Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-01-16
TIE COAL STRIKE COMMISSIONS.
Hears More About Eon-uninn Man and Be-
gins On Railroads Testimony,


In the hearing before the coal strike
commission at Philadelphia Thursday
an interesting exchange OF words uooh
place between President Mitchell and
Chairman Gray The former took ex-
ceutiun 10 the latter : remark that ne
would like 10 See the miners union
come upour Of the mire that Il around
the haser parts Of IL into the sunlight.
The miners president said the union
should rot be- indicted unless eonnec
ton could be shown between il and
acrs of laTlessuess The head Of tine
commission replied that be DAD not
wish O. inGicg rhe organization. but
boped il would Gisentargl itself en-
rirelv from the violence anu lawiessr
ness committed during the strike. The
testimony Of the day consisie'. OF
stories Of non union men or their reIa-
tivps Of alleged prosecutions. The non
univn men closed their case rlday
after Occupying eight DAYS and pre-
seuting about lj0 witnesses. Gren. Go-
BIN. Of the Pennsylvania National
guard. who commanded troops % duty
in the hard coal fields. was the
PRINCIPAL witness Friday He said that
an ex;.ited state of lawlessness existed
il The reg ions and disturbances were
numerous and that after his entire brl-
yaGr WIS called out he told the govern
or thar he feared ne could not cope
with the situation il il grew worse. He
said that be meant every word OF nus
shoot to kill order. and thaE IL had
salufarv effect on the c. mmlniTles
which his soldiers covered. Counsel Tor
the non union men presented iadlcU-
menus and pleas sf guilty. Of certain
union men for acrs Of lawlessness ana
showed tnaS the members of the miners
union invariably became their bonds
men. Rev. Carl Hauser, a minister Of
FrpeIanE. testified that az a funeral Of
Ton union man strikers yelled scab
and spar upon the coffin. Some Of them
said. II is a shame 70 bury scab.
Throw aim 10 the dogs
The cgRl companies opened their side
Of rhe case SATURDAY. Counsel TOR tAe
Delaware HIdson road sad az woul1
SHOW that there is 10 merit II the de'
maad fsr u per cant increase upon
the prices paid during 1901 % emplog4s
performing con tract work They TuuAG
show that the employment IS not extra
hazardous and Is mure fhaa ordinarily
aealrhfuL They xsuIG retG1e the c4alEn
that rht. children IF miners ara forced
On vork al az early aga. Win refer
anee 10 the semAnl for Al ei-nr hours
DAY i would be shown rha1 the break
ers operated an average gf less thaa
algnt huars a 1av during rush TINE
partly On account Of ina voluntary ac-
-Iun Of the men-
Brig. Gen W lison presided IL rhe az.
@enca If Chairman GRAY VINO vas l--
MBneav. Abel L Culver 81 New YORK.
controller 1f the n Il e. Co. said the
ccmpanr was selling -oal 10 mIaglelIlsn
as ciGegager AZ - ton for prepared
sizes Il Gid net knew wat prices
the nis;cIemen we're receiving from
rna gusIic beyond what ne read II Inc
newspapers. C.. C.. Rose, superlnJPn-
dent If tht. coal department stated
nat several af The company : cclller9eS
ware -DuCt-t. a. q result al the strike
# the steam men Oh June :. and rhaE
a. would rather ler property BECOME
damaged rhan surrender 4 prt-cipis nE
allowing strikers ro dictate to TIE com
uanr a els-rk in Jae Goa. 1epa rt-nen {
-y.s,rTli tied statistics showing arnrug
other things rhar ;. - Of r1e company :
ID. e employees aAFe beeu working u
Or about the mines from il 70 ~ YEARS
Re described rne workings II the com
panvz relief fan9. win Ehlch over ,. =
no of the employees are coGnecre1- Ihe
workers contribute 70 this a g.aT : pay
aach year and the company an equal
amount Weekly benefits arr 1heu re-
epirec nv the employees families q
case 1f accident 81 death. Il vas a-so
shown -hat The = coil5eries Ct me
,grnpanv !us- ~ D3- hour days 10 ls*}l-
for WI len the employees were respon
sihle. OF these IL vere lest On a.
eounr 81 picnics ana ntner holidays. "
On account Of Mitchell Gay AMI oth-
@r union ssays. and Ia lays IN account
az strikes and suspensieEs. Since che
strike ended. une latuer part 1T tcro-
her. r.fs. ..oIzi4rie4 l0sF liz OARS. re.:uc
my rh.. coal production Of Ehe ccm qany
- 81 tons. The men 5ad been re-
luestec 70 WORK dn Thanksgiving cay
and Nav Years cay. out they I<lore'i
rse request. N0ne u the mines worked
Mitchell 1av b. added. anc = col-
,5eri-s ware ifEle tine 3ay after Christ
mas. M Darr1w. miners counsel
Disputed the methods q arriving a.
me conclusions n ms statement
The Y. r Il. CIR concluded Irs ras-
rimerv TUESDAY. Thomas I T1rrey 1f
New Yark. general eoal sales aE=n--
rascifvinE mar hrs company mas NJ
.or-r8l II coal prices in New ark. a.
IL Goa. fur the winter being turneti
gvpr 10 Car1oDda.e company 8vrec
bv the Erie railroad. under ne - and
81 per cant con tract basis. The DeLa-
ware IL Hudson gels - per cent? u ne
average ricewarer price II Goa az New
YORK 81 ths. New jersey side ana rne
Err. rafs rne 1rher Is fur the -ra1zpof
raricn and expense Of selling me IueL
The circular tiCewa-=r price * =, and
it costs - 70 % cents a Ton 70 Trans
por- Il from the New jersey SIDE -
New York. The con- auv thus derives
no benefit from the abnormal r-ral.
pri,.s-e of coal Or1er testimony vas
heard favorable 10 me health and pros
Dert-v Of TIE eumpaay's employees
The Erie company opened IL SIDE
win brief statement by Mai Everett
Warren Of what il Intended % prove.
The princIpa demand attacked cy K
Wednesday xas recognition Of the IN
ION which me coal operators maintain
: not an issue before the comm1 ssIou-
Settlement Of Vsnez1sia1 Trouble hear.
Al -ha conditions set forth IL Ine
rspiies Of the powers - Pres Castro :
last proposals II The matter Of setting
:. Venezuelan dispute through arri-
-ra-iCr have been accepted by the Ven
azuelan government The government
considers these conditions % be unjust
.M 81 - n