Evening journal., 1919-12-29
JUDGE GRAY
FOR LARGER
COAL BOARD
contInued from FIrst Page.

IN few weeks that each was human
and the constant interchange OF ideas
and social Intercourse broke down the
barrier Of mutual dstrust"
70 Is in that one thing, the bringing
together Of both sides to the end thai
they may know each other better
Judge Gray looks for a peaceful set
tement today. But with hseXperience in
mind he sees two features Of the soft
coal situation which may make agree
ment difficult Of attainment They are
The appointment OF a commission OF
three, which he believes too small for
The great task before them;
The unknown extent TO which radl-
cal agitatOrs have infected the miners
with revolutionary sentiment
! THE bitumlnous strike IS a much
bigger thing than was the anthracite
strike" he said. I'm the mere matter
/ Of numbers, there were il7OOO men in
that strike, and there are nearly 400
600 involved In this. The many grave
issues at stake also, make the indl-
vldual responsibility in a board Of three
almost too great to be assumed. In
board OF seven The feeling Of RESPONSE
6ility 10 the Individual is not so crush
ing, and, thlne, offers better oppor-
tunity Of arriving at a successful award.
I'm the proposed board OF three. two
members represent opposing factions,
with only one impartial man TO act as
a medium between their widely different.
points OF view In board OF seven the
activity Of many minds is more apt 10
find way OF arriving at a compromise
between the two contending parties"
Whether the miners are so impreg-
mated with Me ultra-radical doctrines
Of agltators, and less responsive TO The
sober counsels OF their wisest leaders,
is also a vital question in the present,
crisis. Judge Gray thinks. He expressed
the belief that some strike leaders are
'out and out anarchists"
"T'he Debses and Fitzgeralds and |
other men Of their type do not wan,
peace" he said. Their whole desire is /
10 avoid peace They have. an ulterior /
purpose, revolution"
Judge Gray recalled the way in which
President Roosevelt brought Doth sides
together and spoke Of the unusual {
make up OF the committee He spoke Z
highly Of labor's representative. Edgar .
Erastus Clark, head Of the conductors
union. who was later Interstate Com
merce Commissioner Bishop Spaldlng, /
who looked on the miners as he would |
have members of his flock" was an
other man who did much TO bring about
peace. General John w. Wilson, an
engineer army officer; Carroll D. Wright,
the first Secretary OF Labor; geologl-
cal expert and a representative Of the
operators, were the other members.
The Commission held formal court in
Scranton for flve months. after a sur
vey OF the coal fields. and that en-
forced meeting day after day did as
much as anything, Judge Gray thinks,
to bring about peace.
1--WE had nothing 10 do with either
side. except in the court room" he said.
There were no secret meetings or
agreements; they woul dhave been fatal
10 success. The most perfect frankness
and openness was aimed at through all
the proceedings. We also allowed the
fullest latitude in evidence. There were
a number Of objections at FIRST, but we
took the position that II would be better
10 let anything in than 10 have It turn up
later as a cause for dispute, and the re-
suit was that after the hearings were
over there was no feeling on the part
of anyone on either side that they had
been restricted In a way detrimental TO
heir case"
When any knotty problem came up
'or solution the advantage Of board Of
seven was apparent. u was found that
by the interplay Of thought from so
many different types Of minds, they
we're fairly certain to arrive at a broad
general conclusion which was eminent
~ Just to both sides. The bias Of neither :
action was able to overcome the :
weight Of combined common sense.
But the crownlng achievement OF the ,
work. in Judge Gray's opin-
on was the establishment OF boards Of !
in the three anthracite dis ,
.ricts. composed Of two members. one :
the miners and one the !,
operators. They hear all disputes as
o hours, wages and other matters, and 8
junction like courts. When they are
an impartial umpire is Sc
ected by the presiding judge OF the ,
Third district
One good result OF the working OF !,
hese courts is that when they meet as
/ whole. miner will occasionally so /,
,ver to the side Of the operators, or an ,
operator 20 the side Of the miners,
breaking down the barriers between .
he two classes. The resultant feeling
s such that when the agreement has
Expired the two sides are able TO get y
ogether again amicsbly and renew it ,
or another period Of years.