The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1915-08-20
Company Blamed for Strike BY
Federal Investigators.
PAY LESS THAN COMFORTABLE LIVING
Settled Policy Toward Employees !:
Criticised Laws Against Child
Labor Strongly Opposed.

Chicago. report of George P
West and c. T. Chenery, who investi
gated the July, 1915, strike of the
Standard Oil Company employees al
Bayonne, N. j.. for the United States
Commission on Industrial Relations
was made public by Frank 2. Walsh
chairman of the commission. The re
port said, in part, after stating thai
the strike was against the Standard
Oil Company of New Jersey:
"The company is the most import
ant of the Standard Oil group and this
group is the principal contributor to
the wealth, prestige and power OF the
largest estate in the country, II mol
in the world, that of John D. Rocke
Teller, Sr., and his immediate family
The facts regarding the company's
labor policies must, therefore, be re
garded as of special significance be
cause of the tremendous power WELD
ed by the group of men who control
this industry and because of their an
nounced intention to enter the field Of
Industrial relations with a view te
widening their influence and activity
propagating what they deem to be the
proper theories and principles thai
should govern the relations between
employer and employe."
The following findings of fact are
to be considered in the light Of the
foregoing:
"The Standard Oil company, of New
Jersey, although conducting an enor
mously profitable enterprise, pays
wages too low to maintain a family
on a comfortable, healthful basis.
ut fixes wages, not with relation
to the earnings Of the company, bu
by taking into consideration wages
paid by other companies in the SAM
locality and then fixing the wage al
low or lower than the prevailing wag'
| in that locality. In Bayonne 1t pait
common laborers less than those o
two companies whose plants adjoil
Its refineries. This is in direct cor
tradiction to the claims of the CON
pany in a statement issued at 2
Broadway that 1t has always paid tn
prevailing wage or better. The state
ment of the general manager of tn
company that the interests of othe
companies in the same locality ar
considered in the fixing of wages cor
stitutes in effect an admission tina
the company combines with the poo
est and least generous employers t
fix the wage rate.
"The company has instituted no mi
chinery by which real or fancie
grievances may be peacefully an
promptly adjusted. The officials sa
that any man has access to the ge
eral superintendent, but the employt
allege that they would be discharge
before reaching the office.
General Manager Clifford is not
believer in child-labor legislation, an
on the other hand, thinks the childre
should be allowed to go to wor
earlier. He and Mr.. Hennessy appa
emily have little respect for the fol
eign-born men whose labor produce
the company's earnings and are prt
ponents of the extremely individual
istic and reactionary industrial theol
les discarded by enlightened employ
ers and by economists many year
ago."
The report then recited that TIL
company employed detective agenc
Of New York City to furnish guard
and strikebreakers. 1t quoted the a.
torney for the agency as referring t
these men as "a lot Of thugs" The II
vestigators added: "Their appear
ance amply justified his use of tn
term"
"The strike was broken by Sherii
Eugene Kinkhead," the report stated
"who first overawed and disorganize
the strikers by assaulting and arres
ing one of their leaders and the
strengthened his control over them b
promising to use his influence to oil
tain an increase in wages and by al
resting 80 Of the armed guards"