Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-08-16
Two Of Industrial Commits
sion'S Agents Report on In-'
leStigation Made of Strike
at Standard OH Plant
COMPANY BLAMED FOR
DEFENDING PROPERTY
Sheriff Kinkead Is Also Scored
for Interfering to Prevent
Violence When Mob Had
Gathered for Purpose

Chicago, Aug. 49, The report Of,
George T.. West ANA G.. T Chcnery,
who investigated the July 1915. strike
of Standard Oil company employees at
Bayonne, a. j., for the United States
commission ON industrial relations was
made public tonight 10y Frank p
Walsh. chairman of the commission,
The report said in part. after stating
that the strike was against the stan
dard OH company of New Jersey.
The company is the most impol-
tant of the STANDARD OH group, and
this group It's the principal conuibu-
tor to the wealth. prestige and power
Of the largest estate in the country il
not i'm the world, thar of Mr. John d
Rockefeller, ST.. aud his immediate
family The facts regarding the com
panNs labor policies must therefore,
be regarded as of special significance
because of the tremendous power
welded bv the group of men who con
tol this industry and because of their
announced intention to enter the field
OF Industrial relations with view to
widening their influence and actively
prOpagating what they deem to be
the proper theories and principles
that should govern the relations be-
tween employer ana employe. The
following findings of fact are to be
considered in the light of the fore
going
Findings of Alleged Facts.
The Standard Oil company Of New
JERSEY, although conducting an enor-
mously profitable enterprise, pays
wages too low to maintain a family
ON comfortable. healthful basis
lt fixes wages not with relation to
the earnings of the company but by
taking into consideration wages paid
by other companies i'm the came loo
cality and then liking the wage as low
as or lower than the prevailing wage
in that locality Ina BayOnne it paid
common laborers less than those Of
two companies whose plants adjoin
its refineries. This is i'm direct con-
tradiction to the claims Of the com
pany in "a statement issued at No 26
Broadway that IL has always paid the
prevailing wage or better. The state
ment of the general manager of the
company chat the interests of other
companies i'm the same locality are
considered in the fixing Of wages con-
ytitutes in effect an admission that the
company combines with the poorest
and least generous employers to fix
the wage rate.
"The company maintains a settled
policy of refusing to deal with any la
Dor organization or professional labor
man and even refuses to permit those
employees who cannot speak English
intelhsibN 10 engage an attorney aus
their spokesman and representative.
No Outside Assistance.
"The men are made to understand
that they must seek no outside assis-
tance in their dealings with the man
agement and that any show of indie
pendence or any hint of CompulslOn
viii be vigorously resented
The company has instituted no ma
Chinery by which real or fancied grieY-
ances may be peacefully and promptly
adjusted. The officials say that any
man has access to the general superiu-
tendent, but the employees allegc that
they would be discharged before
reaching the office
General Manager Clifford is not q
believer In child labor legislation and,
on the other hand, thinks the children
should be allowed to go to work ear
lier He and Mr.. Hcnnessy apparently
have little respect for the foreign born
men whose labor produces the com
pany's earnings and are proponents Of
the extremely indiydualistic and re-
actionary industrial theories discarded
/ by enlightened employers and by ecOn-
omists many years ago"
The report then recites that the
company employed a detective agency
of New York city TO furnish guards
and strike breakers. 1t quoted the
attorney for the agency as referring to
these men as "a lot of thugs The
Investigators added Their appear
ance amply justified his use of the
term
Strike Broken by Sheriff
"Fhe strike was broken by Sheriff
I Eugene Kinkead,' the report added,
/ who first overawed and dlsorganized
/ the strikers by assaulting and arrest
, ing one of their leaders ana then
strengthened his control over them by
/ promising to use his influence to OBJ
/ tain an increase in wages and by ar
resting thirty Of the armed gcards."
Sheriff Kinkead's course had the
/ cordial approval of Standard oil com
{ pany officials, who We're thus enabled
Ito maintain their refusal to make any
I concessions to the men until the men
4 returned 10 work and had. In effect.
/ thrown themselves on the bounty OF
! the company continued the report.
Two days after the men had re-
/ turned TO work, the Standard oil com
pany announced increases in wages.
! These increases were less than those
demanded by the strikers and the
rates being paid are still below those
paid by one Of the other companies
adjoining the Standard Oil company's
plant IL the common labor rate can
/ be taken as basis Of comparison.
Victory for standard Oil.
THE outcome Of the strike consti-
tutes complete victory for the Stan
/ dard Oil company as to IT'S vital poll
cios. that Is its refusal 20 recognize
or permit collective action or to make
/ any concession TO the men except Of
its own free will and accord.
! The report gave q long history Of
/ the strike and Of the disorders which