Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-31
MINING BOSSES
OWN THE CORONERS
Lawson Says All verdicts But Tive
in Case Of Death in Favor Of
Colorado Fuel and Iron.
HE LAMBAsTs ROCKEFELLER


NEW YORK. Jan. oO.-John r. Law
son. executive board member for Colo
RADIO of the United Mine Workers OF
America, who yesterday denounced con-
ditions IN Colorado mining camps in his
testimony before the Federal Industrial
Relations commission and sharply ar
raigned John d. Rockefeller, jr, for his
alleged failure 10 inform himself as to
conditions there, continued his testimony
today.
There is no social life in the camps"
Mr. Lawson said THE companies own
all the houses. ground. schools churches
and stores. Complete despotism exists In
the mining camps"
Mr.. Lawson read into the record long
list Of the various accidents in coal mines
and list OF the men killed by violence
In the Colorado mining camps in 1913
This was done, he said. so that the COM
mission might know how many widows
and fatheriess children there we're in Col
orado.
And they get an average OF s3O54o n
the father and husband is killed" he
said What can they do in life with
sSO5.4O7 What chance have they got?"
Men worked IN the mines. the witness
said. because they were forced. not be-
cause they wanted OF
Company Owns COronerp.
''f they complain, Il IL down the can.
yon for theirs" he said. And IL the
man who does work is hurt. he 10 taken
70 a company hospital II he dies a
company coroner conducts the inquest
over the body--as long as / can remem-
Der. only two verdicts unfavorable to the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company have
been found-and / think the company
furnishes the cemeteries The coroners
have a habit OF giving a verdict Of sui
eide or death due to carelessness One
coroner wrote In q certain case that the
victim Of an accident had no relatives
and few friends.'"
No coal miner, Mr.. Lawson said, hes
ever shirked his duty in protecting life
and the interests OF the operators. Com
pany detectives, and gunner constantly
spied on the men TO see that they did
not get together. This applied to the
lcanps where there were no unions. In
union camps. Mr.. Lawson testified, con-
ditions we're entirely different
The. University OF Colorado. be said,
had promised the United Mine Workers
of America that 1t would extend it's work
into the coal camps 80 that the men
might have an opportunity to educate.
In the non-union camps there was occa-
sionally a dance, the witness said, but
no other amusements or recreations.
Rockefeller and Unions.
Mr.. Lawson called the commissions
attention to a statement which he said
was made by John d. Rockefeller, jr.,
4 Av.v-H L.. -. N -
was quoted as saying that the Colorado
Fuel and Iron company would never
recognize the United Mine Workers Of
America and that It was fight 70 the
finish.
Two weeks after that. to the day. came
LUDLOW" Mr.. Lawson said. II do not
know whether there was any connection
between these two things. I hope not. A
man like Mr.. Rockefeller should be care
ful Of the things he says. however"
The witness discussed the payment Of
workmen In script. redeemable for
merchandise at company stores. and the
employment OF check welghmen. who are
paid by the miners TO see that the COM
pany does not cheat the men In weigh
ing coal on the tiple. There was law
in Colorado. Mr.. Lawson said. providing
for the check weighmen; In spite OF that
the law was frequently violated by the
operators. When the weighmen are
selected. he continued. the companies
''see to II that safe Nmen'' from their
viewpoint. arc chosen.
Mr.. Lawson thought II was a mistake
on the part OF organized labor TO re-
elect union officials who had been con-
victed OF violence or the also OF dynamite