Evening star., 1915-02-01
John Mitchell Has No Faith in
"CoiIective Bargaining"
for Colorado.
SAYS PERlLS ARE fewer
WHEN UNIONS HOLD SWAY
Tells of Improved Conditions in An
thracite Fields Since Settlement
of 1902 Strike.

NEW YORK, February John
Mitchell, former president of the United
Mine Workers Of America and now
member of the state workmen's COM
pensation commission. today told the
federal Industrial relations commits
sions that the Rockefeller plan OF set
Ting labor troubles in Colorado was
simply absurd"
NO good can come out of such a
plan" said he. THE unorganized men
can be depended upon to select to rep
resent them only men the bosses want
They may not be directly Influenced to
do this. but there will be an indirect
influence which they cannot resist.
Plan Has Been Tried.
I'VE have gone through such a thing
before. The slogan We might as well
starve idle as starve working Will
naturally be raised again. just as 1t
was during 1900 in the anthracite
fields"
Mr.. MitchelTs reference was to the
plan of collective bargaining. suggest
ed to the Rockefeller interests by w. L.
Mackenzie King, former commissioner
of labor of Canada, who was recently
employed by the Rockefeller Founda-
tion to conduct an investigation into
industrial relations.
Mr. Mitchell thought the referendum
and recall was of advantage to labor.
Speaking of compensation for work
men, Mr.. Mitchell said it was effective
in moro ways than one.
Would Protect Employees.
When said he. "it costs more to kill
man than it does to save him. the
employers will save their workers.
Mr.. Mitchell said that where men are
unorganized the death rate is higher
and the wage rate lower.
For instance he said. the death rate
in Colorado and West Virginia is about
six per 1000. In other localities where
the men are unorganzed they are in
clined to take risks that organized men
will not take"
The witness said he did not know just
how much the partial control Of finan-
cial interests over the industries had af-
fected the workers. 1t, however. ap-
peared, he said. that the financial in
stitutions were able to control the sit
uation.'
He cited as an example the settlement
Of the anthracite coal strike Of 1912.
when J. p. Morgan & Co. suggested
satisfactory solution after one offered by
the railroads naQ Deen tureQ QOWn
Referring to wages in the Pennsylvania
anthracite region, he said they were
about 40 per cent higher now than before
the settlement of the strike. There had
also. he said, been decided improvement
in the social and living conditions as a
result of settlements by the miners
Mitchell Against Violence.
As for violence in labor disputes, Mr..
Mitchell said he did not approve of it.
But because one man is violent,
that's no reason to condemn every
worker" said he. IF one banker is a
scoundrel and Wrecks a bank. causing
thousands much suffering. that is no
bankers"
1t was announced at the adjournment
of the forenoon session that J. P. Nor
gan was to be the first witness to be
examined this afternoon.
Amos Pinchot Recalled.
At the resumption Of the hearings
today Amos Pinchot was recalled. He
was permitted to finish the reading of
testimony he had not concluded while
on the stand Saturday. but which had
been placed in the record. In this he
had accused the Associated Press Of
partia1ity to the capitalistic side Of la
Dor controversies in the handling Of
news.
'T do not believe" said Mr.. Pinchot,
after finishing the statement, that the
Associated Press will carry on its wires
dispatches concerning my testimony
here about It, There is bylaw in
the Associated Press which provides
that any member printing news de-
rogatory to the Associated Press will
be disciplined and is subject to losing
its franchise"
May Finish Work by Friday Night.
Other witnesses who will appear before
the commission this week are DR.. Henry
8. Pritchard and jerome Green Of the
Rockefeller Foundation and John NJ.
Glenn of the Russell Sage Foundation,
who will give the details of the activities
of the foundations. Andrew Carnegie will
speak of the aims and activities of the
Carnegie foundation.
The commission hopes to finish its work
by Friday night Chairman Walsh said
that the commission was well satisfied
with the developments OF the inquiry here
He was well pleased with the spirit Of
the investigation which, he said. had been
excellent