Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-06
President WeIborn Discredits
Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company.
HE ADMITS STATEMENTS
NOT SQUARE TO FACTS
Conceals Name of Writer of Pam
phlet, struggle in Colorado for
Industrial Freedom"

DENVER, Col, December Facts
concerning THE Struggle in Colorado
for Industrial Freedom title of 4
pamphlet which J. r. Welborn, presi-
dent of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Com
pany. said his corporation had caused
to be written, were investigated by
the federal commission on industrial
relations today. The committee in
quired both into responsibility for
publication of the pamphlet and the
truth of statements therein contained.
Mr. Welborn testified that the Col
orado Fuel and Iron Company publish
ed the document at an expense of Sl2,-
900 and distributed 10000 copies to
ministers. legislators. educators and
the public Mr.. Welborn said that sew
eral paragraphs should be qualified.
that of the truth of others he had no
evidence and repudiated responsibility
for still other statements.
Refuses Authors Name.
The witness declined to give the name
of the author. who he said, came to
Colorado to write the book after a
conversation with an eastern director
of the company. He did not know who
was to pay for these services. Mr.
Welborn said he had not seen the
writer since last August, but that he
was still in the employ of the company.
Chairman Walsh questioned Mr.. Wei
born concerning statement printed
that, at some of the mines, from 80 to
80 per cent of the miners, before the
strike was called, signed papers ex-
pressing satisfaction with working
conditions and opposing the strike. Mr..
Welborn said that at the Rouse mine
80 per cent of the miners signed the
statement, but Lat 40 per cent went
out when the strike was called. At
the Tercio, Morley and Primero mines
he said 80 per cent signed, but consid-
erably less than that percentage re-
manned at work.
Error in Expense Statement.
Mr.. Walsh called the attention of the
witness to a table appearing in the
pamphlet, giving the sums alleged to
have been paid to national officers of
the United Mine Workers. According
to this table, sums paid out in nine
weeks were as follows: Frank j.
Hayes. S4,5O2, plus S1,667 for expenses:
John McLennan. 1888. plus 81 46S for
expenses; John R. Lawson, S1,113; Mary
Jones, S2,66S.
Mr.. Welborn said that the statement
had been published on the authority of
the newspaper in which it first APP
peared.
"Of course, if the newspaper state
ment is incorrect this statement is IN
correct" he said.
Commissioner O'Connell said that the
figures given were from the report of
William Green, secretary of the United
Mine Workers, and covered total salary
and expenses for one year, not nine
weeks.
The statement in the pamphlet which
alleged that the delegates to the Trini-
dad convention that called the strike
were selected and sent there by officers
of the union Mr. Welborn declared he
could not substantiate. He did not
know that any delegates to the con-
vention had not been chosen by vote
of fellow workmen.
He Repudiates Responsibility.
Il repudiate responsibility for the
statement" he said.
The pamphlet stated that of the
100000 the employees of the Colorado
Fuel and Iron Company had on deposit
with the company, only 20 per cent had
been withdrawn. Under cross-eX-
animation. Mr.. Welborn said that Of
the total sum only 100000 was on de-
mand notes. and of this $4,000 was
the property of miners. The rest of
the money was deposited on interest
bearing time notes. which the company
could refuse to pay before maturity,
which fact was stated on such notes
The total loss to the Colorado Fuel
and Iron Company caused by the strike