Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-01-24
RIGHTS OF UNION MEN
Mr.. barrow Tells Strike Commits
sion His Views.
DISCRIMINATION LIFE OF UNIONS

miners Attorney Claims They Have
Right to Prevent Non-Union Men
From Working BY Moral Suaslon.
/, D. L. & WIS. Wage Statement.
Philadelphia, Jan. 21.-When the an
thracite coal strike commission ad-
journed yesterday the 4OOth witness
summoned before the arbitrators was
being examined. OF the 400, IA were
called by the striking mine workers,
155 by the non-union men, CO by the
operators, and eight by the commits
sion. The Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western Railroad Company concluded
It's case. and the Temple Iron Com
pany began the presentation of its
side OF the controversy. The compan-
les yet to be heard are the Leh;gh Val
ley Coal Company, Lehigh and Wilkes
barre Coal Company. Marlle Broth
ers and about 60 other independent
Reading Coal and Iron Company. At
ter the coal companies end their case
the miners will take up some time in
examining witnesses in rebuttal
Yesterdays testimony did not bring
out anything that was particularly
new. There was a lively interchange
of opinion between Chairman Gray
and Attorney c. S. barrow, for the
miners, on the question of the rights
OF the union men. Mr.. barrow said:
/ 1.-THE right to discriminate and to
say that its members will not work
with non-union men is the strength of
q 10 .
the strength of the United Mine Work
ers of America, and 1 content that the
exercise of this right is not incompati-
bic with the greatest good to the
greatest number.
"Why, the union has the right to
object to working with a red-headed
man IL it so elects" added Mr.. Oar
row, addressing his remarks alter
nately to the commission and to Major
Warren, on counsel for the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Company.
"But has the union the right to pre-
vent red-headed man from working
If he so desires?" interjected Commits
sioner Wright.
! ut has the right to prevent him by
moral suasion. OF course, it hasn't
the right to kill him, or assault him, or
even to assail him with abusive Ian
guage. The civil courts are open to
the slandered man, whether he be a
union or a non-union man."
During the examination in chief of
superintendent Williams, of the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western Com
pany, he said the steam men do not
work very hard at night, and that they
get chance to sleep. On cross-ex-
, animation he testified that the COM
pany does not permit its mea to sleep
while on duty. The day engineers
hoist cars from the bottom OF the shaft
to the surface, distance OF 500 feet,
at the rate of 20 cars a minute. Engi-
neers have Is minutes for lunch. They
work 10 hours a day. and when they
are on duty at night they work II
hours.
A. S. Baker, Of Scranton, auditor Of
the mining department of the Della
ware, LackawaDna and Western Rail-
road Company, presented to the COM
mission the wages statement showing
the wages paid to all Of its employees.
A summary OF the wage statement of
the contract miners for 1901 is IS
follows:
Two hundred and forty-three
men earned less than 800; 90 between
800 and $3.50; $50 between $3.50 and
5000; 60 between 5000 and $3.50: 90
between $3.50 and $500; 112 between
$500 and $3.50; 40 between $3.50 and
$500; 1913 between $500 and $3.50; 1913
between $3.50 and $500; 200 between
$500 and $3.50; 329 between $3.50 and
$500, 336 between 5000 and $3.50; 2S4
between $3.50 and 500; 226 between
$500 and $3.50; 40 between $3.50 and
$500; rs between $500 and $3.50; so
between $3.50 and 5000, and 121 over
5000.
A statement giving the wages of all
classified company men, that is men
who work by the day or week, was
also presented. These men have de-
manded 20 per cent reduction in the
hours of labor, with no reduction in
pay. The average wages paid these
men In 1901 ranged from S154S0 for
slate pickers (boys) to S93iO4 for
boiler inspectors.
The Lackawanna Company here
rested it's case, and the Temple Iron
Company began calling its witnesses.
The attorneys called five men on be-
half of the Temple Company, all of
them mine foremen, who testified to
conditions in and about the collierles
over which they have charge. Much
Of their testimony was in contradiction
Of evidence adduced when the mine
workers were presenting their side of
the controversy to the commission AFT
Scranton.