Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-07
OATES REPORT OUT.
The Chairman of the Homestead In-
vestigating Committee
MAKES HIS IMPRESSIONS PUBLIC.
Ee Thinks the Carnegie Company Treated
It's Employees Kindly,
BUT suouInNT HAVE HAD PINKERToNs

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6-ML Oates,
Chairman Of the Subcommittee of the
House which Investigated the labor
troubles at Homestead and the connection
of the Pinkerton detectives Herewith, sub
mitted . report to the committee which was
not agreed to- No member questioned Its
correctness, its statements of facts or
conclusions of law; but the Republican
members of the committee would not assent
to what he said upon the tariff. and . ma
jority of the Democratic members of the
committee thought 1t impolitic to make any
report until the entire investigation was
completed, which could not be done before
the second session of Congress- Therefore
postponement Of the report was made un-
til next winter
The report prepared by Mr.. Oates having
been rejected by the committee, he to-day
gave it to the public as his individual
opinion of the matters investigated. The
report begins with statement of the
movements of the subcommittee, followed
by description of the works at
Homestead, the number of employees, the
rates Of wages, the negotiations between
the company and the Amalgamated Associa-
tion preceding the outbreak, the conten-
tions of both sides, and finally, an account
of the disastrous ending of the attempt to
land the Pinkertons.
Outrageous Treatment OF Pinkertona
The report says that the Pinkertons who
surrendered were brutally and oatrageously
treated, principally by women and boys,
and Mr.. Oates is loath to believe that any
of these women are native Americans. He
says that the indignities to which they we're
subjected was disgrace to civilization.
Mr. Oates asks whether the Carnegie
firm was justified, in equity and good con-
science, in proposing the reduction in
| wages
81 answer" he says, "that Mr.. Frick de-
clined to state the cost OF ton of Besse-
mer steel billets and the labor cost. The
men were paid satisfactory wages, but the
work much abbreviates the natural period
of life, and should be we'll paid for"
He thinks thar the company should have
some of the benefits of the profits resulting
from the use Of improved machinery. He
condemns the Mckinley law for its failure
benefit American workmen, and says the
promises made to the operatives have been
disappointive. Had Mr.. Frick stated the
bottom facts to the committee, they might
have agreed that the proposition to reduce
wages was justifable; but they took issue
with him in his conclusion that the tariff
did not cause decline in prices.
Kindness Of the Company.
Mr.. Oates finds further that the conduct
of the company toward its employees was
kind In many respects. 1t loaned them
money at low interest to build their homes
and never foreclosed mortgages, but in the
negotiations the officers did not exercise
patience, indulgence and solicitude; and
Mr.. Frick, according to the report, who is
business man of great intelligence, seems
to have been too stern, brusque and some
what autocratic.
Mr.. Oates is persuaded that if Mr. Frick
had appealed to the reason of the employees,
and shown them the state Of the company's
affairs, the reduction might have been made
and no trouble have followed.
Mr. Oates finds that the Pennsylvania
law contains nothing to prevent Mr. Frick
from employing Pinkerton men as watch
men at Homestead, but says that under the
circumstances he should not have done so.
BE made overtures to the Pinkertons
before the negotiations with the
men were interrupted, and did not appeal
to the county or State authori-
ties In the first instance for protection. He
asserts that Sheriff McCleary is q verv in
efficient officer, but SAYS that had Mr.. Frick
aided him and Joined in his appeal to the
Governor instead of employing Pinkertons,
the State would have furnished sufficient
force to have protected the property.
Unlawful md Insu ting Acts.
Mr.. Oates condemns as unlawful the acts
of the workmen in turning away the Sher-
if, and as insulting in hanging in efigy
MessrA. Frick and Potter He says it was
the purpose of the Amalgamated Associa-
tion to prevent the employment Of nom
union men, and he declares that no organi-
zation has right to enforce its wishes by
strong handed defiance of law. The men
had no legal right to resist the coming of
the Pinkertons, and are answerable to the
Pennsylvania courts
In conclusion, Mr.. Oates finds that Con-
gress has no power over the questions in
volved. The enactment of a satisfactory
arbitration law is we'll nigh impossible As
to whether Congress has the power to sup
press Pinkertonism, Mr. Oates says he has
no conclusion to express until the compile
tion of the Investigation next session.
fah Ev,,g~