Evening journal., 1903-01-20
COAL OPERATORS
HAVE AN INNING
Say Union Restricts Coal
Output and Keeps Mems
Earnings Down
THINK MITCHELL SHOULD WORK
Superintendent Phillips Doesn't See
Why Labor Leader Could Not Rep.
resent 100000 Mine Workers and
Mine Coal at the Same Time.

Mine Coal at the Same Time.
Philadelphia. Jan. 2O.-The exami-
nation of Col. r. A. Phillips. Of Scran-
ton, general superintendent Of the
mining department of the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western railroad
company, took up the greater part OF
yesterdays session of the coal strike
commission. superintendent Phillips
told OF conditions in and about the
collieries owned by the Lackawanna
company Like some of the other SUI
! perintendents who have testified. he
believed the men had a right to organ
ize if they wanted to. but no person
who is not employed by the company
had right to come in and tell the
mon or the company what they should
do. Much of the witness testimonywa
along the same lines as that already
! given by other superintsndents.
Colonel Phillips said he had no OBJ
! lection TO the company's employees
organizing their own union for collect
i've bargaining. He thought they had
q right 10 organize. and he had no OBJ
! lection to their being affiliated with
other labor organizations He did not
think It right for officials OF the United
Mine Workers of America to come In
and make the bargains for the men.
Colonel Phillips went on TO say that
the plan of the organization will have
to b. materially changed or the union
Will not last long in the anthracite
fields. IL will have TO eliminate tho
boys, he said. who have voice in
the organization. Each boy has half
q vote, according to the laws of the
union. but he often casts a full vote
Chairman Gray interrupted to re-
mark that an organization like the
Mine Workers Union should be com
posed Of mature minds.
Commissioner Clark asked Mr.. Phil
lips II he thought that the miners
should have the right TO be represent
ed by a committee of their own ap-
pointment.
Il see no objection 70 that, proyid-
ing the committee is composed Of men
in our employ"
'Do you think that Mr.. Mitchell or
any other man could look after the in
torosts Of 100000 mine workers and
work for your company at the same
timer" inquired Mr.. Darrow.
Il don't see why he couldn't"
"You don't think It would be diff
cult?"
mo. sir"
Colonel Phillips said there were
more cases OF characterization among
tho mon now than there were prior TO
the strike of 1900. The minimum
wages of inside laborers who require
no skill, he said, is sL77 a day, and
Sl.SS for outside laborers.
That's pretty good" remarked Mr..
Darrow; wish all companies paid
that"
Colonel Phillips, in his examination
in chief, testified that owing to the
Union restricting the number of cars
4 miner should load the miners are
earning no more money now than
they did before they got the 10 percent
increase two years ego. In this con-
nection Mr. Darrow quoted from Pres
ident Truesdale's annual report for
1901 in which he said s1,4l2000, or
30 pcr cent more was paid to the men
in 1901 than in 1900 The miners at
torney asked how he reconciled his
own testimony with the report Of Pres
ident Truosdale and the witness re-
lpliod that Mr.. Truesdale's figures ap-
piled TO all employees while his testi-
lmoyn referred only to contract miners.
Mr.. Darrow made the comment that
tho statement made by Mr.. Twosdale
gave the impression to the entirecoun-
> try that 1t meant the miners as well
cs the other employees.
Just as the witness was about to
leave the stand. w. w. Rose, Of New
York. Of counsel for the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western company,
asked him IL his testimony regarding
the right of calling in an arbitrator
was not only his personal view, and
that IL he were asked to give 1t oiii-
cially he would have to first consult
with the president of the company.
Mr.. Phillips replied that the opinion
he gave was a personal one, and was
not the official view of the company.
do you want to dissent from Mr..
/ Phillips view Of the natter" asked
/, Chairman Gray.
Il do to a certain extent" was Mr..
Ross reply.
Chairman Gray appeared somewhat
surprised at the answer, but said moth
Ing.
South Wilmington Free OF Smallpox