Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-05
President of Coal Company
Tells Troubles at United
States Industrial Commits
sion Hearing in Denver.
SAME JURYMEN AT ALL
C0R0NER'S IN0UESTS
Verdicts Always Favorable to
Operators, Declares Official
Of United Mine Workers of
America.

lev aoHsiHo 'ouensl arseiAL teAsen wiHsl
Denver, Dec. 4.-~"I am theoretical
~ In favor of union labor practically
l have no use for it," Walter A.. cur
It's. president of Rapson Coal COM
pany, testified before the federal COM
mission on Industrial relations today.
Just now ! have controversy with
the pit committee of one Of my mines.
II the union does not stand back Of
me In diseiplining the committee by
discharging II ! am going to get rid
of union labor. am going 10 sec who
Is running our mines, the pit commit
tee or the company"
Causes of Trouble.
The committee had decrced that
certain men who had attended the
funeral of non-linion miner AT a
neighboring non-unlon mine should be
discharged for visiting the remains OF
a "scab."
He had signed n contract with the
United Mine Workers of America ton
years ago and then gone back to nom
union labor because, he said, of arbl-
trary excessive fines placed on men by
the union mine committees which he,
as president of the company, was ex-
Pit Committee Blamed.
A year ago from Necessity" he had
signed up again with the union. The
necessity was that one of tho mines Of
the company was about to run out aud
he did not believe II would be worth
while to engage with the other ope-
rators in a costly fight with the union.
He admitted that he had operated
profltably with union labor. Most OF
his difficulties came from tho pit com
mlttee In one mine where the degree
Of illteracy was greatest.
u nm poing "a fire TINT pit commit.
tee and every one connected with it"
he said.
Suspicious of Each Other.
In addition, although the men In the
mine in question chose their own
check wciehmen and presidents of The
pit committee none of them wanted
those positions because of the charges
by other miners that they were cheat
Ing or were unfair Union pit exeeu-
tiVes followed ench other In rapid stc-
cesslon
Don't you think the arbitrary at
titude of the pit committee, men who
have been working ten years under
non-union conditions, Is the result Of
intoxication by their first success In
winning union conditions?n asked
Commissioner Garretson.
Very true" said the witness. "and
I think discipline by the discharge of
that pit committee would be good for
them"
lie told Of paying union pick boys
s2.05 per day, whore under non-umion
operation, he paid 81. and like In
stances
Isn't the main objection Of opera
tors 10 union labor the loss of the last
word2" asked Mr.. Garretson
Largely so,' said the witness.
Welborn's Statement
j. +. Welborn, president of the Col
orado Fuel \ Iron Co., followed Mr.
Curtis In his testimony with a statis-
teal review of all the strikes In Colo
rado since 1890. The total Of employees
of the company when working In fnll
before the present strike was
G 6,000,n, About 40 per rent wont on
strike, he sac. Some left before the
strike became effective and some just
after. In each case they were intlmi-
dated he alleged.
without demands. he said there had
been successive Increases Of wages of
s per cent per ton since iA0g, the last
being made on April +, 1912. The
policy of tho company had been TO
anticipate demands by increases of
wages.
In completing his testimony Of The
at the beginning Of the af-
Iornoon session, President John Me- |
Lehman. Of District IL. United Mine
Workers of America, declared that the
mayor and officials Of Incorporated |
owns in the mining district were u.s.
lally officials of tho companies. None
out the company stores were allowed |
n such towns
Same Jury All tho Time.
In eases Of accidental deaths, the |
coroner, he said. used the same Jury |
turing his entire term. The same jury |
n one county had been working twen- |
y years.
With one or two exceptions the |
'erdicts they rendered have always
,xonerated the companies from any
,iame," he asserted.
BY a system of placing men of diff
'erent natlonalities to work together. |
ie said, the companies prevented dis-
'ussion of their grievances. There |
we're from twenty-five to twenty-six |
dHkudhts spVheH III tdcn MINT
There has been no law in south-
.rn Colorado for ten years but that t
If the operators and that Of the mine |
gum he declared
lie related that the union men had |
aiken up the enforcement Of the eight I
iour law with Governor Shafroth and /
he governor explained he was help. I
ess without the aid Of the civil au-
horilies in the southern part Of the
tate.
Prosecutes Only Miners.
"Sinee then decision of the SUI
'remc court authorized the attorney
general to prosecute in any county
"Ifas he prosecutor"
Iie has prosecuted miners - not
Iperators." said McLennan.
The attorney general was asked to
mine officials at Walsen-
lurg, for assaulting a union organizer
fter the district attorney of Walsen-