The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-05-21
RECORDS PROVE
SLAVERY RULES
C.F..&L. MINES
Testimony Before House Com
mittee DisprOves Statements
Made by Rockefeller
MEN CHEATED BY FIXED"
SCALES; MAILS HELD UP
Unlawful Employment Agents"
and Hospital Funds Also
Exist, Say Witnesses

SHINGTON, May 2l.--John d.
Rockefeller, jr., in the. statement ne
made recently TO the effect that the
Colorado Fuel & Iron Co had granted
the demands OF the miners as TO
wages hours and working conditions.
said that the only remaining issue
Was whether l0 per cent or the miners
should be allowed 10 compel the 9th
er 80 per cent TO join the union
against their will.
In the report OF the hearings held
by subcommittee OF the house com
mittee ON mines and mining as To con.
ditions in the Colorado coal mines
there rs mass OF testimony which
throws much light on conditions in the
southern Colorado coal fields, where
the c. r. a. /. operates, prior TO the
open break between operators ana
sinners. These hearings were held
long prior TO the declaration OF mar
ial law The sidelights on the causes
that led 10 the sending OF federal
troops into the Colorado coal fields
in which the Rockefeller interests are
the dominant factor may best be told
In the verbatim questions OF members
OF the house committee and the YER
batim answers by witnesses exam
med Here are some of them
The witness is James Dalrymple,
state inspector OF coal mines, and ne
was questioned by Congressman Sutn-
erland. OF West Virginia
O. How then does II (Colorado)
compare with the statistics OF the ma
ton? referring to coal mine acct
dents). A. From the time that Colo
RADIO started TO produce coal until
the beginning OF 1909 1t is nearly two
TO one; Colorado has killed nearly
two 10 the United States one
q. To the balance OF the United
States? A. Taking the United states
as a whole: and from that time until
.hree and one-third
Miners Must Pay for Doctors.
The same witness testified as fol
lows TO the hospital service:
O. Accidents at mines, how are they
handled? Who cares for these men
Does the state maintain miners hos,
pitfalls. or are these men cared for out
OF their own funds. or do the com
panies bear the expense, or how? A.
some OF the companies have hospitals,
and the man pays so much per month
to help keep him at the hospital
q. Sort OF a relief fund they pay
into? A. Yes, they pay so much a
month for a doctor and hospital com
bined.
O. This contribution to the doctors
and hospital fund is compulsory, is IL?
a. Ii is In some cases.
O. Not voluntary A. No, if you
work for a company you have got TO
pay the doctor.
q. Have rescue crews been organ.
lied in the various mining fields or
the state? A. Yes. the bureau or
mines rescue car makes a tour around
The state and takes in these different
mines and stays a certain length or
time at the different mines. according
TO the size and number OF men that
IS to take the training.
q. Why don't you ask the legisla-
ture of Colorado TO make you direct
appropriations for yourself and the
necessary number OF deputies to en-
iorce this new law? A. | would
; rather ask the devil for transportation
TO heaven.
The next witness was Eli NJ. Gross,
superintendent of the Colorado Free
Employment bureau. whose testimony
bore largely on the subject OF peon-
age
q. Acting on this information on
complaints that had been made, YOU
vent 10 the mines. What did you
ind? A. My instructions were that
men had complained to the depart
ment that men were being held in the
mines-not allowed TO leave when
hey wanted to leave-and that they
had been brought into the mines IN
violation OF the deception act, passed
In 1911.
c. The complaints you have re