The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-08-31
COAL COMPANIES
FILE ANSWERS
Continued from Page one)


General denlals are made of the con
spiracy charges in the answer OF III,
Reading company and that OF the railway
| company. The answer of the coal anc
iron company takes up the strike of l90
and says that substantially all the work
men in the anthracite regions abandoned
| their work. under the force and effect OF
violence, turbulence and intimidation, and
the employees and workmen OF this dis
trict and others OF the same neighbor-
hood were induced or compelled by like
violence, turbulence and intimidation IL
abandon their employment
The answer adds that shortly after
wards II was represented. In substance. TO
the officials OF this defendant and the rep
resentatives OF other mining companies by
one Marcus Hanna, acting as chairman ~
the Republican national committee, in the
then political campaign for the election
OF candidates for president and vice pres
ident OF the United States, that IL the said
strike should not be speedily settled by
an advance i'm the wages OF the workmen
in and about the mines in the entire an
thracite region the strike would extend
TO the states of Ohio. Indiana and Him
ois and that the election OF Mr.. Mckinley
and Mr. Roosevelt would be thereby en-
dangered."
HANNA'S REPRESENTATIONS
The answer declared that Mr. Hanna
represented TO the officials of the com
pany that he was authorized to settle the
strike through President Mitchell of the
miners union, II the operators would
agree to give their workmen a 10-per cent
increase I'm wages. IL Is set forth that
the company did agree to advance the
wages OF mine and colliery workmen 10
per cent and that the other principal mine
owners who had been I'm conference with
Mr.. Hanna had agreed TO the same con-
cession.
II is stated that "thereafHr conferences
were held between the officials or repre-
sentatives of the principal mine operators
who had heretofore offered the said adj
vance I'm wages and the representatives
of the principal mine owners who had 10
do so; that as the result of the agreement
OF the operators this defendant was
obliged to and did agree with certain OF
the operators. several with whom II had
contracts for the purchase
OF the coal TO be produced by them re-
spectively, and who were severally the
tenants or lessess of this defendant. 20
enter into new contracts with such as
should desire to do so. increasing the
prices to be paid for. the coal TO be pur
chased by them respectively and to be
sold and delivered TO this defendant"
Continuing. the answer AYERS that all
the conferences between the operators
and the contracts which resulted there
from. "were wholly forced upon this de-
fendant by the turbulence. violence and
aforesaid and by the i'm
portunlties OF the said Hanna in the sup
posed exgencies OF the pending presi-
Dental campaign, whereby this defendant
was obliged, most unwillingly, to buy It's
peace and the peace and protection OF its
workmen by the said advance in wages;
and that the said conferences were in no
way induced by the alleged unlawful re-
suit, so indefinitely alleged and set forth
In the plaintiffs petition"
The answers OF the Reading company
and the Philadelphia and Reading rail
road specifically deny the various allega-
tions contained in the government suit