The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-07
OATESON THELAB0RW
ur FINDS BOTH SIDES OPEN TO
CRITICISM.

~-,,R Too Brusque and Autocratic.
rno Worknaen We're Wrong in At
-o.,inq the Pinkertons and NAL
.-aat,n4 Them After the Surrender.
No Law Against Their Employment.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.-Representatiy
o.tss chairman of the subcommittee OF
.ha House which Investigated the labor
.-s,,ba. at Homestead and the connection
- the Piukerton detectives Herewith, sub
..,.,ad A report to the committee which
,r.s not agreed to. No member questioned
,,s correctness, its statement OF facts, or
conclusion of law; but the republican mem
s.rs of the committee would not assent TO
,ubot he said upon the tariff, and majority
=, the democratic members OF the COM
-,i.tee thought il lmpolitic 20 make any re-
mort until the entire investigation was COM
nla.ad which could not be done before the
saoond session of congress. Therefore post
nonement Of the report was made until
next winter.
OATES PERSONAL VIEWS.
The report prepared by Mr.. Oates having
been rejected by the committee, he to-day
gove it to the public as his Individual opin-
ion of the mat ers investigated. The report
bagins with statement OF the movements
of the subcommittee, followed by descrip-
tiou Of the works at Homestead, the NUM-
ber Of employees, rates Of wages, the nego-
tiations between the company and the
amaIgamated association preceding the
outbreak the contentious of both
sides. and finally an account OF
the disastrous attempt to land the Pinker-
tons. 1t is said that the Pinkertons who
surrendered were brutally aud outrageously
treated, principally by women and boys,
and Representative Oates is loathe to be-
lieve that any of these women are native
Americans. He says that the indignities to
which they were subjected were Disgrace
10 civilization.
JUSTIFICATION OF THE FIRM.
Representative Oates asks whether the Car
negie firm was justified in equity and good
conscience in proposing a reduction in
wages. II answer" he says, "that General
Manager Frick declined to state the cost Of
ton of bsssemer steel billets and the labor
cost. The men we're paid satisfactory
wages, but the work much abbreviates the
natural period of life and should be we'll
paid for" He thinks that the company
should have some OF the benefits OF the
profits resulting from the use Of
improved machinery. He condemns
tl6 mChlQlSy law LOT W Oou6Alb
American workmen, and says the promises
made to the operatives have been dis
appointive. Had Mr.. FricE stated the bot
tom fact to the committee they would have
agreed that the proposition to reduce wages
was instiaaole but they took issue with
him in his conclusion that the tariff did not
cause decline in prices.
FR1CK TOO BRUsoUE.
Mr.. Oates finds, further, that the conduct
Of the company toward its employees was
kind in many respects 1t loaned them
money at u low interest TO build them
homes aud never foreclosed a mortgage {;
but in the negotiation the officers did not
exercise patience, indulgence and solioitude; /;
and Mr.. Frick, according TO Mr.. Oates, who
is a business man of great intelligence,
seems to have been stern, brusque and
somewhat autocratic. Mr.. Oates is per-
Euaded that IL 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
PENNSYLVANIA AND TIE PINKERToNs.
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.
De made overtures TO the Pinkertons before
the negotiations with the men were inter-
Tupted, and did not appeal to the county or
state authorities in the first instance for
protection. He asserts that Sheriff Nc
Cleary is a very inefficient officer, but says
that had Mr.. Frick aided him and joined in
bis appeal to the governor instead of en-
poylng Pinkertons. the state would have
furnished sufficient force to have protected
the property.
MISTAKES OF THE W0RRlEN
Mr.. Oates condemns as unlawful the acts
OF the workmen in turning away the sher-
u and as insulting the hanging in ef1gy
Aessrs. Frick and Potter. He says it was
tae purpose of the amalgamated associa-
uon to prevent the employment of nom
union men, and be declares that no organi-
A'lon has the right to enforce its wishes by
sIrong handed defiance of the law. The
men have no legal right to resist the COM
ing OF the Pinkertons and are answerabe
THE Pennsylvania courts.
POWER OF CONGRESS.
In conclusion, Mr.. Oates finds that con-
RteSs has no power over the questions in
vowed. The enactment Of satisfactory
aloitration law is we'll nigh impossible, As
@"nether congress has a right to regulate
Lsuppress Pinkertonism, Mr.. Oates says he
uH no conclusion to express until the COM
p"uon OF the investigation next session.