Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-01-23
He DESP|SES TYRANNY
CHAIRMAN GRAY DECLARES HIM.
sELF DURING EXAMINATION
OF A WITNESS.


President Mitchelrs "Hurry UP" Or
der Has No Effect on the Miners
and That No More Coal 10 Being Pro.
dueed, az the Men Say There 10 No
Shortage.
Philadelphia. Jan. % Chairman
Gray of the coal strike commission, in
commenting during the day on the re-
fusal of District President Fahey of
the miners union to grant "permis-
sion" during the strike TO a contractor
to erect at a cOlliery a boiler house,
which was necessary to preserve the
mine from damage. said he hated
tyranny, no matter whether it was
practiced by an operator, a miner or
anyone else.
During the morning session the Le-
high Valley Coal company. which
opened its case after the Temple Iron
company closed, placed a union miner
on the stand to testify about what
seemed a trivial matter, and on cross
hC RAONSu q 6OOu WltucSS
Tor the miners. He said that there
would be trouble in the anthracite re-
gtOn so long as the coal companies in
sisted upon paying the contract miners
BY the car instead of by weight This
opened a discussion between counsel
Tor both sides and the commissioners
which consumed much time. The re.
suit was that the commission will de-
vote an entire day to hearing argu-
ments on the question.
John +. Murray, a union miner in
the Dorrance colliery, was the man
who brought about this decision.
When the commission made its tour
of observation last fall, it visited the
Dorrance mine and met Murray. who
was at that time president of a local
union. He told the commissioners at
that time that he worked about seven
hours a day.
On cross-eXamination during the
afternoon Murray said the company
did not deliver enough cars to the men
and that the union had no rule restrict
ing the number of cars to be delivered
to each miner. He asserted that the
cars are more like freight ears than
mine cars. The miners, he continued,
think they hold much more than the
two and one-half tons the company
say they hold.
At this point counsel for both sides
and the commissioners got into a dis
eussion on the ACCESSIBILITY of changing
the system of pay from car to weight
Mr.. barrow said that it had been sug-
gested that the miners be paid by
weight and that if the companies sales
of coal be in excess of tonnage paid the
miners. then the latter should be paid
their share of the excess.
R. s. Mercur. district superintendent
Of the Lehigh Valley c~ollieries il the
Mahanoy and Shamokin district. gave
testimony which
EnIivened the Proceeding.
The men in his collieries worked on an
average. he said, of about seven hours
a day. The miners. he continued, did
not produce any more coal as a result
of President Mitchells hurry up" or
der. They asserted that there was no
coal shortage and that it was a scheme
OF the operators to show the men We're
earning larger wages.
Chairman Gray remarked that the
miners should come to Wilmington
(his home) and see poor people stand
ing around waiting to buy a bucket of
coal at II and Is cents a bucket.
MI. barrow asked the witness why
he did not work two shifts, and he re-
piled that he could not get men to cut
enough coal to. keep the breakers 60
ing ten hours a day. If the union will
furnish men he will put all of them
to work.
Mr.. Mercur told of the troubles in
keeping the water from accommodating
in the mines during the strike. He
said the company had contracted with
a man to build a boilerhouse for packer
colliery No. 5. The strikers refused to
permit this to be done; they would
not even permit material to be taken
from the railroad cars. Finally the
contractor wrote to District President
Fahey asking permission to erect the
boilerhouse. and the labor leader re-
piled: "On account of existing condi.
tons | cannot grant you the permits.
sion which as | understand from your
letter you request"
The letter further stated that Mr..
Fahey was willing to meet him and dis.
cuss the matter.
Chairman Gray Sarcastic.
Chairman Gray asked the witness II
he did not apply to Mr.. Fahey, and he
replied ne did not. The president Of
the commission sarcastically asked
the witness why he did not with due
submission go to see Mr.. Fahey and
appeal to him to permit the building
OF the b~oilerhouse. He might have
softened a little. added the commits
sioner.
Mr.. Darrow protested that the mat.
ter should not go any further until Mr..
Fahey was here. Mr.. Fahey was not
present. therefore nothing could be
done. The chairman and Mr.. barrow
then had an animated %colloquy over
the matter, during which Judge Gray
said ne did not like the word "permis-
sion." as used by Mr.. Fahey. This was
. free country and he was o edu-
Gated up to using it in the way Mr..
Fahey had employed II. He added
that he hated tyranny, no matter
whether it was practiced by an oper-
atOr, miner, or anyone else.
The chairman delivered his remarks
with much force. and the incident ere
ated considerable of a stir in the court
room.