The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1903-03-28

IN use. the topping required. aud the
rates paid per car when was IN lesss a,ss
on April I. l%a Any Increase IN the size
of the car, or IN the tepping required
snail be accompanied BY pronoruonaRe
increase IN the rate paid per car.
Vii. The following siidihg scale o.
wages snail become eneetiNe April l.
ISIS, and snail Affect all miners ana mine
workers Included IN the awards Of ne ne
commission. ThS wages hXed IN tue
awards shall be the basis OF. and the MN
imum under the sliding SCALE
Tor eaeh Increase OF nNe cents IN ane
average price OF white ash coal Of sizes
above pea coal. sold at or near NeN
York, between ferthzzAmboy ana ltdge-
water ana reported 10 the bufeause1 aa-
thracita coai statistics, above 49, per
ton Tor b, the employees shall have an IN
crease OF one per cent IN this eomnensa-
ton, which shall continue until Cnanse
In the average OF said coal works feaue.
tlon or an increase IN said additional com.
pensatlon hereunder, but the rate OF com
pensaIion snalt III no case be less thah
gnat liked IN the award. That Is when
the price OF coal reaches sina per son,
the compensation Will he increased one
per cent. 10 continue nnril the price Iahs
Deiow ss.50 per ton, when tne one PEI
price reaches Si.eU per ton. when an aaai,
tlonal one per cent. Will be added anu
50 on. These average prices shall Dc
computed monthly by an accountant OF
commissioner named by one Of the cir.
cut Judges ef the thifd circuit court ol
the Cnted states and paid by the coal
operators. such compensation AS the ap=
pointing Judge may nN, which eompensa-
lion snall distributed among the op.
orators IN proportion TO the tonnage Oh
each mine.
In order that the basis may be laid for
the successful working OF the stiuinS
scale provided herein, II Is also ad1udgeu
and awarded 1nat all coal operating
companies lie at once with the inlteo
States commissioner OF labor eertlneu
statement of the rates OF compensation
paid In each occupation known IN lneA
cumpanies as they existed April !, lsVz.
Ia No persons shall be refused en-,
ployment or In any way discrimlnateo
against. on account OF membership or
non-membership In any labor organiza-
ton. and there shall pe no discrimination
against, or interference with any em-
ploye who Is not Il member Of any lapor
organization by members OF suen ofeah-
ization,
\. All contract miners shall be required
TO furnish witnin a reasonable time pc
fore eaen pay day, statement OF lns
amount OF money uue from them 10 1helr
laborers, and such Sums shail be deduct
ed from the amount due the e~ohtIae. ~
miner and paid directly 10 each laporet
by the company. All employees when paid
snail be furnished with an itemized state
ment of account.
tinue In force until March 81. 1906, and
any employe or group Of employees, ylo,,
laung any Of the provisions tnereoi snail
be subject to reasonable discipline by the
employer, and, further, that the viola
ton of any provision of these awards,
either by employer or employees, shall moi
invaiidate any OF the provisions thereof.
The commission also makes number
of recommendations whiea may be sum
married. as follows;
employing the coal and iron poiice, be-
cause tins force Is beneved TO have al
irritating effect, and resort to the reg
ulurly constituted peace authorities III
case of necessity.
a stricter enforcement Of the laws III
relation to the employment OF en1ldren
a1r
should provide machinery for the making
of a compulsory investigation OF dlHlcui-
lies, similar 10 the INVESTIGATION Nhieh
this commission has made. The com1nls-
sion express the opinion that with Few
notifications the federal act OF octoDeI,
1883, authorizing commission 10 settle
controversies between railroad corpora
lions and other common carriers could be
made the basis of a law for arbitration
Ia the anthracite coal mining business;
The commission, however take decidtu
position against compulsory arbitration.
On this point they add a quite lengthy
commentary, which closes IN the follow
ing language;
sThe chief benefit to be derived from
the suggestion herein made lies IN placing
the real facts and the responsibility Tor
such condition authoritatively before the
people. that the public opinion may crys-
tailize and make It's power felt. Could snch
a commission as that suggested have been
brought into existence IN June last We
believe that the coal IA mine might have
been aVerted-cerfainly the suffering and
deprivation might have been greatly mti-
gated"
These awards and recommendations
constitute the closing part of the report
The earlier pages and by long odds the
larger portion OF the report are deYole1
to a review Of the controversy Whieh iea
to the presidents action Ia appointing
the commission, to the appointment IL
self and to the proceedings OF the com
mission during Its existence. They re-
view In a general way the production OF
anthracite coal, refer to the small area
of country in which II is produced, ana
dwell at some length on the market con
ditions and the prices OF coal. Ihey also
refer to the hazardous nature OF anthra-
cite coal mining, and give an estimate oI
the losses oecasioned 10y the strike. Inose
losses they estimate az follows.
As TO mine owners. %6,l00Doe: to the
mine employees In wages. w 90 W. to Inc Inc
transportation companies, $500 OJo. The
commission Fass flisi In making their
investigation they have done Whatever
1t was practicable 10 do to acquatnt them
about the strike, and they make the fol-
loving simmary of the work: They
nave gone through mines and Inspected
the various conditions which the produce
tion OF anthracite coal Involves; they
have visited the breakers, the engine
house and pump stations, they have ex-
amined the machinery by which the
mines are protected from water and foul
air; they have talked with the miners at
tneir work and Ia their homes, and fbey
nave given attention TO the economic. do
n1estlc scholastic and religious phases Of
their lives. they have listened TO and d.
rected the examination and croEs-exann-
ination of 55s witnesses; they have given
free scope 10 the counsel who represented
the operators. the nom union men and the
miners 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 been
a time during the five months Of the er-
irfence OF the commission when there was
an unpleasant word spoken among them.
.'or afy indication whatever Of thought
tice'
The commission then takes up the de-
mands Of the mine workers and the an
ssfrs o. fis II ne operators, giving IN
detail tire reasons for the findings In a
general way they say that the conditions
OF the hfe Of the mine workers outside
the nnneF don't justify to their full ex-
tent the adverse criticisms made by their
representatives. They also find that the
social conditions IN the mining comunI-
ties are good. and they fail 10 find that
az necessarily to force them 10 put their
small children TO work The commission
also find that the average daily rate Of
earnings in t5e anthracite region does
not compare unfavorably with that IN
other industries. On the subject Of the
recognition Of the Mine Workers union,
the commission say that they don't com
slider that this subject IL within the scope
Of the Jurisdiction conferred on them.
They do say. however. that the sug-
EeHtion Of a working agreement between
6octEIne Of collective bargaining Is one
which the commission believe contains
many hopeful elements for the adjust
rncnt Of relations in the mining region"
Further on they say. THE present con-
stitufiou of the United Mine Workers Of
america does not present the most In
fifing Inducements 10 the operators 10
enter into corfracfuaf relations win IL
gf1fu ut