Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-01-30
Official of Union Gives
Facts to Industrial
Relations Body.
ROCKEFELLER SCORED
Arraigned for His Confessed
Lack Of knowledge of Con-
ditionS in District.

New York. Jan. s0.-John Lawson.
executive board member for Colorado
Of the United Mine Workers OF Amer
lea. today continued his testimony be
fore the federal industrial relations
commission.
There is no social life in Colorado
mining towns" ne said. The com
panies own all the houses. ground,
schools. churches and stores. Com
plete despotism exists in the mining
camps
Lawson read into the record a long
list Of various accidents in the coal
mines and a list OF men killed by vio-
lence in Colorado mining camps since
1913. so. he said. the commission might
know how many widows and father
less children there are in Colorado.
Opposes Dynamite Use.
Lawson thought Il a mistake on the
part OF organized labor TO reelect
union officials convicted OF violence
CT 10 use dynamite He said
10 inducements were pending against
him In Colorado. Il charging murder.
and that 5000 coal miners were under
indictment in Colorado. but not an op-
orator was Indicted. Lawson said he
was shot down some years ago by an
operator. The operator was arrested
by a friend OF his and kept prisoner
In his home. and finally discharged.
If n man who does the work is
hurt he Is taken TO the company hos
pital II he dies. the company cor
oner conducts the inquest" Lawson
said. As long as 1 remember only
two verdicts unfav0rable TO the Col
orado Fuel x Iron company have been
found Coroners have habit OF Civ
ing a verdict OF suicide or death due
10 carelessness one coroner wrote I
I'm a certain case that the victim OF
the accident had no relatives and 4
few friends
Mr. Lawson told OF the shooting .
OF striking miners in Colorado. the I
shaitering OF miners homes. OF how .
hundreds in 1908 were dumped into .
the desert without food or water.
while others were driven over the snow
of the mountain ranges. He uttered a '
vigorous arraignment of Mr.. Rookie
feiler for his confessed lack of knowl-
edge OF conditions among the workers
Df the Colorado Fuel and Iron com.
pany.
No Aid for Unemployed.
The philanthropy OF the Rockefel-
ers Mr.. Lawson referred TO as fol-
ows:
Health for China. refuge for
birds. food for the Belgians. pensions
or New York widows. university train
ng for the elect-and never thought
II dollar for thousands of men. wom-
n and children who starved in Colo
ado. for the widows robbed of hus-
,ands, or OF children who lost their
athers. There are thousands of Mr..
employees in Colorado
Who wish TO God they were in Belgium
o be fed or a bird 10 be tenderly cared
or
your body can well afford to let
he testimony of John d. Rockefeller.
r.. bring your investigation to an (
nd" Mr. Lawson told the commission. !
Out OF his mouth came a reason for {
very discomfort that agitates the q
aboring class in the United States to-
ay. and il remedies are provided for q
he injustices that he disclosed a long :
tep will be taken away from indus '
rial disturbance. q
For more than ten years he has S
cen a director of the Colorado Fuel {
nd Iron company. vested with what is c
irtually the power of life and death 7
yer 1900 men and their families. v
his power. let IL be pointed out. came
, him by no healthful process OF ;
truggle and achievement, but entire a
through the fact that he was the a
on OF his father. His huge control of c
len and money was. in effect. a gift e
lar marked the attainment of his ma d
-