Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-03-02

WASHINGTON. March IA ecsth-
ing arraignment of the Colorado mill
tia for It's treatment of striking
miners and their families is contained
In a voluminous report submitted to
the House today by the mines and
mining subcommittee, which investi-
gated conditions In the Colorado coal
fields under a resolution adopted a
year ago in January. While scoring
conditions generally in the coal fields
and criticising many Of the acts OF
the mine operators. including alleged
violation of State laws, the committee
reports that no evidence was found
of conspiracy in restraint Of trade
to limit the output Of the mines, nor
conclusive proof of the existence OF
peonage.
The strike was settled long befors
J the COMMITTEES completed ite report. 50
no specific Recommendations are made
! The committee appeals. however, for
arbftration in such situations. II de-
! cIares that these disturbances are
nation-wide in their importance; that
the Federal government Is the only
mower competent to deal with them,
and. after referring to the testimony
of John D. Rockefeller, jr., who dis
claimed responsibility for Colorado
conditions, adds: -
"Absentee owners or directors. by
their absence from the scene of sucn
disturbances, cannot escape tnelr
moral responsibility for conditions in
and about properties in which tney
are interested"
Liberal extracts from the 2,oco pages
Of testimony taken by the speciai
COMMITTEES are embodied In the report,
with this comment:
Find Testimony UnreIishie.
Considerable testimony on both
sides OF the controversy. we believe,
unreliable. and no confidence should
he placed in 1t. Colorado had gooo
u;nine laws and such that ought to
a ford protection to the miner, II tney
are enforced, yet in this State the
nercentaee of fatalities is larger tnan
anv other. showing there Is unooupt-
adiv something wrong in reference 20
the management of it's coal mines. II
;s contended by the miners as one OF
their Grievances that the operators DO
not ohey the law, and however gooo
the laws may be, IL not observed they
are of no protection.
"The testimony Of James Dairympie.
state mine inspector, calls attentlon
to the many violations OF the law py
the operators, and the miners ciaiIn
this as one Of the causes Leaains ny
20 III. strike. The report OF MT. Dai-
rvrnnle also says he found In SOME
cases the operators had put In opera
t;on new devices and systems OF an
adj sntage to the m ners.
"yt seemed the militia was on the
-,de of the operators In this contro-
varsy." says the report after reci,-
;.g the action of the governor IN call
,n9 out the State troops, and the
avidence seems conclusively TO prove
svch 10 have been the case. The
sooner men armed in the service OF
the state learn that the men Win
whom they may deal may De poor
and ignorant and even violators OF
the law, but are still human, tne Dee-
fer II will be for all concerned.
Acts of Brutality.
.sTha recruiting Of mine guards as
members of the militia, in our Judg-
nent was a mistake. since intense
animosity had existed for some time
hetween the mine guards and the
miners. and it was dif1lcult, or even
;nnnossible. for the miners to feel tnar
these men were neutral conservators
~ tha ueace. Some OF the mllitiamen
ed The opportunity, while clothed
with the authority of the state, to
engage in various lawless acts.
I'm other instances the acts were
~ an Immoral kind and of such a
natnre as to be UNFIT for publication
n This report There were acts OF
hrutafity testified to before the COM
mittee which might be enumerated;
men on slight provocation were
thrown into jail and kept there with
ont the opportunity OF proving their
,rrocence. There we're many good
men in the militia. both officers and
nrivates. and the strikers testifying
said that certain companies were
cornposed of kind men. and II their
houses were to be searched they asked
thst members of these companies
might be sent: but II others were
serf to do the searching they would
hs subjected to indignities and would
rroisnIv be robbed of whatever they
r,iobt have that the militia wanted"
The committee denounces John NJ.
chase. adjutant-general OF the militia
Of the state. for his refusal to testify
except upon condition that he would
not be questioned by representatives
81 the miners. and declares that he
"was overbearine to all who came In
contact with him"
Reviewing the testimony Of many
witnesses. the report says from the