Denver labor bulletin., 1915-09-18


attitude, and he even considers II con.
sistent with the existence of system
OF collective bargaining. 1t need scarce.
ly be pointed out, first, that the plan
outlined by the letters and testimony
here quoted does not provide an effective
organization of the company's own en-
ployes,. and, second, that if it did these
employees would still be unable to main
tain bargaining equality without the
support of nationwide organization
such as only the Cnited Mine Workers
can give
Was Intended to Deceive.
'-The correspondence and statements
already quoted show .'.at so far from
being plan that provides for collective
bargaining, it is a plan conceived and
executed by men who We're determined
that no element of real collective bar
gaining should enter into it.
The effectiveness of such a plan lies
wholly in its tendency to deceive the
public and lull criticism. while permit
ting the company to maintain its abso-
lutte power.
Reverend Mr.. Gaddis continued to
serve the company as superintendent of
its sociological department until Febru-
ary, 1915. or several weeks after the
date on which the new plan became oper-
ative. Testifying before this commits
sion at Washington, he said:
.''Of the much advertised welfare
agent, ''as a mediator between the COM
pany and its employees, we believe his
work will only tend to intensity the
despicable oppressiveness of the past few
years. One super at least has always
been informed. sub rosa. that there need
be no undue concern about this new Of
fieer limiting their suzerainty. He had
been in the field but "A few weeks when
he effected the discharge OF a man will.
family to support, on the word OF
woman OF questionable character. The
evicted employe was given no opportu-
nifty to present his side OF the case.
1T is almost farce to presume that
a pet appointeee would fearlessiy and
impartially bring things to the surface,
that would disturb the imperturable
eqauinmity OF the one who must o. X.
his monthly salary account.
Bowers Gave EN- a Bouquet.
The assembling of camp delegates in
Bowers old office ON Jaunary 10Th. in
which complaints were solicited; and
generally bumptious good time with free
auto rides. banquet and theater party as
part of the program; in addition all
expenses being paid to and from their
respective camps. was decided hit
"a god square kick could hardly be
expected from such sources.
"sAgnin the remembrance OF 80 many
of their former comrades being can
ned" for squealing would not be for
gotten amidst the grandeur and in
formality OF their temporary environ.
ment
"A few weeks after this meeting n
representative from headquarters In
quired of a super il ''the men thought
we were trying to put one over ON
them There is room for suspicion
that zone is being put over on the pub
lie and that the various investigating
committees are having dust thrown into
their eyes; for Presto, the lion has
been changed into the lamb.
If the investigating committees can
he kept out of Colorado for the next six
months or a year the old shackle of OPP
preston will have received so many new
rivets, that it will take the heIlish
fires of another strike to loosen them
Had to Do Something.
"The report charges that no plan of
any sort for hearing grievances and Civ
ing the men even a pretense of repre-.
sentation was favorabIy considered by
the company until. in rejecting Presi
dent Wilson's plan of settlement it be-
came necessary to propose some counter
plan in order to appease public criticism.
''The report charges that Mr.. Rockc
feller made no effort to disclaim full re-
sponsibility as the controlling influence
behind the operators until after the So
called Ludlow massacre. Discussing this
point. the report says:
'sThe evidence shows that the Colo
RADIO Fuel & Iron company played n
master hand in determining the policy
of the operators and in maintaining that
policy after it was announced. This
company mined from thirty-five to forty
per cent of the coal produced in Colo
RADIO and employed nearly three times
as many miners as the second largest
company. For more than ten years its
largest stockholders and dominating di-
rector had been. John ID. Rockefeller,
and since 1907 a personal representative
of Mr. Rockefeller had been in active
charge of its management as chairman
of the board of directors, vice president
and treasurer. This official was Mr.. J..
NJ. Bowers, man of 80 years of ago,
who had been employed by Mr.. Rock
efellcr to manage various industries for
twenty years, and whose deep seated op-
position and animbsity toward labor
unions and the practice of collective bar
gaining must have been well known to
his employer when he was sent to Colo
RADIO to represent the Rockefeller inter
est
Grotesque Policy Of Bowers.
"From first to last Mr.. Bowers, rs
shown by his letters to Mr.. Rockefeller's
office, saw nothing in the struggle OF
the miners for the right to organize for
collective bargaining except plot by
Socialists" anarchists" and "poIticai
demagogues,' to wrest the control of the
mines from their owncrsl His letters to