The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-09-16
CAN NOW DISCHARGE MEN Al WILL.
PROPER NOTICE REQUIRED.
Umpire Carroll Wright Files His De-
cisions In Disputes Between
Operators and Miners.

Hon. Carroll d. Wright, the umpire
to whom was referred the Ave disputes
between the operators and miners
representatives in the board of con
ciliation, appointed under the provis-
ions of the anthracite mine strike
commission, filed his findings at
Scranton, Pa, with T. ID. Nichols. the
secretary of the board. In dealing with
the question of the employees right
to discharge men for any cause other
than connection with a labor union
Umpire Wright agrees wholly with
the contentious of the operators rep
resentatives and declares that the
rights of an employer to discharge
without giving the cause of the dis
charge is sustained by the award of
the commission. AS to the rockmen's
dispute the umpire says they do not
come under the award. He says that
the companies should take back old
men instead of putting on new men
In all cases where old men are COM
petent and have not been convicted of
not awaiting trial for crime commit
ted during the strike. The umpire's
findings cover 25 pages of typewriting.
In the case of Harry Brosius, who
claimed discrimination on the part of
Coke Brothers & Company, the umpire
gave as his opinion that all the men
employed by Coke Brothers & Com
pany, Incorporated, at the time of the
strike in 1902, except those who have
been convicted for crime committed
during the strike, or who are still un-
der arrest. or to whom employment
cannot be given on account of new
machinery, or who are incompetent,
ought to be preferred to new men in
giving out work when thy apply
therefor The umpire decides that It
has not been shown that the men
were Disseminated against by the
Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company
on account of membership In the
union, but Is of the opinion that dis
elimination existed against a small
number of men. He goes on to say:
Taking the rulings of the court, the
assertion of the anthracite coal strike
commission, the clauses In the agree
ment made by and with the United
Mine Workers of America, and the
admission of the different members Of
the Board of Cancellation, whether
on the one side or the other, there
can be no doubt that a man has a
right to quit the service of his en-
ployer whenever he sees fit, with or
without giving a cause, provided he
gives proper notice and that the en-
ployer has a perfect right to employ
and discharge men in accordance with
the conditions of his industry; but
that he should, as in the reverse
case, give proper notice. This right
to discharge must therefor, be sus-
tanned. Any other view in the case
would result in compelling men to
work for an employer when they did
not wish to. and thus enslave them.
while on the other hands 1t would
compel employers to employ men
whether they had worked for them or
not and whether the men were incom-
petent or not, and would thus stag
nate business and work to the injury
of all other employees. The board has
now disposed of about thirty disputes.
Two more questions on which 1t Is
deadlocked will be submitted to UNI
pire Wright. They deal with the nine
hour Saturday on the Reading Com
pany's mines and the proper basis
on which to compute the increase in
wages awarded by the commission.