The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-04-24
MADE CONCESSIONS
TO MINE WORKERS
Colorado Fuel g. Iron Co. Granted 8-hour
Day, B-monthly Payday and En-
ployment By the Men of Their
Own Check Weighman.

Chicago. April "a. Correspondence be
tween John y. Rockefeller, jr., and l.
NJ. Bowers, chairman of the executive
department OF the Colorado Fuel & lror
company, was given out here to-day by
the local headquarters of the United
States commission on industrial rela.
tions. The letters and kilograms relate
to the strike of coal miners in southern
Colorado and were submitted to the
commission in accordance with demand
for them at the hearing in New York,
January Is to Feb. q last
The letters from Mr.. Bowers to his
superiors in New York emphasized that
the company had anticipated Industrial
unrest and possible strike by initiating
various reforms, such as the eight hour
day, bimonthly paydays and the EN-
ployment by the men of their own check
weighnan. Mr.. Bowers maintains in
the correspondence, that these measures
were voluntary on the part of the COM
pany and were not forced by the laws
OF the state, as was maintained by the
union men.
The first Of the letters dated Sept.
l6. 1913 was addressed to Mr.. Bowers
by Starr j. Murphy and described call
made by Mr.. Ethelbert Stewart, chief
of the bureau of labor statis-
tics of the United States department of
labor. Mr.. Stewart talked with Mr..
inasmuch as Mr. John D. Rock
efeller ir., was absent on a vacation.
The letters states that Mr. Stewart,
who has been appointed a mediator in
the then threatened strike, told the writ
er that he had called in New York to
determine whether it would be worth
while for him to go to Colorado Mr.. |
Murphy wrote that he informed Mr..
Stewart that the industrial dispute |
would have to be handled by the ex-
'cutiye officers in Colorado; that we here |
n the east knew nothing about condi |
ions, and would ;e unwilling TO make
my suggestions to the executive off
,ers.' The letter adds:
'Our interview was very pleasant. |
md Mr.. Stewart does not seem to be
It all of the labor agitator type"
In acknowledging this letter Mr. Bow
rs complimented Mr.. Murphy for the
manner in which he had handled the
ublect inasmuch as he thus left Colo
ado men "unhsndicapped in event there
$ strike among the coal miners in
outhern Colorado" The executive off.
ers of the company then proceeded to
utline for Mr.. Murphy's information
he methods by which the concern had
hat Ia. |
ere necessary.
"We have found il considerable to
ake up from time to time those ques
ions that were likely TO reach contro- {
crsy and study them from every an I
le." wrote Mr.. Bowers "Where We {
ould meat them by making certain eco
omic changes without loss we have '
,ken the initiative in their application |
this mininf district. We have been {
opposed to some of our competitive OPP
ators, whose notions of fairness are
our opinion somewhat lopsided. but '
Ir position among them was such that
G have been able to inaugurate and car
, out these changes without serious
iticism on the part OF these competi. =
RS. To-day, they are patting us on
IT hacks.
I'VE studied the eight-hour problem, D
hich we knew would come up in the
rm of bills in the legislature and would
pushed through by agitators, so We =
'ticipated these matters and expert =
ents with eight-hour labor. q
'nerally speaking. we found that work I
z our mines eight hours saved us in ,
eL.ead expenses and in other wsys
ough 10 offset any loss that might 2
me from an eight instead OF nine or 2
n hour days in many of our mines. =
ter this had been thoroughly settled o
our minds. We established an eight y
ur day for all coal miners. complying -
IN union rules in that respect, but =
Grating as non.union mines q
The letter goes on 20 relate that the Z
payday was insugurated - -
ter the men of one mine told their "
perintendent that this reform would r.,
a great convenience 90 them.