Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-03-21

the suggestion herein made lies in
placing the real facts and the respon-
sibllity for such condition authorlta-
lively before the people, that the pub
lie opinion may crystalline and make
its power felt. Could such a commits
sion as that suggested have been
brought into existence IN June last, We
believe that the coal famine might have
been averted. Certainly the suffering
and deprivation might have been great
~ mitigated"
These awards and Publications con-
sttute the closing part Of the report
The earlier pages and by long odds the
larger portion Of the report are de-
voted TO review OF the controversy
which led to the present action in APP
pointing the commission, to the APP
pointment Itself, and to the proceed
lngs of the commission during Its ex-
lstence. They review In general wa
the production Of anthracite coal, refer
to the small area Of country In which
It IS produced, and dwell at some length
on the market conditions and the prices
Of coal. They also refer to the haz-
ardous nature OF anthracite coal min
ing, and give an estimate OF the losses
occasioned by the strike. These losses
they estimate as follows;
LOSSES INCURRED
AS to mine owners, A610O,OO0 to the
mine employees In wages, $4,000. OO0 to
the transportation companies S2S 000 .
900. The commission say that In max
ing their investigation they have done
whatever II was practicable to do to
acquaint themselves with the conditions
which brought about the strike, and
they make the following summary Of
their work:
They have gone through mines and
Inspected the various conditions which
the production of anthracite coal in
wolves; they have visited the breakers,
the engine houses, and pumping sta =
tons they have examined the ma
chlnery by which the mines are pro-
tected from water and foul air they
have talked with the miners at their
work and In their homes, and they have
given attention to the economic, do
nestle, scholastic and religious phases
Of their lives they have listened to
and directed the examination and cross
examination Of 55S witnesses; they have
given free scope TO the counsel who
represented the operators the non
union men and the miners, and they
have devoted an entire week to hearing
their arguments
The commissioners also say that while
there have been differences Of opinion
among themselves, there never has
been a time during the five months Of
the existence Of the commission when
there was an unpleasant word spoken
among them, "or any indication what
ever of thought or desire Of aught save
truth and justice"
DEMANDS AND ANSWERS.
The commission then take up the de-
mands OF the mine workers and the am
swers Of the mine operators, giving
in detail the reasons for the findings.
In n general way they say that the
conditions Of the life Of a mine worker
outside the mines do not Justify TO
their full extent the adverse criticisms
made by their representatives They
also find that the social conditions in
the mining communities are good and
they fail to find that the wages are
SO low among the miners as necessarily
TO force them to put their small chill
dron TO work The commission also
find that the average daily rate Of earn
ings In the anthracite regions does not
compare unfavorably with that in other
industries.