The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-17

cadence that filled every inch Of space
tn the United States circuit court room,
President George F. Baer, of the Read
ing Company. made his closing argu-
nent for the coal operators before the
strike commission today and Clarence
6. DarroW, chief counsel for the miners,
began the summing up for the men.
The two sessions were extremely inter
ssting. and the principal speakers hello
the attention of the audience through
out their remarks.
The greatest interest was manifested
In AIR. Baer's appearance before th-
commission 10 plead the case of the
mine owners. There were many prom
inent persons present to heal him,
among them being President TruesdaIe.
of the Delaware, LackaWanna and
Western railroad: Archoisnip Ryan.
state senator's and many mining Oil
Sials from the coal regions. MIR. Bder
concluded his address by making d
proposition to d the contract miners
on a sliding wage scale. their wages
to fall or rise with the market price o.
coal at New York. but that in no case
shall the wage fall belle v the present
basis. The spokesman Tor the coai
companies took up two hours and
twenty minutes in delivering his ad-
dress, and when he sat down he
MAS congratulated by hundreds of per
sons.
MIR. barrow spoke at the afternoon
session for two ho' IS and d hat am
will take all of ton rrow in closing the
miners case. TIE crowd that heard
him was equally - large as that which
listened to Mr.. Jaer, n he too, wa
surrounded by an admiring throng
when he temporarily suspended his
speech at adj rnment time. His re,
marks today we're directed principally
at the wage statements held to the
commission, which he said, could not Dc
relied upon.
Former Congressman WOlVertOn,
principal counsel for the philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company.
who was making his argument when
the commission adjourned yesterday
afternoon concluded his morning.
Owing to the crowd in the court room
there was considerable noise and con
fusion while he was speaking, but the
instant President Baer rose, a hush
fell over the assemblage which lasted
as long as he was III his feet MIR.
Baer is considered a good speaker, but
he preferred to e. his carefully pre-
pared argument. Here and there he
would lay down his manuscript and
raise his voice to d high pitch when he
wished to emphasize a strong point.
MANY good men have found fault
with us for not making an agreement
with the United Min Workers of
America. You will recall that the de-
mand made upon US was for q uniform
scale of wages. covering the whole an
thraclte In the field. All of the opera
tors were asked to meet i'll convention
with a view to a uniform scale.
The conditions of employment are al
a the same. and therefore. a uni
form scale OF wages applicable to the
hOIe United States would not be just.
1--WE have made every effort to on
vince Mr.. Mitchell and his friends o.
the utter impracticability of his
scheme. Our chief objection to his or
E~aniZation vas that it was a foreign
organization. interested in a rival and
competitive business. We never could
see the wisdom of permitting the b1-
tumenouS coal miners to inject them
selves into the anthracite mining stu
stion. 1t has proved to be just as mis-
chieyous as we believed it would be.
I'm addition to the fact that the min
ers union was controlled by an hostile
interest. We objected to it because we
cannot delegate to the miners union, or
any other labor MO the right 70 de-
termine who shall be our employees.
The law OF Pennsylvania and the char
ter Of the philadelphia and Reading
Coal and Iron Company. in express
terms gives to the president and di-
sectors the power of approaching al
such officers. agents or employees as
they may deem necessary. We have
the right to employ any homes man,
without discrimination as to religion.
nationality or membership in labor or
ganiZatiOn. This is a right we Will not
surrender. We do not object to our
employees Joining labor organizations
This is their privileges. But we Will
not agree to turn over the management
of our business TO a labor organization,
because some of employees belonS
60 1T.
The record shows that an honest efC=:
was made to convince the United Mine
Workers that their demands were un-
Just. Who now, will say. in the light
OF the testimony. that the demand for
an uniform rate of wages extending al
over the anthracite regions was reason
able. The differences in conditions be-
tween the anthracite operations and
h bitumenous operations were clear
iy pointed out TO these labor leaders
I'VE met them. as they requested. be-
fore the National Civic Federation and
discussed the question. 4 committee
of our employees and operators was
appointed 70 further consider the sub
1ect and report to a meeting to be call.
ed by the chairman When We parted