The Minneapolis journal., 1903-01-10
COAL COMPANIES
OPEN THEIR CASE.
Attorney Torey of the Delaware &
Hudson Lays the Trouble
T., ..~.----- - -
to the Union.
Before Its Advent the Relations
II. With the Men Were Said
to Be Cordial.
The Union Is Said to Foster Discon.
tent and to Break Up Disci- .
pline at the Mines,

Philadelphia, Jan. 10.-The union
men having closed their case the coal
companies opened their side of the con-
troversy to-day before the strike COM
mission. Chairman Gray is still confined
to his home in Wilmington, suffering
from a cold. and General Wilson again
presided. The proceedings were opened by
the Delaware & Hudson company. |
through it's counsel James Fl. Torrey OF
Scranton. In presenting the case Of the
company he represents. Mr.. Torrey first
delivered address indicating what the
company would try to prove. He spoke
In part as follows:
Union Disturbing Factor.
I'VE shall prove the Delaware & Hud-
son company to be the first company TO
enter the busines Of mining and transport
ing out of the state Its anthracite coal.
We shall show that for many years up 10
the beginning Of the 1900 strike the rela-
tiens between the company and its en-
ployes had beer friendly and harmonious
and that the inception Of such degree OF
hostility as has since marked these re-
lations was coincident with the entry into
the anthracite field Of the organization of
the United Mine Workers.
$50 far as relates to the formal de-
mands pending before this commission it |
is only fair to this respondent to state
that 1t is in the position unusual even
In debate. and practically inadmissible III
legal proceedings of being compelled to
prove a negative After spending weeks
Of valuable time, the case upon the part
of the miners was closed without the pro-
duction of any material evidence to sub
stantiate any Of their claims. :,
with almost infinite labor and pains
and by the aid of army of clerks and
accountants vast array OF lilloflha Iioi'
has been accumulated for the use of the
commission with reference to the wages
and conditions Of employment of our en-
ployes. -
A HeaithfuI Employment.
..Ry these statements and from other
testimony which will be offered it Will
be demonstrated that there is no merit IN
the first demand for a ~ per cent IN
crease upon the prices paid during the
wear of 1901 to employees performing con-
tract work. 1t will be shown that both
the rates paid and the annual earnings
upon this kind OF work are larger than are:
paid in the bitunlinous. coal fields Tor
similar work and the wages paid for ocE
equations: requiring skill and training II
: the region, We are satisfied the COM
mission will find there is no manual en-
ployment requiring so little training or
skill. the exposure to so little RISK OF
health or life, and the occupation OF so
small a portion Of the working day which
Is 50 literally compensated In wages as
the work of the anthracite miner. In this
connection we shall show that the en-
ployment Is not extra hazardous and Is
more than ordinarily healthfu We shall
show that since the last increase Of wages
there has been no material advance III
the cost of living. We shall negative
the unsupported claim that the children
of the miners are forced to work at an
early age by submitting list of en-
ployes whose boys are working. with the
annual earnings of the parents, which
average about $40
The EIeht-Hour Day and Wage Question
"ro the second demand for an eight
hour day for company men the evidence
which has already been outlined Will. tc
a large extent. apply. In addition there
to we shall submit statements which will
show that even during the period wher
coal will be most In demand and the col
1ieries were opera ted to the limit: of theil
capacity, the breakers operated an aver
age of less than eight hours per day, fo
reasons partly due to the voluntary &C
tion of the men and partly to causes be
yond the control either of the compan.
or the men: We have prepared a sched
,lle showing the wages, the number 0
days worked and the annual wages of al
company men and boys, the general av
erage being for men s51S.95 and for boy
s196.93 which is a higher average thai
obtained in other similar enployments.
I'm this connection we shall show tina
the only tabulated statement offered i
evidence by the mine workers purportin
to give a comparison OF the earnings 9
company men, in the 1tt,1naia and an
thracite fields. IS misleading II ssscope
full Of inaccuracressiR &c tail and Is
and misleading 5nScehsl ssltSission..,s.zz " :
The Wetahlda of tl,e coa - -
'Hearing upon the third demand of tn
miners for the weighing Of coal and til
payment by the ton for mining. we sha
1.s-
has paid at some Of it's mines by weigh
and a others by the car. We shall sho
the actual product In marketable coal,
units of weight and per car and that
practical uniformity of wages results fro
both systems. We shall show that so fl
as concerns our own employees no con
plaint has ever been made directly to tt
company that either system was unfa
or resulted in Inadequate or unequal r.
enumeration for the labor actually pc
formed. :. - :.
The Demand Of the Union.
I'VE have claimed in our answer tn
the commission cannot, under the teri
of the submission of the issues which
Is to pass upon, consider the fourth d
n1and submitted by the complainants. vi
the execution of an agreement with t
United Mine Workers of America go
erning the wages to be paid and the co
ditions of employment. of its employt
such testimony. in addition to the e,
dence already before the commission,
establish the undesirability of such
agreement If it were fairly at issue. Y
shall show that the relations between Il
respondent and its employees had been I
many years peaceful and harmonious un
they were disturbed by the nachnatio
of the officers and agents of the Unit
Mine Workers; that the effect Of the (
ganization of it's employees in that ass
ciation has been to create a spirit of d
content and hostility upon the part of
employees; that the discipline which
essential to the safe and profitable &C
duct of the business has been very grea
impaired; that systematic efforts ha
been made to force all Of it's employees il
the organization; that the management
the business might be put absolutely I
der it's control: and that in many instan
to further the designs of the organi
tion the efficiency and productive cap
ity of the men has been voluntarily
minished.
In conclusion, the statement says
miners union has no control over
members: that no blacklist was ever p
pared or recognized by the company
that the evidence produced by the De