Denver labor bulletin., 1915-02-20
Object to Union Man Act
ing as a Mediator
Welborn Of C. Fl l. Tells Of wei
faro Pian' haugurated at Meet
Ing Of Delegates in his 0fflce

Sixfy-one Colorado coal company man.
agements, independent of the Colorado
Fuel and Iron company. on Saturday last
forwarded lengthy letter to President
Wilson at Washington and Chairman
Seth Low in New York, protesting
against the federal commission on concil-
iation and mediation coming to this
state. In this letter the operators
charged the commission as constituted
was unfair to invested capital The
commission is composed of Seth Low,
former mayor of New York, chairman;
Patrick Gilday and Charles W. Mills,
the latter formerly being engaged in the
insurance business of Denver and now a
manufacturer in Philadelphia This dec
laration appears as a reason for filing
the protest:
Mr. Patrick Gilday. member of your
commission. is a member and. until re-
Gently, was an officer of the United
Mine Workers of America. the orcaniza-
tion responsible for the Colorado coal
strike and the violence which accom-
panied it.
Gilday and Mills Non Gratis.
Mr.. Charles w. Mills. another mem
ber of your commission Is unknown to
us. but We have learned from sources we
believe to be reliable, that he has been
closely associated in the past with Mr..
Gilday and that his appointment on your
commission was suggested by Mr.. Gilday.
As stated. there are no differences to
be adjusted with our employees If diff
ferences existed. we would be loath to
submit their adjustment to a commis-
sion. majority of which we believe to
be strongly biased against us, or one
which has in its membership an official
or member Of the United Mine Workers
The letter was in reply to one received
from Mr. Low and dated JAN 10. in
which the commission declares that it
has no purpose of digging into the past
in any way. but that il desires TO place
its friendly offices at the disposal Of
both sides to the controversy. Reference
is made to the plan inaugurated by, the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company. and the
suggestion is made that in the event
that it is acceptable to the other opera
tors added weight will be given to it if
it reaches its final form in cooperation
with the presidents commission
On Monday President Jesse F. weIborn
of the Colorado Fuel and Iron company
made public a letter forwarded to Chair
man Low. bearing upon the same sub
lect- Welborn asserts there is nov
nothing To mediate or conciiiate' be-
tween his company and employees. He
claims that the welfare PLAN recently
inaugurated, for which sthe company
was only awaiting the termination of
the strike to Introduce has corrected
any evils that might hitherto have exist
ed, and that there is no reason so far as
his company is concerned, for the COM
mission to go to the trouble and expense
of making the long trip to Colorado.
So Beautiful and Easy
In an effort to impress Chairman Low
and the public through newspaper publi-
cation of the letter OF the welfare plan
by which the miners sent delegates to
choose mediator Welborn writes:
In pursuance of this notice posted
IN the eompany's coal camps that the
men select representative for each $50
workers. the camps selected representa-
Continued on Page Six, s.,d j.