The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-03-26

commissioner, named by one OF the
circuit judges of the Third judicial
circuit of the United States and paid
by the coal operators, such compen-
sation as the appointing judge may
nix, which compensation shall be dis
tributed among the operators in pro-
portion to the tonnage of each mine.
No person shall be refused employ
ment or in any way Disseminated
against on account of membership or
non-membership in any labor organiza-
ton; and there shall be no discrim-
ination against, or interference with,
any eplrloye who is not a member OF
any labor organization by members OF
such organization.
Other Recommen dations.
The commission also makes num-
Der of recommendation which may
be summarized as follows:
The discontinuance of the system
OF employing "the coal and iron po-
lice" because this force is believed to
have an irritating effect, and resort
to the regularly constituted peace au-
thorities in case of necessity.
a stricter enforcement of the laws
in relation to the employment of chill
| dren.
That the state and federal govern
ments should provide machinery for
the making of compulsory investi-
| eating of difficulties, similar to the in
vestigation which this commission has
MADE. The commission express the
opinion that with few notifications
the federal act of October, 1888, au-
thorizing a commission to settle con-
troVersIes between railroad corpora
lions and other common carriers could
be made the basis of law for arbitra-
ton in the anthracite coal mining bust
ness. The commission, however, take
decided position against compulsory
arbitration.
the Boycott.
Regarding the boycott, the commits
sion says: What is popularity known
as the boycott Ga word of evil omen
and unhappy origin) is a form of
coercion by which a combination of
many persons, seek to work their will
upon single person, or upon q few
persons, by compelling others to abb
stain from social or beneficial bust
ness intercourse with such person
or persons. Carried to the extent
sometimes practiced in aid of a
strike, and as was in some instances
practiced in connection with the late
anthracite strike, it is cruel weapon
of aggression. and it's use immoral
and anti-social, and the concerted
attempt to accomplish it is con-
spiraCy at common law and merits
and should receive the punishment
due to such a crime"
Cost of the Strike.
The commissioners review in a gen.
eral way the production of anthracite
cOai. refer to the small area of coun-
try in which it is produced, and dwell
at some length on the market condi-
tions and the prices of coal. They also
refer TO the hazardous nature of an
thracite coal mining, and give an esti-
mate of the losses occasioned by the
strike. Those losses they estimate as
follows: AS to mine owners, SAG, 1907
900; to the mine employees in wages,
$25,000,000; to the transportation COM
panies, $2S,000,00O. The commission
says that in making their investiga-
ton they have done whatever it was
practicable to do to acquaint them
selves with the conditions which
brought about the strike and they
make the following summary of their
work:
They have gone through the mines
and inspected the various conditions
which the production of anthracite
coal involves; they have visited the
breakers, the engine house, and pump
ing stations; they have examined the
machinery by which the mines are
protected from water and foul air;
they have talked with the miners at
their work and in their homes, and
they have given attention to the eco
nomic, domestic, scholastic and re-
ligious phases of their lives; they have
listened to and directed the examina-
ton and croSS-examination of 55S wit
nesses, they have given free scope to
the counsel who represented the OPP
orators, the nonunion men and the
miners, and they have devoted an en-
tire week to hearing their arguments.
The commission then take up the
demands of the mine workers and the
answers of the mine operators giving
in detail the.reasons for the findings.
In a general way they say that the
conditions of the life of the mine
workers outside the mines do not JUS
tify to their full extent the adverse
criticisms made by their representa-
tives. They also find that the social
conditions in the mining communities
are good and they fail to find that the
wages are so low among the miners
as necessarily to force them to put
their small children to work. The COM
mission also find that the average
daily rate of earnings in the anthra-
cite regions does not compare unfa-
vorably with that in other industries.
On the subject of the recognition of
the Mine Workers union, the commits
sion say that they do not consider that
this subject is within the scope of the
jurisdiction conferred on them. They
do say, however, that "the suggestion
i