The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-29
Mr.. Rockefellers statement in full follows

In view OF the Inaccurate accounts
which have appeared In the press re-
garding my interview with Congress-
man Foster. chairman OF the Com
inittee on Mines and Mining. l think
II proper to make the following state
meut:
I'm that interview. at which Starr
j. Murphy. one Of the directors OF
the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company
was present. we pointed out to Br
Foster that Of the many coal com.
panics in southern Colorado we were
Interested solely aud as minority
stockholders in the Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company. which controls only
about one-thlrd of the output of that
state. After n long and full discus.
sion Of the question in all its aspects
Dr. Foster was unable to make any
suggestion which did not involve tho
uniOni2'ng OF the mines or the sub
mission of that question to arbitta-
ton.
I'VE stated to him that II the ON.
p.oyees Of the Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company had any grievances
We felt sure that the officers OF the
company would bc willing now. as
they have always been In the past
to make every effort to adjust them
satisfactorily. We showed the doctor
that all Of the points which are
GAINED to he az issue. with the en-
ception OF unionizing the camps. the
Colorado Fuel and Iron Company had
voluntarily granted to It's employees
long before the strike was called or
talked of. These points are:
tst. The eight hour day. This
was established by the fuel COM,
pany for all Of its coal miners
some time ago.
End. semi-monthly pay. When
this question was raised by one
or two miners in one of the
camps ~ the company the Of
ficers az once studied the uues-
ton and without delay decided TO
pay not only the miners In that
particular camp twice a month
but all Of the miners employed
by the company.
3rd. Check weighmen. For
several years the fuel company
has raised no objection to the
employment by the miners Of
their own check weighman. as IL
done In Eastern mines. whore
union labor Is employed In or
der that new men might under
stand their right In this matter
tho officers OF the company gave
Instructions that circulars should
be posted In all the mines. stat
ing that the company had always
encouraged It's miners TO employ
their own check weighmen.
eth. Company stores. II has
been charged that the employees
Of the Fuel Company are obffRc0 -
TO buy nj the conpany's stores.
The storekeepers faro under strict
instructions Ia say 10 AL that
they are at liberty to trade where
they please. that the company
IL glad of their patronage, but
that their standing Will not be
Effected one way or the other by
their action in the matter. As
a result Of p study made in ono
Of the mining camps of the com
pany It was found that only 90
per cent. Of the wages OF the men
was spent in tho company's
stores.
Sth. Wages. In spite OF the fac.
that no dividends have been paid
on the common stock Of the com
pany since our connection with
ia matter Of AT least ten or
twelve years--and only s7s0.oo0
has been paid on the preferred
stock. OF which the greater por-
tlon represented payment on nc
count OF an accrued dividend
which had accumulated during
many years. the company volun-
tarlly increased the wages OF It's
miners last year by total
amounting to 100000 year
and OF it's steel employees by