The evening times., 1901-08-10
TO DEAL WITH THE TRUSTS.
The Strikes Influence on the Indus
trial COmmission's Report.


trial COmmissiOn's Report.
The great steel strike promises to exer-
else considerable influence in the matter
Of the report of the Industrial Commis-
sion, TO be presented to Congress next
winter, and the testimony Of Charles NJ
Schwab, President of the United States
steel Corporation. before that body will
lorm most interesting part Of that re
port Mr.. Schwab's evidence is now being
reviewed 10y tn sub-cornmissiou assigned
TO the duty of revising the testimony
\ corrected proof Of Mr.. Schwab's tes-
timouy has just been received from that
gentleman by the Industrial Commission
ln view Of Mr.. Schwab's statements be
fore the Commission and his experience
iu the Homestead strike. together with
his long service with the Carnegie Com
pauy, il Is not surprising that the i'm
preston should have become current that
Mr., Schwab, rather than !. +. Morgan,
Is the real leader OF the great corpora
ton s forces against the AmaiEamatcd
Association.
At the hearing where Mr.. Sehwab ap-
peared the members Of the Commission
seemed difhdent in questioning HIM, due
20 some extent, doubtless, 20 tie over
poweriug sense of awe iu iutelI og ting a
man reputed to be drawing II 10000 a
year salary; but they did eIicii some Of
his views. which are Of interast at this
time In reply 10 question b. -ommis-
siouer FarquhaT. Mr.. Schwab said:
This is what ! say after a careful
study of the whole situation: that II l
were workiuEmau-as / was-if 1 were
workinsman now in one of these mills
especially II managed under the broad
policy under which l hope the steel man
ufaCture is administered. 1 would not
want to belong to a labor organization
IL puts all men. no matter what their
ability, on exactly the same level If 1
were a better wOrkman-quicker. smart
er-than the other man. ! would want to
reap the benefit. l would not want to
be put in the same class with the poorer
man, which they must DO. If we have
500 men employed at the same class Of
labor the wages paid Will be the same
must be the same paid to the same class
The level is that Of the poorest man in
that department. As a workingman I
would not advance and l would not be
able 70 show a superior ability over any
other if 1 were in an organization That
is my personal view"
Mr. Litchman asked: Are you not
likely To have an acquaintance with or
ganized labor in the immediate futuTeZ'
Quite probably he replied. But still.
do not think l shall 1 think that will
fall TO the lot of the presidents Of the
subOrdinatc concerns"
Ia referring 70 the labor troubles at the
Carnegie plant Mr.. Schwab said ne found
that the rules Of the union limited the
output Of the individual men to detri-
mental extent. He said:
In speaking before the British Iron and
steel Institute a few years ago l said
that ! thought one OF the chief reasons
why England could not compete with
America was because Of the unreaSOna-
blcness Of English organized labor prirna-
rlly. / remember a comparison AT that
time showed that the output Of the same
machines there was only about One-third
Of what il was in America"
This leSsening Of the output Mr.. Schwa b
ascribed 20 the rules Of the Union. Later
ne said.
1t has never been so much a question
OF wages with any Of the wOrkingmen' s
organizations. That has been clearly
demonstrated in the statement j made
with reference to our earnings when We
had the hNing Of wages II has, unfortu-
nateiy, been a question OF management
ana the operation Of our works. ] do not
know how you are going 70 fix that. II
j. serious question that cOnfronts work
lnsmen as II confronts those who treat
with them"
SPEAKING OF the Carnegie Company. Mr.
Schwab said: Up 10 1892 We had labor
organizations. Since 1889 we have had
none ! would like to call attention to
that remarkable fact. When / say none
mean of our steel workers 1t IS true
We have some labor organizations on our
docks, but they are Of small moment
There are always exceptions in great
questions. and they are mainly eNcep-
lions. Now We have no labor Crga MIA
uons at any OF cur steel works, and as
the result Of that we have been able 10
pay greater wages on the average but
not as high wages 70 certain men who
occupied high positions in which the
wages were fixed by the labor organiza-
uOns. which We thought unjust"
From Mr.. Schwab's testimony Il would
appear that as the head Of the Carnegie
Company he found labor unions a hind
rance TO the workings IF the company.
and as a workman In the -moloy of the
company he found the operation OF the
union rules prevented natural tal,nt and
ability from pushing 10 -he front. AS
" Orkman and as an employer Mr.. SChwab
has believed the steel business can be
conducted better on nOn-uniOn than on
a union basis
Mr.. SChWab evaded a question as to
the power which consolidation conferred
on a corporation 70 crush a strike by
blackiisting employees, but answered this
one
Does not the corporation add very
much 10 the power Of an employer as
whole against any particular class Of en-
plUyes2'
His reply was. Il think il does"