The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-03-26


has bested Idahos senator in a con-
troversial way, but If so 1t must be
through very strong desire on their
part to have the discussion terminate
that way, for at no point in the con-
troversy has Mr.. Perkins refuted the
charges made against him by Mr.. Borah,
who has produced the records in prac-
tically every instance to sustain his as
sertions. Under date of March 18th,
the following letter was written by Mr..
Borah to Spokane friend in reply to
man Review:
Washington, d. C
March 18. 1914.
Ny dear friend:
1 have before me your letter enclos-
ing clipping from the Spokesman Review
which purports to be a print of letter
Broadway, New York City, to Mr..
Slater, Chairman of the third party of
the State of Washington. In this let
ter Mr.. Perkins says:
''The general talk around town is
that there is not much left of Borah. AS
far as 1 am concerned 1 propose to fol-
low him up every legitimate opportun-
ty and put him out of business entire
ly."
N,, a..
causual observer that if there is not
much left of Borah' Mr. Perkins would
not feel the necessity of amounting him
self and consecrating his great powers
to put him out of business" / frank
ly concede Mr.. Perkins ability to put
men "out ofbusiness." That has been
his occupation for twenty years and At
has been a very fruitful occupation.
But he has never INDUCED his remark
able genius or yielded to his worried ap-
titude unless the. party whom he sought
to put out of business" happened to
stand in the way of his realizing in
some unconscionable scheme. I think
Mr.. Perkins would hardly turn aside
from his great activities for one. OF
consider worthy of his steel sojourner
of whom there was mot much left"
There Is another reason why Mr.. Per
kins proposes to put me out of busi-
ness" 1 have known of his purpose
for some time. It is by reason OF
certain facts, all of which, in my opn-
ion. are in substance susceptible oil
legal proof.
In the year 1911 some laboring men
visited me in Washington and asked
me to introduce a resolution compel
ling the investigation of the labor in the
steel industry. The facts which they
gave me seemed too brutal to be true
l introduced the resolution 1 was inn
to know that I had been misled, that
labor conditions in this industry were
most excellent and that certain al
trusitic gentlemen had been giving then
personal attention to the bettering OF
the condition of labor in this industry
and that the only effect of my reso-
luton would be possibly to disturb bust
ness. l was also criticised by some
papers as playing politics. / sent foi
the laboring men and told them l did
not want to be misled, that there would
be opposition to this motion and / want
ed to be upon safe ground. They stat
ed to me they were telling the truth
The resolution was finally passed anC
the result of that investigation is now
matter of record. An epitome of the
report made by Mr.. Charles p. Neill
Commissioner of Labor, which was
Congress, End Session, shows con
dition which / submit to be both re-
voting and inhuman. / quote a single
paragraph:
During the period covered by thi!
E investigation, $4,000, or twenty nine pei
cent, of the 173.0000 employees of the
blast furnaces and steel works and rol
ling mills covered by this report, Gus
tomarily worked seven days per week
and twenty per cent of them worked
eighty-four hours or more per week
which, in effect, means a twelve houl
working day every day in the week
including Sunday. y The hardship
of the twelve hour day and a seven day
week is further increased by the fac
that every week or two weeks, as thu
the day shift are transferred to tn,
night shift. and vice versa, employees
remain on duty without relief eithe