The farmer and mechanic., 1915-05-25
Examination Before Industrial
Relations Commission Con-
cIuded Yesterday
CHARGES OF STRIKERS
Claimed That Operators Would
Not Give Strikers Hearing.
That They First Resofted To
Violence and That judiciary
Machinery Was Controlled
By Them

Dy ln6'll
Washington, d G. May 22-Con-
Guiding his examination by the in
dustrlal Relations Commission today |
John u. Rockefeller Jr.. entered de- |
malls to three charges which. if sus-
tanned, would, according TO Commits
slOner Weinstock. lay at the door
of the Colorado mine operators the
responsibility for the unfortunate
happening in the Colorado Goa
strike. The charges We're framed ard
presented by Commissioner Weinstock
as being in brief the allegations
brought against the operators by the
strikers.
When Chairman Walsh finished
questioning Mr.. Rock efeller Commits
sioner WeinStock presented a letter
which set forth a preliminary state
ment in which the commissioner re-
viewed the commission inquiry into
Colorado conditions
What l have been able in brief
to get out of it all it read, is that
| the strikers and their sympathizers
make these specific charges
Charges Of Strikers.
That at no time after the strike
| could they get a hearing at the hands
of the operators.
THAT the civil and judicial machin.
| cry for obtaining such Justice as the
| law affords was in the hands of the
| operators and not availa BILE to the
| strikers.
| That the operators through their
agents were the first to resort to vio-
! lence and that all the violence which
| followed was defensive on the part OF
the strikers and not offensive.
IF these three charges have beer
established then it must be plain tha
the responsibility for the unfortunate te
happenings in Colorado must ciearl,
be laid at the door of the opera tor
and the strikers are entitled to all sup
port and sympathy of the America
| people"
Rockefeller's Denials
Answering the first charge Mr.
Rockefeller said:
The representatives of the unions
: so far as [ know, have not met il
conference with the operators, but tn
, striking miners, as l understand il
were present at meeting called b.
| Governor AmmOns on November "a
where they met three Of the operator
with the Governor and discussed tn
situation.
: The Colorado Fuel and Iron Com
pany," he continued, have alway
+ been and always are ready to NEE
with their men or with the represen
: tatives whom their men may elect
9 men working in their mines.
LAS to whether the civil or judicia
| ministry were in the hands of tn
: operators and not available to tn
, strikers I am not in a position to STATE
q l have understood testimony has bee
: offered on both sides. [ think tn
! fact, without regard to party lines,
: | that the election which took place i
+ Colorado in the fall, turning out a
r it did, would indicate that the ballo
is still powerful in that State to reI
4 resent the will Of the people
:, Discussing the charge as to the be
d ginning of violence in the strike NJ
u Rockefeller asserted:
y Says Strikers Began Violence.
e Il naturally regret, now that thes
IS are all matters of the past, to reope
q the question of where the blame ma
; properly rest, but the information
have is that the beginning of violent
a was on the part of the strikers whe
J. one of the camp marshalS was killed
= Mr.. Rockefeller quoted from lett'
to him from former Superintendel
le Bowers, of the Colorado Company.
is Earlier in the day Rockefeller, a
l. ter slight brush with Chairma
le Walsh over the Introduction of lie
ter he caused to be written to Pres
dent Welborn, of the Colorado Flu
and Iron Company by Starr j. Mu
er ply. his counsel, succeeded in gettiI
ly before the commission an account
ell his part in havink attorneys for Il
le company withdrawn as assistants
ne the State authorities in prOsecutil
n strikers.
The Chairman questioned Mr.. Roc
III efeller more at length regarding h
al views on the rights of men to reso
u to violence, Rockefeller replying:
ne II will be glad to state the on
in principle upon which / think a m;
tn is justified in opposing an officer
the law. If his life is Immediately
danger, and if he feels that the s.
ID uation is such that when he
MT brought before a court Of justice
re defend his action, the circumstanc
will lead To his acnnittal then / Thu