Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-30

fueI q Iron Company, was given out
here today by the local field head
quarters OF the United States Com
mission on Industrial Relations. The
letters and kilograms relate to the
strike OF coal miners in Southern
Colorado and were submitted to tho
commission in accordance with a de-
mand made for them at the hearing in
New York, January Is to Feb. 6 last.
The letters from Mr. Bowers to his
superiors in New York emphasized
that the company had anticipated in .
dustrial unrest and possible strike by
initiating various reforms, such as the
eight-hour day, bi-monthly paydays
and the employment by the men OF
their own check weighman. Mr..
Bowers maintains in the correspond
ence. that these measures were volun-
tary on the part of the company and
were not forced by the laws of the
state, as was maintained by the union
men.
The first Of the letters dated Sept.
16. 1913, was addressed to Mr.. Bowers
by Starr J. Murphy and described
call made by MIR. Ethelbert Stewart,
chief statistician of the Bureau VI
Labor Statistics of the United States
Department of Labor. Mr.. Stewart
talked with Mr.. Murphy inasmuch as
Mr.. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was ao-
sent on a vacation.
The letter states that MIR. Stewart.
who had been appointed a meolalor IN
the then threatened strike, told the
writer that he had called in New York
to determine whether 1t would be
worth while for him to go to Colo
RADIO" Mr.. Murphy wrote that he in =
formed Mr.. Stewart that the indus.
trial dispute would have to be
handled by the executive officers In
Colorado; that we here in the east
knew nothing about conditions, and
would be unwilling TO make any sug-
gestions to the executive officers" The
letter adds:
Our interview was very pleasant.
aud Mr.. Stewart does not seem to be
at all of the labor agitator type"
Ia acknowledging this letter MT.
Bowers conaplimented Mr.. Murphy for
the manner in which he had handled
the subject inasmuch as he thus left
Colorado men 'Unhandicapped IN
event there is strike among the coal
miners in southern Colorado" The
executive officers of the company then
proceeded to outline for Mr. Murphy's
/ information the methods by which the
concern had convinced itself that Ger
| tain reforms were necessary.
/ We have found ii desirable to take
UP from time TO time those questions
that We're likely TO reach con-
troversy and study them from ever
ANGLE wrote Mr.. Bowers. Where
! we could meet them by making GER
! tain economic changes without loss
we have taken the initiative in their
application in this mining district.
We have been opposed by some Of our
competitive operators. whose notions
of fairness are in our opinion some
what lopsided, but our position among
them was such that we have been able
to inaugurate and carry out these
4 changes without serious criticism on
the part Of these competitors. Today,
they are patting US on our backs.
We studied the eight hour problem,
which we knew would come up in the
form of bills in the legislature and
would be pushed through by agitators,
so we anticipated these matters anu
experiments with eight hours labor.
- Generally speaking, we found
that working our mines eight hours
saved US in overhead expenses and in
! other ways enough to offset any loss
| that might come from an eight in
stead of nine or ten hour day in many
Of our mines. After this had been
| thoroughly settled in our minds. we
established an eight-hour day for all
coal miners, complying with union
rules in that respect, but operating as
non-union mines"
The letter goes on to relate that the
semi monthly payday was inaug"
! urated after the men OF one mine told
their superintendent that this reform
would be a great convenience to
them.
| Investigation showed. Mr.. Bowers
wrote, that If they paid twice month
at one mine they would have to pay a:
all their mines but this was done
very much to the delight of our en-
ployes-wholly unsolicited, as you see
| but il was done as a matter OF pollcy
anticipating that these questions
might be raised sooner or later. as
well as because Of our willingness II
accommodate our employees. even at
some extra cost to U.s.
Mr.. Bowers told Of the attempts OF
the company to persuade the men to
select their own check weighmen. He
said that the miners were urged" to
do this and added: $50 far as know
not a single man was selected"
The accusation that miners wer.
forced to trade at the company stores
was denied by Mr.. Bowers. He ar
gued that all employees were welcome
to trade anywhere they wished, "as
the money was their own" He said
that a careful canvass Of all the com
pany's camp failed ito find single
case of dissatisfaction Of this az
count"
The above covers every demand
being made now by the agitators," re-
lated the letter, with the exception %
recognition of the union and q
trumped up demand for ten per cent
advance which is entirely buncoIn.
az the average wages Of our men are
HIGHER than in any other soft coal