Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-07
THE HOMESTEAD INVESTIGATION
Chairman Oates Embodies His
Views in a Report.
He Says Both. Sides Are to Blame
for the Recent Riot.
Erlck Csnsured for His Autocratic Con-
duct-Inhuman Treatment of the
Pinkertons n Disgrace to
Civilization.
BY the Associated Press.l

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.-Oates, chair
man OF the subcommittee of the house
which is investigating the labor troubles
st Homestead and the connection of
ahe Pinkerton detectives Herewith,
submitted q report to the committee
which was not agreed to. No member
questioned its correctness, but the Re-
publican members would not assent to
what he said upon the tariff, and the
majority of the Democratic members OF
the committee thought it impolitic to
make any report until the entire inves-
tigation was completed, which could not
be done before the second session OF
congress. Therefore postponement of
the report was made until next winter.
The report prepared by Oates says
the Pinkertons who surrendered, were
brutally and outrageously treated, prin-
,cipally by women and boys, and Oates
is loath to believe that any of these
women are nativejAmericans. He says
the indignities to which they were sub
jected was a disgrace to civilization.
Oates was asked whether the Carnegie
firm was justified, in equity and good
conscience, in proposing . reduction OF
wages.
II answer" he said, "that Frick de-
clined to state the cost OF ton OF Bes-
eemer steel billets and the labor cost.
The men we're paid satisfactory wages,
but the work much abbreviates the nat
ural period of life, and should be well
paid for"
He thinks the company should have
Il AZ AEt - nf ho fot a
Rulting from the use of improved ma
chinery. He condemns the Mckinley
law for it's failure to benefit American
workmen, and says the promises made
to operatives have been disappointive.
Had Frick stated the bottom facts to
the committee. they would have agreed
that the proposition to reduce wages
was justifiable, but they took issue with
him in his conclusion that the tariff did
not cause q decline in prices.
Oates finds further that the conduct oi
the company towards its employees was
kind in many respects. It loaned them
money at low rates to build homes and
never foreclosed mortgages, but in wage
negotiations the officers did not exercise
patience, and Frick seems to have been
too stern, brusque and somewhat auto
cratic. Oates is persuaded that If Frick
had appealed to the reason of the en-
ployes and shown them the state of the
company's affairs q reduction might
have been made and no trouble would
have followed.
The Pennsylvania law contains moth
ing to prevent Frick from employing
Pinkerton men as watchmen at Home
stead, but Oates says, under the circum-
stances, he should not have done so. He
made overtures to the Pinkertons be
lore the negotiations with the men were
interrupted, and did not appeal to the
county or state authorities in the first
instance for protection. Oates asserts
that Sheriff McCleary is very inef6.
cisnt officer, but says had Frick aided
him and joined in his appeal to the gov
ernor, instead of employing Pinkertons,
the state would have furnished sufi
cient force to have protected the prop
erty.
Oates condemns as unlawful the acts
of women in turning away the
sheriff. He says it was the fixed pur-
pose of the amalgamated association
fion to prevent the employment of
non-union men, and declares that
mo organization has right to
enforce its wishes by strong
handed defiance Of the law. The
men had no legal right to resist Il 9
coming of the Pinkertons, and are
answerable to the Pennsylvania courts.
In conclusion, Oates finds that con-
xress has no power over the questions
involved.