Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-26
JOHN
ROCKEFELLER
AS WITNESS
On Stand Five Hours at
Inquiry Conducted In
to Philanthropic In
stitutions and Indus
trial Unrest

New York, Jan. 25-John D. Rookie
| Teller, Jr., active head of the extensive
| interests acquired or built by his faith
| er, occupied the witness stand for five
! hours today at the inquiry being con-
| Quoted by the United States commits
sion on industria! relations into the
| great philanthropic foundations AMI
| the cause of Industrial unrest He
! underwent a rigid cross-exaInfnarie1
| al the hands of Frank Walsh, chair
man of the commission as TO the poll
| cies and actions Of the Colorado Fuel
| and Iron Co.
| In Favor Of Unions
| Mr. Rockefeller freely admittet,
1 that he had no knowledee concerninl
| labor questions, but he declared that
! he was in favor of labor organiza ton
| so long as ii organized to promote
! the well being of the employees. hav,'
| ing always due regard for the just
| interests Of the employer and the pub.
| lie. leaving every worker free TO as
! sociate himself with such groups or
! TO work independently as he ma .
| choose.
| Father has invested se4.000,000 in
the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co." he tes-
tilted The securities are now worth
| s1s,000.000. Father would have been
! much better off had he put his money
! in a savings bank"
Has a Body Guard
| While he testified, more than a
| score of police and private detectives
! mingled in the great crowd in the
room in the City han in which the
| hearing is being conducted. A body
| guard of detectives escorted Mr. Rock
! efeller TO and from the City hall and
! the corridors We're cleared OF all per-
! sons while the heir to the Rockefeller
| fortune was passing.
| The witness furnished the commits
! sion with an insight into the methods
by which he determined where his
| money should be invested. He said
/ that If Information concerning alleged
| bad conditions in the mining camps
| Of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co.,
was furnished him; he personally
| would do what ne could to rerned;,
! them
I @A lis Inc ScO4 sc Vi LIIS 1l1G .
Mr. Rockefeller was asked whether he
thought union organizers should be
allowed TO so among the employees He
| replied that his ignorance of sucn
matters precluded him giving an intel
| lgent answer. In reply TO another
question by Commissioner Walsh, Nj.
| Rockefeller said emphaticalIy that he
! did believe in free speech.
| Commissioner Walsh asked Mr. Rookie.
| felIer if as a citizen, not as an expert
! or business man. he believed that la
! borers should organize and act, SO long
as they obeyed the law
las a citizen I cannot answer that
question" said Mr.. Rockefeller.
have not studied it"
Pueblo Conditions
The witness said no information re-
gardlng the number of employees in the
steel mills at Pueblo. Col, who WORK |:
hours a day. He sould not say whether
L hours a day was too long for man
to work in steel mill He considered i.
a hardship when man had to work sew.
/ en- days week at blast furnace The
! witness said he recently worked seven
days a week.
! Mr.. Rockefeller said he wished to have
! il clearly understood that he did not ap-
prove Of any uanys working seven DAYS
week and that he would use his inf,u-
ence to have every man work only six
! days a week
| Mr.. Rockefeller said he had heard
there was corruption in Colorado and
! that the Colorado. Fuel & Iron Co. was
| supposed TO have furnished the money
/ for the corruption. but he disclaimed
knowledge OF any such incident
| Would you vote TO discharge an OIL
GERS who furnished money to buy liquor
! and corrupt voters" asked Mr.. WaIrh.
! i would not look upon such a thing
with favor" replied the witness He had
| not read a Speech by kesse B. North,
cott attorney for the Colorado Fuel &
! Iron Co. in which he was alleged to hayr
said that the company controlled the
! government of Las Animas and other
| Colorado counties.
! Mr.. Rockefeller Gid not know that a
workman at the stores in Colorado min
| ing camps could not get credit for 8
! worth Of goods at the camp store untii
he had 81 coming to him for work done.
! Mr. Rockefeller said he understood that
each employee Of the Colorado Fuel &
Iron Co paid 81 for hospital and medical
! attendance whether he needed it or not.
He was not aware, he said the Colorado
| Fuel & Iron Co maintained saloons
Mr.. Rockefeller will resume the wit
ness stand at tomorrow's continuation nj
the inquiry.
Denies Arbitration
! John D. Rockefeller, Jr.. denied that
| he had. as he said had been
charged, attempted to exercise a kind
of absolutism over the coal industry In
Colorado or that he had "souss,t to
dictate a policy of non-recognition Of
| unions" On the contrary, he said. he
| was most heartily in favor of labor
| unions, 50 long as their purpose was
| to promote the well-being Of the en-
| ployees and they had due regard for the
| interests of the public
1.-THE Commission has asked my viewe'
| said Mr.. Rockefeller. ''as to what extent
| the stockholders and directors Of a cor
poration are responsible for the labor
| conditions which exist in 1t and for the
Continued on Page @coIumn Sd