The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-17
DISCIPLINE HURT
 BY UNION SYSTEM
More Mine Officials Attack the
 United Mine Workers
HAD LESSENED PRODUCTION
One Foreman Whose Men Went to Bitumlnous Coal Fields Says on Their Return They Said Living
 Was Better in Penn.

Philadelphia, January 16.-More mlhe officials today informed the coal strike commissioners that under the influence of the union, the mine workers restricted the production of anthracite coal and in terfered with the discipline of the em- ployes. The Erie company closed it's case early in the day after calling a physician, who testified to the good health or the mine workers. The Scranton Coal com pany, which operates besides it's own the collieries of the Elk Hill Coal and Iron company, took up the attack on the de- mands of the miners. The Scranton and the Elk Hill companies turn their coal over to the New York, Ontario and West ern railroad which virtually controls them.
 The witnesses called today testified gen. orally that no blacklist existed that the contract miners worked on an average of from six to seven hours a day; that the local unions compelled the men to load an equal number of cars, thus re- stricting the output; that the men were careless in obeying orders, and that fre- quent petty strikes occurred whenever a union man was dismissed for insubordina- tion.
 Sent Cleaner Coal.
 One inside foreman in his testimony said the employment of check weight men insisted upon by the union had proved to be a good thing for the company because the miners sent to the surface cleaner coal
 Frank l.. Northrup, bookkeeper and ac- countant of the Scranton company, ex- nlatnaH 9faf tS ha ha.1 handed to the commission for the com pany. The wage statement for the year 1902 showed that 7S6 men worked less than four months, 75S worked more than four months and received under $400; 265 work ed more than four months and received between $iOO and $500; 26O worked more than four months and earned between $500 and $500; 1S1 worked nearly full time and received between $500 and $500; IS worked full time and received between $700 and $500; 23 earned from $500 to $900; three earned from $9OO to Sl0O0 and three received more than s10oO
 Dockage at the Galleries.
 The witness presented a statement showing the average dockage at the three collieries. At the Pine Brook col lery before the check docking boss was employed, the average dockage was 3.11 per cent. After he was employed 1t fell to TIT. At the Mount Pleasant colliery it was 4.44 and after the checkman was put on it fell to 2.3o. At the Johnson mine the average was 6.46 and then 3.13 per cent.
 James Smith of Peckhill, inside fore man at three collieries gave several in stances of insubordination on the part of mine workers.
 The foreman said that the men stayed in the mines about an hour longer since 4I,o etc pd fO time. but that the amount of coal had not in creased much. He also said that men who went to the soft coal regions when the strike began, returned as soon as 1t was over. They told him that the work in the bituminous regions was harder, that they could not do so well. nor was the living as good as in the hard coal fields
 In reply to Commissioner Watkins the witness said the company had lost two or three days on account of the scarcity of railroad cars.