The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-12
LAWYERS FIX BLAME.
THOSE WHO REPRESENT THE
COAL OPERATORS CONTINUE
ABUSE.
MITCHELL IS RESPONSIBLE.
THAT is WHAT THE ATTORNEYS
NOW CHARGE.

Arrangement of Miners Union is
Continued Before Anthracite
Strike Commission at PhiIadel-
phia-President of Union is
Charged with Responsibility for
Alleged LawIcssRess - IncOrPOrn-
ton of Union strongly Urged.
COntended That If Ranks Are I'm
lawful, Then Organization is I'm
lawful.
Philadelphia, Feb. 11.-Counsel for
the coal operators to-day continued to
arraign the Miners Union in their
arguments before the Anthracite Strike
Commission. The independent opera
tors of the Lehigh, the Wyoming, and
the Lackawanna regions, held the at
tention of the commissioners the great
part of the day, the proceedings con-
Guiding with the reading of the COM
panys argument by Simon p. Wolver-
ton, the companys chief counsel.
In nearly every case the attorneys
charged President Mitchell with re-
sponsibility for the alleged lawless-
| ness in the coal regions during the
strike. and the union was character
lied as an irresponsible organization.
whose members were beyond the con-
troll of the leaders. Mr.. Wolverton
strongly urged the Incorporation of
| the union. and charged that 1t was un-
fit to control the anthracite industry
because boys are numbered among its
members.
Samuel Dickson argued the case of
the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Com
pany, G. B. Markle q Co., and other
Independent operators in the Lehigh
region. He defended the attitude of
Markle & Co., claiming the firm was
justified in the stand 1t took against
its men, when the strike was declared
off, because it had not been a party to
the correspondence resulting in the
appointment of the Commission.
Frances l. Gowen, for the Lehigh
Valley Coal Company suggested that
| the commission recommend the estab-
| lishment of a shift, consisting of a GER
| tain number of cars, to constitute
| days work, the men able to do the
amount of work required to receive an
| increase in wages.
| Mr.. Gowen criticised the demand for
| a 20 per cent increase in wages, say
| ing that the union had no theory re-
| garding the method of the desired in
l CTcdSe. ne asserted IIldL Mr. Mitchell
| had no theory as to the wages OF con-
tract miners on which the increase was
| to be based Mr.. Gowen here quoted q
| witness who had testified that the av-
| erage earnings of miners were between
| $400 and $3.50 a year.
Take the average. or the medium
between those figures 1926. Add 10 per
| cent, and add to that the 20 per cent.
| which Is now asked and you will find
| that that would bring the miners earn
| ings up to $3.50 a year. And yet, TAX
| ing the figures which the Lehigh Val
ley Coal Company has filed with the
commission, you will find that the av-
erage of all the miners who worked
continuously throughout the year was
$685."
Miners Against People.
Ira II. Burns of Scranton, counsel for
the independent operators in the Lacka-
wanna and Wyoming regions, argued
principally on the point of the right
of the individual to control his own
labor. He said: "In reality the con-
test is between the American people
on one side. and the union miners on
the other, and the issue is to deter
mine whether the people may have
coal, except upon such terms as the
union may prescribe"
Attorney H. c. Reynolds presented
further argument for the operators in
the upper region. He dwelt upon the
dangers attending coal mining. and
asked the commission to make a find
ing that contract miners be required
to remain in their working places until
all their cars are loaded.
Samuel Dickson, in presenting the
argument for the Lehigh Coal end Navi-
cation Company. G. b. Markle e. Co,
and the independent operators of the
Lehigh region, said in part:
Nothing can be more Objectionable
than the rule of the union that the
miner shall not employ more than
two laborers. 1t is of the utmost i'm
portance, for the development of the
mines, that the work of driving gang
ways, and airways, should be expedit-
ed as much as possible, and except
in the membership of a trade union IL
is not crime for a man to show him
self competent and Industrious.
Upon the main question of whether
-the wages are sufficient, and the hours
of labor reasonable, IL cannot be dis
puted that the weight OF the evidence
is altogether on the side of the oper-
ators. AS has been often pointed out,
trade union may sometimes secure
an advance In wages sooner or delay
reduction longer, than the employees, If
left to themselves but they can make
no change in the essential conditions
of every industry"
Simon p. Wolverton, counsel for the
Reading Company, in his argument
expressed opposition to the union be-
cause the bituminous representation
en- the national board is much greater
than the anthracite representation.
There is every reason why the union
miners should be chartered. The basic
principle of the organization is collec-
tive bargaining, but they do not want
collective responsibility. There were
cutrages perpetrated during the strike.
The members of the union violated the
. law. If its ranks are unlawful, then
the organization is unlawful
Others who presented arguments
were J. 3. Kerr, representing the
Scranton Coal Company and ex-
Judge Alfred Hand. for the independ-