Potosi journal., 1903-03-25

non ! membership in any labor orsani.2-
tton: and there shall be ne discrimina ton
against. or interference with any en-
pioye who is net member of any labor
i4ation.
4: All contract miners shall be required
70 furnish. within a reasonable time be.
amouni acn of , pay gay; M sta statement OF the
laooTers, and such sume shall be deduct.
eo from the amount due the contract
miner and paid directly to each iaborer
oy the company All employees when paid
snaii be furnished with an iteElized state
ment of account
Ai. The awards herein made shall con-
tnue In force until March 81, 1906; and
any employe OF group of employees, vio-
iating any of the provisions thereof shall
De subject to reasonable discipline by the
employer, and, further, tha. the viola
tion OF any provision Of lnese awards.
either by empower employees. shall not
ihNaidate any OF the provisions thereof.
he commission aiSo makes = number
OF recommendations which may be sum-
married as follows:
The diSContinuance OF the system OF
employing the coal and iron police be-
cause this force Is believed to have an
irritating effect. and resort TO the reg
ulariy constituted peace authorities IN
case of necessity.
A stTiCter enforcement of the laws III
relation to the employment of children
mat the state and federal governments
should provide mac chinery for the making
OF compulsory investigation of difficult
ties, similar to the investigation which
this commission has made fhe commits
sion express the opinion that with few
modifica tons the federal act of October,
lees. authorizing a commission 10 settle
controversies between railroad corpora
tons and other common carriers could be
made the basis of law for arbitration
in the anthracite coal mining business.
! The commission, however. take decided
On this point they add quite lengthy
commentary, which closes i'll the follow
ing language:
The chief benefit 10 be derived from
the suggestion herein made lies in placing
the real facts and the responsibility for
such condition authoritativeiy before the
people. that the public opinion may crys-
taiize and make Its power felt. Could such
commission as that suggested have been
believe that the Goa! IA mine might have
been averted-certainly the suffering and
deprivation might have been greatly m!ti-
gated.
These awards and recommenda tons
! constitute the closing part of the report.
The earlier pages and by long odds the
| larger portion Of the report are devoted
| TO d review Of the controversy which led
| 10 the presidents action in appointing
| the. commission. TO the. appointment it
| self and to the proceedings of the COM
| mission during its existence They re-
| view in d general way the production of
! anthracite coal. refer to the small area
| Of country in Which it is produced, and
! dwell at some length on the mar ket con-
| ditfons and the prices Of coal They also
| refer to the hazardous nature of anthTa
| cite coal mining. and give an estimate of
| the losses oCcasioned by the strike. Those
| losses they estimate as toilows.
| AS TO mine owners. sis.loHe@: to the
| mine employees in wages, $23,vspr. TO the
transportation companies. 2s.rno"0. The
| commission siAs tt&t in making their
t investigation they have done whatever
| il was practica Bile to do to acquaint them
! s.,,+es *Itn tn. t"lCit'ons which brought
! about the strike, and they make the toll
| loving summary Of the work: They
The various conditions which the produc-
tIon OF anthracite coal involves: they
! have visited the breakers. the engine
| house and pump stations: they have eN-
| amined the machinery by which the
| mines are protected from water and foul
! air. they have talked with the miners al
| their work and in their homes. and they
| nave given attention to the economic. do.
| mestic. scholastic and religious phases OF
their lives; they have listened to and di'
| reCted the examination and cross-eXam
| ination of 5oS witnesses: they have Civer
, free scope to the counsel who representsG
the operators. the non union men and the
! ,nlners, 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 beer
| a time during the five months of the eA
istence of the commission when there va.
an unpleasant word spoken among them
''or AZ Y indication whatever of though
or desire Of auGht save truth and JUS
tiCe'
| Further On they say The present con
stitution Of the United Mine Workers q
America does not present the most in
| citing Inducements to the operators I.
enter into Contractual relations with it
| The commission report more than one
| their incapacity to make an award oi
the demand of the miners for recogni
| tion of their union. because they say
| the union is not party TO the Suhmis
sion Attention is called to the fact thu
| Mr.. Mitchell appeared before the com
| mission as the representative of the an
| thracite coal mine workers.. and not il
| his official capacity. They also call at
| tention TO the fact that the agreemen
| to arbitrate was reached between the op
| The commissioners say that trade un
ionism'' is rapidly becoming a matter o
| business. II the energy of the employe
| is directed to encouragement and re
| preston Of the union he need not be sur
prised if the more radical ones are I'll
| ones most frequently heard They eN
| press the opinion that differences can hes
| be settled by consultations by the en-
| ployer with a committee chosen by hi
| be entitled to such recognition the iaho
| examination must give the same recogni
| tion to the rights of the employer and o
| others which it demands for itself an
for its members
| They add: The union must not under
| take TO assume to interfere with tn
| r1anaeement nf the business of the en-
| r!oyer They also pronounce as nnts,r
! able the contention that - majority -
| the employees Of an industry. by Volun
| tarily aSsoci:ating themselves in uni"
| acquire authority over those who do no
| 50 associate themselves.