employ
1Hent. go. ~. ,o,,~,;s- -
.;o,oers making any comment on either the lele-
gram or newspaper arucie. -. Co. b;
Commissioner Clark started to-day TOT MS
home in Cedar Rapids. Iowa, 10 attend 10 some
5.,,siyeee in connection with the national Or
ranization of which he is the mead he eApec'S
- return here on Wednesday