Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-05
MR.. MITCHELL HEARD
SPOKE AT LENGTH BEFORE THE
sTRIKF1 CoMM1ssroN.
Representatives. Of Both Sides Of the
Coal Question Appeared
This Morning.

Representatives of both sides OF the coal
strike question: a APPEARED before the anthra-
cite coal strike commission today. All the
members Of the commission were present,
Judge Gray. thu chairman, presiding. The
session was ehelG In the hearing room Of
the Interstate commerce commission. The
following persons attended today's meet
ing: President John Mitchell, John Fahey,
Thomas d. Nichols and w. H. Dettry,
district presidents Of Districts /. and Q of
the union: Walter z. Weyl. statistician for
the miners; s. P. Wolyerton. counsel for
the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and
Iron Company; Francis I. Gowen, for the
Lehigh Valley Coal Company; James II.
Iorrey, Delaware and Hudson Company
Everett Warren, Delaware. Lackawanna
and Western, Temple Iron Company, Hill
side Coal and Iron Company and Pennsyl-
vania Coal Company; "A. H. McClintock,
Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Company
John B. Kerr. Scranton Coal Company, and
Samuel Dickson, Ira H. Burns and h. Z.
Reynolds, for the Independent operators.
The main question discussed was that OF
determining the best method OF payment
for coal mined, and. hinged upon the point
as to whether settlement shall be MADE
with the men according to weight or meas
ure. The hearing today foreshadows an
early report Of the commission to President
Roosevelt, as it involves practically the
only issue which remains unsettled in the
minds of the commission.
It was intended that today's session OF
the commission should be a secret one, ana
strenuous efforts were put forth to attain
this end.
Mr. Carroll D. Wright one Of the commits
sione.s, late this afternoon made this state
ment: 5"1'
1.-The anthracite coal strike commission
met today for the pupose of a consultation
with the counsel and representatives Of the
miners and the. coal operators, to enable
the commission to avoid any musunder-
standing as to matters under its consfdera-
ton, but not to submit to the parties any
conclusions reached by the commission or
any form of an award.
"One of the difficult subjects with which
the commission has had to deal Is that OF
paying for coal by weight rather than by
as q substitute, some OF which were not
touched upon at length in the voluminous
testimony before the commission.
1T was necessary, therefore, for the
commission to meet counsel on both sides
and have free and frank talk with them.
Such a consultation could not have taken
place had 1t been oren to the public. NO
additional testimony was asked for or or
fered.
The commission Is hard at work upon
its report, sitting late at night and max
ing every endeavor to reach a speedy con-
clusion, but just when q decision can be
reached carnot be stated"
Mr.. Mitchell Heard at Length.
The first session adjourned shortly before
1 o'clock, and the commission reassembled
an hour later:ad The5proceedings were in the
nature of a general consultation regarding
the matter oespayment of coal mined. and
all of those present expressed their views
in response Is questions ,propounded by
members Of the commission.
Mr. Mitchell, OF course. was among those
who talked at considerable length. Assisted
by his district Lheutenants, he expounded in
detail the position Which the Mine Workers
Union has taken hi urging the payment on
the basis of the weight of coal before being
taken from the miners; and the representa-
tives Of the corporate interests similarly an
swered interrogatories designed by the COM
mission to make clear certain points in
volved in the Case, about which some of the
members have been in doubt. No infor-
nation was gwen out by the commission ISL
at the close Of the forenoon session. This
secrecy was the result Of a direct vote Of
the commission, which voted mo- when
the question was put, Shall the newspa-
talking about2%,---- ---,--~--