United labor bulletin., 1914-12-19
Operators Writhe Under Probe
Made by Federal Commission
Gouernor Anons and Attorney General Farrar Confess
Commissioners That No Legal Proclamation of Martial
La,o Was Euer Issued; Acted Under Meyer Decision
Continued from Page One,

do miners are poorer paid than those OF
many other states because of the ma
ture OF the coal they mine, the condi-
tions under which they work and the
fact that they must do dead work, ana
declared that miners here have been like
the slaves of the South before the war
They were unable to free themselves,
but had to have outside aid, and that
was given by the national organization
in the cause of humanity and human de-
velopment. He declared that the ma
tional body had not given the miners
arms or ammunition, nor had he or
other national Officers advised them to
resort to violence.
Average receipts of the national or
ganization are 2,400.000 a year, he
said. and miners are working under
union agreements in IL states. The de-
mand for the principle OF collective bar
gaining is the main one made by the
strikers and by unions everywhere, he
stated.
He further said the fight would con
tinue until the right of every miner to
Join the union was conceded.
Lawson's Message to Wilson.
John r. Lawson. national executive
board member for Colorado of the
United Mine Workers. WAS one of the
most dramatic witnesses of the two
weeks inquiry. His statement was in
typewritten form anad he stood while
reading il to the commission. In one
instance he said:
g. have pending against me in the
courts OF Colorado 10 specific criminal
charges, ranging from conspiracy in re-
straint of trade to murder in the first
degree. and including arson snd assault
e.. L. al 4 INN nf
crime against the laws OF my state or
nation ~ any individual sitting upon
this bench listening to me here today"
IN conclusion Lawson sent pessase
To President Wilson. through the COM
mission. in which the supreme authority
between corporations and the govern
ment was put TO the test. a. follows;
Il would most respectfully direct vour
attention. Mr.. President, 10 the record
of the hearings of the commission on
industrial relations in The city of DEN
rcr for undeniable proof Of the fact that
there j. but one human being responsi-
hle for the deplorable conditions in the
coal industry OF the state of Colorado,
Mr.. John d. RocIefeller. ST.
-Forinnately,i this assertion IS not
based upon any statement that can be
coutradictcd or denied. for the evidence
- lNhuh III the Correspondents ucANttu
20 Broadway. New York. and J. +. We'll
born, Mr. Rockefeller's agent in Colo
rado.
.Rockefeiler's Hand Exposed.
when you. Mr.. President. submitted
Your suggestion for settlement of this
industrial conflict which has agitated
our state and has awakened the con-
science of the nation. every citizen in
the land. save Mr. Rockefeller alone,
construed il as command from the
head Of the nation The reply came os-
4rn-ibly from Denver. but as now fully
exposed before this commission was in
reality from 26 broadway. New York.
In view of the fact that YOU have
appointed Mr.. Seth Low OF New York
at the head of a conciliation board. l
would respectfully ask You TO suggest
that Mr.. Low call upon John ID. Rocke-
feiler. ST, in person at the earliest op-
portunity and urge upon him the ac-
ceptance of your suggestion TO bring
about industrial peace in Colorado.
Is He Higher Than Law?
In common with the countless mil
lions of my fellow citizens ! recognize
the fact that perhaps no other President
in the history OF our country has been
called upon TO intervene in so many dit
ficult and delicate situations through.
out this country and the world looking
toward the happiness and welfare OF
mankind. III your suggestion is not ac.
cepted by Mr.. Rockefeller when present,
ed by Mr.. Low. this master of millions
viii he but the second person in the
life of your administration who has
spurned your kindly offices in the cause
OF peace and justice. the other one be.
ing Gen. Nictoriano Huerta. late dicta-
tor 10 Mexico, present whereabouts un-
known.
The testimony given before this com.
mission last week by Mr. Welbom place.
the issue squarcly before the world.
rs John ID. Rockefeller greater than
the government
as he higher than the lawf-
Secretary Doyle Gives Figures.
Edward L. Doyle. secretary y-trcasurcI
OF District Union No. 10. United Mine
Workers of America, occupied the wit
ness stand during n good part of Sat
urday and Monday. He reviewed his
work in coal mines from the time he
was IL years old. He went TO school
between the ages OF q and IL years. The
first actual digging of coal commenced
when he was IL years old. All his time
prior to coming 10 Colorado in 1907 was
spent at Spring Valley. III.
Doyle told about his experience as a
check weighman at the Vulcan mine.
near Lafayette, when he first came here.
He said during the first two or three
days when he compared weights be-
tween the company and the railroad
scales he found the miners were losing
seven to fourteen tons per day. He
then balanced the scales and the COM
pnny weighman made up the difference
by giving false weights to the buyers
of the coal.
On Strike in 1910.
Doyle said that he was on strike in
the fall of 1910 except for the time he
was in Jail for alleged contempt of