The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-03-21
FINDS FoR MINERS.
Coal Strike Commission Makes Re-
port to President.
Abstract of its concIusion.-ren Per
Cent. Wage Increase Advised
Better Conditions Urged
Criticism of Union.

Chicago, March ls.-The Tribune's
Washington correspondent says:
President Roosevelt has been pre-
serted with an official summary OF the
report of the anthracite coal commits
sion appointed by him last October.
The full report is now being trans
cribed, and the hope is that il will be
finished in time to be presented TO the
senate this evening before the final
adjournment.
Increase Recommended.
The report OF the commission will
be a bulky document, but the concu-
sions reached can readily be summar-
lied, although the members Of the
commission have been particularly re
luctant in regard TO the details OF
their report In a general way il is
known that the commission recon-
mends an average increase Of wages
amounting 10 about ten per cent. Of
the existing rates.
This is coupled with the general
recommendation that the coal corpor-
ations should be more considerate of
the modes of living of their employees
and should discourage the extension
OF the truck system, and endeayor to
arrive at a general system Of arbitra-
tion regarding not only the question OF
wages but also Of hours Of labor.
systems OF weighing, and the applica-
tion Of credit in tho company stores.
The report will be particularly
severe, il is said, on John Markle, the
Independent operator. The testimony
showed that he was particularly OBJ
noxious TO the men and that he ex-
hibited but little concern for their
welfare and that he was, on the whole,
the kind Of man TO incite strikes
rather than TO break them up.
With regard to the question of the
recognition OF the union, the commits
sion does not make distinct rec
ommendation, because that question
was practically settled between the
operators and the miners while the
commission was still in session.
On the whole, the commission win
present the side of the men in n
rather striking manner. 1t will show
that the miner gets less than his
share OF the profit Of the mine and ii
will suggest in way that the great
coal companies should take immedi-
ate steps TO secure the confidence OF
the men by treating them with fair
ness.
Great stress is laid in the report
on the possibilities OF successful arbi-
tration and attention Is called to the
fact that none of the questions sub
mitted TO the commission would have
been found impossible of settlement
by an impartial commission.
The personality of John Mitchell
and his power for good or evil as the
head OF great labor organization
will appear by inference throughout
the report.
Miner j. Not BInmeIess.
This document will by no means be
wholly on the side of the laboring
man. On the contrary, figures will be
presented which will show that, while
the miner himself secures living
wages through the direct influence OF
the labor organizations he has built
up for his own protection, his helper
is by no means so well paid, and, in
fact, is often reduced To the starya-
tion point when the miner, who i'm
this case is his employer, is living in
poor mans luxury. Furthermore, the
miners union is severely scored for
70 uin
union men. Instances will he cited in
which men were driven away from
their work i'm disabled condition
when the only persons having mo-
tiyes for such assaults were neces-
sarily members of the union who had
refused TO go TO work.
Plea for Nonundon Man.
The report will make strong plea
for the rights of the nonunion man.
and will show that a labor organiza-
ton which is strong enough TO make
10000 men lay down their picks ought
10 be strong enough TO prevent abso-
lutely the application OF the boycott
with or without violence.
Taken as n whole. however, the re-
port is distinctly favorable TO the men,
and IL will urge the coal companies
10 recognize the fact that IL their men
are treated harshly the incentive 10
violence is increased, whereas perma-
nent boards OF arbitration would OF
themselves prevent violence, Aa0vr,l
age anarchy, and gg2Sanka<1 haprs
- - lin q.