Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-23

er, that the violation of any provision
of these awards, either by employer
or employees, shall not invalidate any
of the provisions thereof.
Recommendation OF Commission.
The commission also makes a num-
Der of recommendations which may
be summarized as follows:
The discOntinuance of the system
of employing the coal and iron police,
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
drea.
That the state and federal govern
ments should provide machinery for
the making of a compulsory investi-
eating of difficulties, similar to the
investigation which this commission
has made. The commission express
the opinion that with few modifi-
cations, the federal act of October,
1888, authorizing Il commission to set
tie controversies between railroad
corporations and other common car
riers could be made the basis of n
law for arbitration in the anthracite
coal mining business. The commits
sion, however, take Il decided position
against compulsory arbitration. On
this point they add a quite lengthy
commentary. which closes in the fol-
lowing language:
''The chief benefit to be derived
from the suggestion herein made lies
in placing the real facts and the re-
sponsibility for such condition au-
thoritatively before the people that the
public opinion may crystalline and
make its power felt. Could such
commission as that suggested have
been brought into existence in June
last, we believe that the coal famine
might have been averted-certainly
the suffering and deprivation might
have been greatly mitigated."
Review of the Controversy.
These awards and recommendations
constitute the closing part of the re-
port. The earlier pages and by long
odds the larger portion of the report
are devoted to review of the con-
troversy which led to the presidents
action in appointing the commission,
to the appointment itself and to the
proceedings of the committee during
its existence.
They review in n general way the
production of anthracite coal, refer to
the small area of country in which it
is produced and dwell at some length
on the market conditions and the
prices of coal. They also refer to the
hazardous nature of anthracite coal
mining, and give an estimate of the
losses accustomed by the strike. Those
losses they estimate as follows: AS
to mine owners. SAG, 100000 to mine
employees in wages, $25,O00,0OO; to the
transportation companies, $2S,OOO.OOO.
The commission says that in making
their investigation they have done
whatever it was practicable to do to
acquaint themselves with the cOndi-
tions which brought about the strike
and they make the following summary
of their work:
They have gone through mines and
inspected the various conditions which
the production of anthracite coal in
wolves: they have visited the break
ers, the engine houses and pumping
stations; they have examined the ma
chinery by which the mines are pro-
tected 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 economic,
domestic. scholastic and religious
phases of their lives; they have lis
tened to and directed the eXamina-
ton, and cross-examination of sos
to the counsel who represented the
operators, the nonunion men and the
miners. and they have devoted an en-
tire week to hearing their arguments.
The commissioners also say that
while there have been differences of
opinion among themselves, there never
has been time during the five months
of the existence of the commission
when there was an unpleasant word
spoken among them, ''or any indica-
ton whatever of thought or desire of
aught save truth and justice"
Reasons Tor tho Findings.
The commission then take up the
demands of the mine workers and
the answers of the mine operators,
giving i'm detail the reasons for the
In a general way they say
that the conditions of the life OF the
mine workers. outside the mines, do
not justify TO their full extent the
adverse criticisms made by their rep
They also find that the
social conditions in the mining COM
munities 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 commission also find that
the average daily rate of earnings in
the anthracite regions does not COM
pare unfavorabiy 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 sug-
,,estion of Il working agreement be-
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