The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-02-02
MOST STEEL WAGES
BELOW ACTUAL NEED

Washington, Feb. 2.--That 65 per
cent. of the employees of the United
States Steel Corporation in the Pitts
burg district earn less than the
actual cost of subsistence of the av-
erage American family in Pittsburg
was calculation made at the steel
trust hearing yesterday by Louis D
Brandeis--
The Associated Charities of Pitts
burg have computed the cost of bare
existence of family of husband, a
wife and three children in that city a.
$76S year." said he. by working
twelve hours a day. 365 days year, 65
per cent of the steel workers there
earn $3.50 less than the amount actual
ly required for the bare cost of living"
Brundeis Makes Retorf.
How about other industries which
asked D. A. Reed. attorney for the steel
corporation.
I'VE are not here to extol your neigh
bors. They are not under investiga-
tion. you are" retorted Mr.. Brandeis.
Mr.. Brandeis declared that in ten
years the steel corporation had taken
from the American people $65ooo0 900
in excess of a liberal profit on It's In
vestment.
This enormous profit" he said, has
been used to grind down its employees
to the misery of their present condi-
tion"
Relief To BE Undertaken.
When Mr. Brandeis had finished. At
torney Reed, for BE steel corporation.
announced that relief of its workmen
was about TO be undertaken.
"A committee of stockholders is
working on plan to correct conditions
which have been criticised he said.
May 1 ask whether this was prompt
ed by the company or Stockholders"
interrupted Mr.. Brandeis.
1T was proposed by Charles NJ. Ca
| bot OF Boston, answered Mr.. Reed
The committee then adjourned to
meet at the call of the chairman
| Worse Than Slavery.
Mr. Brandeis testified yesterday that
| conditions In the steel industry, in so
| far as the workingmen were concern
| ed were worse than those of slavery
days. The steel laborers. he said, were
worse off than slaves. as their condi-
ton of living was dep1orable and the
! corporation did not take the personal
| interest in them that slave owners did
| in their human property
| In his argument Brandeis said:
/ This corporation in ten years has
] taken away from the American people
1 $3.50, 100000 in excess of a liberal re-
| turn on the value of capital involved
The horrible conditions among it's en-
/ pIoyesNare the result of a compulsory
elimination from the rights of men
| of unionism. The employees have prac-
| tically been babe slaves of the corpo-
ration 1t is condition to oppression
! It is alien to the rights of every Amer
lean citizen. Moreover. the Condition
Is not accidental
Many Arc IlIiterate.
/ Brandeis pointed out that 65 per cen
of all the trusts employees were for
eigners, and very few of them couIc
read or write. He said he had been in.
formed that employees of the Pittsburg
Steamship company had been compelled
| to- throw their union cards overheard
in order to keep their jobs.
THE steel corporation. he continu
ed, rs a dominant force In politics IL
| milling towns. One employe old ms
that he had been informed under threa
/ of discharge that he must vote ths
trust ticket. There Is only one way t.
meet the situation: do not allow or
4 ganizations to rise with the power O.
this corporation. There is no hope foi
American democracy Il you do
THERE'S CHANCE THAT YOr