The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-02-01
PLAN
IN COLORADO IS
SIMPLY ABSURD
Industrial Commission Hears
Views Of John Mitchell, of
State Workmen's Compensa-
ton Board.

former president OF the United Mine
Workers Of America and now a mem-
Der Of the state workmcn's compen
sntion commission. told the federal
Industrial relations commission today
thai the Rockefeller plan of settling
labor troubles In Colorado was sim
ply absurd
No good can come out Of such n
plan" said he. "1hc uuorgnnized
men can be depended upon to select
90 represent them only men the boss
~ want. They may not be directly
Influenced TO do this: but there will
be an indirect Influence which they
cannot resist.
we have gone through such "a
thing before. The slogan. We might
as well starve idle as star,c working
will naturally be raised again Just as
u was in 1909 in the anthracite
fields
Mitchclrs reference WIS Ia Tie
plan of collective bargaining suggest
ed 90 the Rockefeller interests by w.
l.. Mackenzie King. former commits
siuner OF labor Of Canada. who was
recently employed by the Rockefcl-
Ter foundation To- conduct an investl-
CATION into Industrial relations
Mitchell thought the referendum
and recall was 81 advantage To- labor.
Speaking Of compensation FOR
w-orkingmon. Mitchell said il was ef-
%fcctivc In more ways han one.
when" said he. 1T costs more 10
XIII a man than II does Co save him
the employers will save their work.
ers.'
Mitchell said that where men are
u-norganizcd the death rate les higher
and the wuge rate lower.
"For instance ne said. tho death
rate In Colorado and West Virginia
Is about six per one thousand. In
other localities. where the men are
organic ID. they are not inclined TO
take risks that u-norganizcd men will
take"
II do not believe. said Mr.. pinchot.
after finishing the statement. that
the Associated press will carry on IL
wire dispatches concerning ms testi-
mony here about IL There is "a by
law in the Associated Press which
provides that any member printing
news d~crogatory 20 the Associated
Press viii G disciplined and Is subject
to losing It's franchise
Commissioner Walsh asked the Wit
ness II he knew any instance OF a
member OF the Associated Press being
disciplined Tor the violation of the al
legged bylaw. Mr.. Piuchot replied
that Mr.. Mccormick. editor Of the
Chicago Tribune. had been so discip-
lined some years ago. The commits
siuncr then asked the witness 10 ue
knew uf any public record OF such by
law. To his Mr. pichot replied that
last year Clarence Shclrn, In filing a
complaint against the Associated
Prchs. in behalf OF the New YORK sun,
included the alleged bylaw In the
papers.
The witness said that he himself
had q copy of tine bylaw. After being
asked by the commissioner 10 produce
II, he was excused
John Mitchell, former president of
the United Mine Workers uf America
and now a member OF the Sew York
state wurNWcua compensation rlm-
mission. testified IcXt. Mitchell said
ne believed certain improvements had
Resulted boa hcttoring the condition of
the workers. As an example he point
ed tu the United States steel corpor-
alton.
"On the other hand, Mitchell con
tinucd, the great combinations have
done much Go harm the working men.l
For Instance many of the big corpor-
ati0us refuse 90 treat Wit" ORGANIZED
labor. This is q great misakc."
Mitchell said that il was the denial
NJ industrial association" that caused
industrial revolutions in Paterson,
West Nirginia. Lawrence. Mass, and
other places There can be no indus
trial peace he saiu. until an working
people have the right To bargain for
the sale of their labor.
He said ~, dld not know lust nov
much the 'partlaI control OF hnan-
Cia; Interests owe the industries had
affected thr worEers. II, however, APP
lpcarcd, ne said, that the financial in
stltutions were able 20 control the
situation" We cited as an example
the settlement of he anthracite strike
Of 1909. when j r. Morgan and COM
pnny suggested 1 satisfactory solution
after one offered hg the railroads had
been turned down.
Referring tu wages In tho Pcnnsyl-
wanna anthracite region, he said hey
'wcrc about forty per cent higher now
than before tho settlement Of the
strike.
A. the resumption OF the HEARINGS
today Amos Piuuhot was recalled 10
hnish his testimony interrupted by ad-
tournament ON saturday. Another Wit
ness called to testify today was James
.NacKayc who was anxious 10 odtli1,
his scheme for handling tho coal
mines i'm Alaska. J. y. Morgan and
John Mitchell. the la0or leader, viii
today ur tomorrow,
Amos Pinchot was the FIRST witness.
He was permitted 10 finish the reading
Of testimony he had not concluded
while on he stand Saturday, hut
which had been placed In the record.
In this ne had accused the Associated
Press OF partially to the capitalistic
side Of labor controversies In the
handling of news,
Harry Ray. inc former o%utreldcr oi