The Detroit times., 1912-06-08

bate OH Senator Cummins's steel
schedule. Mr. Hitchcock, OF Nebras-
ka, summed up the argument against
the steel trust, in part. as follows;
II repudate the idea that the tar
IN as maintained has been for the
benefit OF the laboring classes. |
charge that the protected industries
pay lower wages TO their employees
than Go the unprotected industries OF
the United States; | charge that there
have been more strikes in the pro.
tected industries than there have been
In the other industries OF the United
States. | charge that the protected
industries, particularly the iron and
steel Industry, have been particularly
outrageous in the extent TO which
they have oppressed their employees.
The steel trust, whose great business
IL In the state represented by the sen
ator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Oliver
has been convicted of working $4,000
OF It's men excessive hours. II has
been convicted OF working those men
~ hours day and seven days a week
until the public has been outraged.
That great trust has been convicted
Of having crushed out labor organiza-
tion in order that IL might grind the
Individual laborer."
Gallinger could stand this no longer
and interrupted. Failing in an effort
to switch the debate TO conditions IN
Great Britain, Mr.. Gallinger said:
The testimony taken by the CON-
mittee on finance shows that in tho
limited number OF cases where men
1AwE
wanted TO work ~ hours a day
After Senator Borah had shown
that this statement was based solely
on the evidence of Mr. Schwab and
was not supported by. any testimony
by any laboring man. Mr.. Gallinger
returned with the following mlsstate-
ment OF fact:
The senator may say that a small |
proportion, an tnfinitesimal proper
ton Of those men worked IL hours a |
day. but some OF them work only four
or Ave hours a day. It is all in the !,
testimony"
This compelled Senator Hitchcock !
to read from the testimony as TO-
lows:
During May. 1910. the period COW
cred by this investigation. sc, 1000. or % |
per cent OF the $4,000 employees OF |
! blast furnaces and steel works and |
rolling mills covered by this report |
customarily worked Z days per week |
and 20 per cent OF them worked 81
hsur. or more per week, which, in !
every day IN the week. Including Sun
day. The evil % 7-day week was par
ticularly sccsntuated by the fact de. |
yeioped w the invsstigation that the |
5-day WORKING week was not confined |
20 the hlasr-farrarN department. where |
there u a mecsLlFrEbezI necessity for |
conttugoGs ep~rstt0r ard In which de- |
partnent ~ Der seat o. the employees |
WORKED : days week ~, 81 was also |
found that Is Considerable extent in |
other deparrr7~nts rhsFs no such me- !
tailurgieai nscsssl-y can be claimed. |
Sunday Just % othsr days OF the |
week. or eTEFTpTss N some estHbffsn- I
ments the BAssemer converters the
open-hearth furnaces. and blooming. |
rail. and structural mills were found
operating days a week for CONNER
cial reasons only
The above Is a statement by that
department OF the government official.
ly authorized 20 investigate and re.
port the facts.
Further correcting Mr. Gallingcr
Senator Borah quoted from a repor,
by the department OF commerce and
labor in which IL is stated that the
main questions calling for considcra.
ton in the Industrial conditions in
the steel trade are the seven-day
week and long turn; the 12.hour DAY;
the speeding OF the workmen; the re.
preston OF the men"
After further quotations from .he
report, Mr.. Borah said There Is
no necessity OF trying to conceal tie
fact that there is species of indus.
trial peonage which exists in this IN.
idustry and the sooner we take hold
OF IL, the sooner We will discharge
our full obligation TO those people"