The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-13
THE PARTING SHOTS
BEING FIRED IN THE MOST STIR
RING WAR THAT LABOR HAS
EVER WAGED.
BAER'S STRONG ARGUMENT.
PRESIDENT OF READING COMPANY
LOGICAL AND SARCASTIC.

He Closed Argument for Coal Opera
tOrs-CIarence $. barrow is Putt
ing Before Commission the Last
Stroke for Miners-Baer Says Civic
Federation Deserted Its Cause-De-
cIared Operators POcketed Their
A-rIde and Met in Church Build
ing-Sarcasm Was Directed at
Federation.
Philadelphia, Feb. 12.-Before an
audience that filled every inch of
space in the United States Circuit
Court, President George F. Baer of the
Reading Company made his closing
argument for the coal operators, be-
fore the Strike Commission to-day,
and Clarence S. barrow, chief counsel
for the miners, began the summing
UP for the men.
The two sessions were extremely in
teresting and the principal speakers
held the attention of the auditors
throughout their remarks. The great
est interest was manifested in Mr..
Baer's appearance before the commits
sion, to plead the case of the mine
owners. There were many prominent
persons present to hear him, among
them being President Truesdale of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad; Archbishop Ryan, judges of
the federal and local courts, state
senators, and many mining officials
of the coal regions.
Mr.. Baer concluded his address by
making a proposition to pay the con-
tract miners on a sliding wage scale,
their wages to fall, or rise, with the
market price of coal at New York, but
that in no case shall the wages go be
low the basis. The spokesman for
the coal companies took up two hours
and twenty minutes in delivering his
address, and when he sat down he was
congratulated by hundreds of persons.
Mr.. Darrow spoke at the afternoon
session for two hours and a half, and
will take uD all of tomorrow in clos
ing the miners case. The crowd that
heard him was equally as large as that
which listened to Mr.. Baer and he, too,
was surrounded by an admiring throng
when he temporarily suspended his
speech at adjournment time. His re-
marks to-day were directed principally
at the wage statements presented to the
commission, which. he said. could not
be 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 this morning. Ow-
ing to the crowd in the courtroom,
there was considera BILE noise and con-
fusion while he was speaking, but the
instant President Baer rose hush fell
over the assemblage, which lasted as
long as he was on his feet. Mr.. Baer
is considered a good speaker, but he
preferred to read his carefully prepared
argument Here and there he would
lay down his manuscript and raise his
voice to a high pitch when he wished to
emphasize a strong point.
Many Have Found Fault.
Mr. Baer said in part: MANY good
men have found fault with us for not
making an agreement with the United
Mine Workers of America. You will
recall that the demand made upon us
was for a uniform scale of wages, COW
ering the whole anthracite field. All
of the operators were asked to meet
in convention with a view to adopt
ing a uniform scale. The conditions
Of employment are not always the
same, and, therefore a uniform scale
Of wages applicable to the whole United
states would not be just.
We have made every effort to con-
vince Mr.. Mitchell, and his friends, of
the utter impracticability of his scheme.
our chief objection to his erganiza-
1on was that it was a foreign organ
lzation, interested in a rival and COM
petitive business. We never could see
the wisdom of permitting the bitumi-
nous coal miners to inject themselves
INTO the anthracite mining situation.