The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-02-12
ATTACK ON MINERS UBION
MITCHELL HELD RESPONSIBLE
 FOR LAWLESSNESS.
Attorneys for tho Companies Charge Him With It-.HOId That the Union should be IueOTPOrated-Attituds of the Markies Defended-A Suggestion to the Com mission.

Philadelphia, Feb. 11.-Counsel for the coal operators to-day continued to ar raign the miners union in their argu- ments before the anthracite strike com mission. The independent operators of the Lehigh, the Wyoming and the Lackawanna regions held the attention of the commissioners for the greater part of the day. the proceedings con- cluding with the presentation of the Reading company's argument by Simon P. Wolverton. the companys chief counsel.
 In nearly every case, the attorneys charged President Mitchell with re- sponsibility for the alleged lawlessness in the coal regions during the strike, and the union was characterized as an irresponsible organization, whose mem- bers were beyond the control of the leaders. Mr. Wolverton strongly urged the incorporation of the union and it charged that it was unfit to control the anthracite industry because boys are numbered among it's members.
 Samuel Dickson argued the case of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation, G. B. Markle & Co.,, and other independent operators in the Lehigh region. He de- fended the attitude of the Markle con- pany, claiming the firm was justified in the stand it took against it's men when the strike was declared off, because 1t had not been a party to the correspon- dence resulting in the appointment Of the commission.
 Francis I. Gowen, for the Lehigh Val ley Coal company, suggested that the commission recommend the establish ment of shift consisting of certain number of cars to constitute a day s work, the men able to do the amount of work required to receive an increase in wages.
 After the afternoon session Attorney 1 H. c. Reynolds presented further argu- ments for the operators in the upper region. He dwelt upon the dangers at- 1 tending coal mining and asked the com- mission to make finding that contract miners be required to remain in their working places until all their cars are l loaded Mr. Reynolds said there are many reasons why the miners should not be awarded an eight hour day. Storms, accidents to machinery and | holidays, he said, combine to hamper the coal production and during the year the average working day is not more than eight hours.
 Samuel Dickson, in presenting the argument for the Lehigh Coal and Nav 1 igation company, G. B. Markle X Co. and the independent operators of the Lehigh region said in part:
 1 Nothing can be more objectionable than the rule of the union that the miner shall not employ more than two laborers. It is of the utmost import ance for the development of the mines that the work of driving gangways and airways should be expedited as much as possible and except in the member ship of trade union, it is not crime for man to show himself competent and industrious.
 Taking the evidence produced as to the condition of things in the Lehigh region by itself, without the support and corroboration which has been given from every other section of the anthracite field, it is evident that the leaders of the union understood that they must not themselves appear to take part in the disturbances which it was essential to their success to have
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