The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-04
LABORERS AND BUSINESS.
DIR. Green Still Before the Senate
subcommittee.
His Opinion of the Condition and Pay of
His Workmanship Coal Miners
Strike for Higher Wages.

were present, Senators George and Pugh hav-
ing gone to New England to take testimony
there on the same subject.
DIR. Norvin Green took the stand and con-
tlnued his testimony. The witness, in the
opening, corrected some evidence given in
the morning papers of Saturday, and re-
marked: 81 did say that the profits from
1866 were made, in great part by the pur-
chase of lines in stock and not as reported"
In regard to the Wheatstone operators, DIR.
Green said the company engaged and brought
out those operators at a salary of $500 year.
All of these operators were still in the pay of
the company, and their salaries had in no
case been reduced In answer to
question, witness said: I'm ex-
PLANTATION of some of the testimony he
gave on Friday in regard to statement that
messages could be transmitted more rapidly
from New York to certain European points
than between certain cities on the European
continent that the delay arose in crossing
straits or channels. The distance across the
English channel was from eighteen to
twenty-five miles. and the messages across
that cable were worked by the Morse instru-
ments, while on longer distances class mes
sages were worked, not by manipulation, but
by machinery. In regard to the pay given
to railroad operators, witness said such OPP
orators were paid 10 per cent on the bust
ness transacted, beside the salary they got
from the railroad company. The telegraph
service in London was far better than in this
city, because there were separate wires in
the former to every important point.
Senator Blair asked whether the Western
Union, considering the extent of their bust
ness and the profits arising therefrom, could
not pay higher wages to the employees of the
company, to which witness replied that their
employees were paid as we'll as any other class,
considering the hours of labor and the serv-
ice rendered, excepting the public-school
teachers of the city.
Senator Blair-"Now, Doctor, to be plain
in the matter, cannot your company do
something i'll the way of improving the con-
ditions OF your employees
Dr. Green-"Corporations are organized to
make money, and there are few that know
OF that exist pro bono publico."
In reply to question as to whether he did
not think it would be wise policy for cor
porations to provide some main tenance for
faithful and long-continued service, DR..
Green said: ut is against the genius of
American institutions to pay pensions, but
think the matter worthy of consideration.
In England, believe, they give a pension
after thirty years of service. These pensions
are predicated on a good record. l do not
think that men would forego their pensions
by going on a strike" Witness said that
there were several organizations of a bene-
fetal character in the Western Union which
contributed TO the members in sickness or
distress. There was one society which gave
81, 600 to the widow OF a deceased member.
If the corporations would assist these organ
izations it would, he thought, allay diseon-
tent.
Senator Blair-FNow, Doctor, can you
give us some information in regard to what
is known as watering stock?'
DIR. Green replied that he would not like to
testify on that matter, as anything he could
say on the subject would be little more than
a matter of opinion.
In answer to another question regarding
the capital of the company exceeding the
actual cash paid for the stock, Dr. Green said
that was not the case in regard to the West
ern Union, but applied more directly to
railroads in general, which were constructed
almost directly on stock. He said that for
several years he was connected with railroad
corporations, and was at the present time
president of railroad in Nova Scotia
Senator Blair asked the witness how much
the company realized on their investment.
DR.. Green-"Ten per cent"
Senator Blair-"And the public paw for
this?'
Witness-"Yes; but the stockholders have
right to claim it, all the same"
Senator Blair-''Your dividend, you say
is only per cent?
Witness-"Very true thestockholders have
right to utilize the balance by accumulat-
ing it for a stock dividend"
Senator Blair-"Your surplus this wear is
S. 600 900, and the interest is paid how?'
Witness Seven per cent. in cash to the
stockholders and three per cent. is retained
TO be given to them in one shape or another
some day, either as stock in the increased
value of the property or otherwise"
Senator Blair asked DR.. Green for an ex-
preston of his opinion as to the relations ex-
listing between capital and labor.
Dr. Green said that while he had great
sympathy with the laboring people, he
would like to see every man employed ac-
cording to his talents ''ln my mind, " said
he, strikes that have been organized to OBJ
tain higher wages have proved "a failure.
Not one in twenty strikes that | ever knew
of have been successful. The men most
likely to get promoted or advancement, or
an increase of wages, are those who
have stood by their employers;
men who were generally faithful to their en-
ployers were certain of advancement He
did not question the right of the persons to
hold meetings, or to effect organizations but,
in his experience, all these organizations had
been failures. These organizations created a
feeling of distrust between capital and labor,
and are calculated to do the laboring man
more harm than good Mr.. Green did not
recognize the right of any organization to
dictate terms to employers, and whenever
they presumed upon such dictation it was
sure to react and do them harm. If men
were entitled to an increase of pay they
usually got it. The witness allueed to the
moneys they had paid to the widows and or
phans of deceased employees for two or three
months. and mentioned one man who could
not possibly recover from a sickness which
lasted nine or ten months, during which time
he had been on half pay. Strikes, he con-
tinued, were purely m1tter of wages.
There were hundreds, he believed, who would
not be satisfied if they were getting $3.50 a
month. They would want 5000, and SO on.
Recess.
Ohio Coal Miners Strike.
CLEVELAND, Sept 3.-Seventeen of the
twenty coal mines in the Massillor district