Omaha daily bee., 1914-06-24
HE HITS ROCKEFELLER A JOLT
Thinks Oil King Made Mistake
When He Made Sending Troops
to Colorado Necessary.
FAvoRs LABOR ORGANIZATIONS
Minimum Wage for Women Should
Not Be Condemned Until Tried.
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP IS COMING
Government Ownership of RRilrOn =
Would Prevent Conditions Like
Those in New Haven and
Rock Island systems.

PHILADELPHIA, June 2s.-''Its an in
sane thing not to recognize organizations
OF labor" said John Wanamaker today,
in giving further testimony before the
United states commission on industrial
relations. He made this statement in
reply to a question whether employers
should recognize labor unions. on the
general question of unionism Mr.. Wana-
maker said he believed labor had "suf-
fered frightfully' in the past becauIs Of
poor leaders, but added that he is seeing
a better class Of leadership coming in.
Commissioner Weinstock of California,
who presided today, asked the witness II
he could supply the missing link that
would bring capital and labor toge'h .r.
Mr.. Wanamaker said:
II believe that labor and capital hsvO
the right to organize. On the one side,
capital there is responsibility. and on
the other labor, there is none. There
you stop. The missing links, I believe,
are prejudice and misunderstanding,
which must be overcome.
"one of the ways to wipe out this
prejudice and Misunderstanding is to un-
hitch labor unions from political parties"
HOCkeIelleE NAeNhkes
Speaking Of capital, Mr. wanamaker
said John D. Rockefeller. ir., made a
great mistake when he put President Will
son in the position Of sending troops into
Colorado.
II might be mistaken in this" he said,
but that is the way 1 feel about it,"
Contact with the employees is a remedy
for much misunderstanding, the witness
said. There are labor unions which have
no other purpose than to protect their
wages. Men who spend their time get
ting their salaries raised generally fail"
Commissioners Lennon OF Illinois and
o'Conuell of Washington. who are the
representatives Of workmen on the COM
mission piled Mr.. wanamaker with
many questions. Asked whether he was
an advocate Of the eight-hour day. he
replied: Eight hours or less"
on the question of minimum wages for
women, the witness said that as an ex-
pertinent 1t should not be condemned.
Public Ownership Coming.
Discussing public ownership as a means
to reduce industrial strife. Mr. Wana-
maker said he was an absolute believer
in government ownership Of public utili-
ties Il believe the government should
own the railroads. he said. 1t would
prevent conditions that have existed in
the New Haven road and in the Rock
Island system. Government ownership
would bring one-cent postage because the
government owned the means carrying
the malls
The witness painted rosy future Tor
the workingman. Men and women are
I'm a rising market they are being bette er
educated, have more sanitary surrounding
and are no longer mats for rich men 10
wipe their feet upon" he said.
During the discussion of public owner
ship OF utilities Commissioner Weinstock
dropped the remark that the commission
will in drawing up its recommendations
to congress consider the widosm of ad-
vocating public ownership Of utilities as
a means of reducing strife between the
employer and employe OF public utilities.