New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-31
Lawson Tells Industrial
Board Obedience to Law
Is Sole Salvation.
MINE OPERATORS
TOO RICH TO SUE
LabOr's Chance Slim, He
Thinks - PinChOt for
Union Recognition.


Pinchot. OF this city. we're on the stand
yesterday before the Federal Industrial
Commission at City Hall. The labor
man continued 10 declare the ignorance
of John d. Rockefeller. ir.. regarding
conditions in the mines and the
methods Of the Colorado Fuel and
hon Company Mr. Pinchot assaled
college presidents and professors OF
economics, who, he said. "were general
ly the last persons to look at labor
questions from practical point OF
vicw."
81 was az Newcastle during the 1905
strike" said the Colorado man. "when
the homes Of five labor leaders were
blown up by dynamite. Mine was one
OF them. No ono has yet been pun
ished for that crime Mr.. Rockefeller
made the statement last April that so
far as his company was concerned, il
would rather lose all it had invested in
the Colorado mines than recognize the
United Mine Workers Of America. Two
weeks later Colorado had its Ludlow.
! hope there was no connection between
the two, but think men whose words
mean so much, especially to gunmen
in the industry. should be careful of
the words they employ
The social life of the miners. he
said. was limited especially in closed
camps. The companies own all the
buildings, run III. schoolhouses and
churches. and even direct the recrea-
tions of the workers. be declared.
Company Has Coroner, Too.
He pictured how young man might
90 to work at one of the camps. If he
wishes to buy he must do so at the
cempsny's store; he is also compelled
TO visit the company doctor. and if he
is injured he goes to a company hos
pital.
"And ] want to say, Mr.. Chairman.
the speaker continued, "if he dies he
will be examined by a company coroner.
And the fatalities in the Colorado
mines have been much higher than any
place in the world-so much so that
humanity has been shocked
Lawson explained that detectives and
gunmen-marshals spied or the men
when they gathered to discuss griev-
ances. and had been known TO drive
them down the canyon many times for
this reason. The company was also
said to control the ministers so abso-
lutelv that mine bosses could dictate
lust what was 10 be spoken from the
pulpit. And it was Just the same with
the school teachers, the witness added.
Replying to questions from members
Of the commission. Lawson said law
had been passed sixteen years ago for
bidding the use OF scrip and providing
that workers be paid in cash. Yet he
said that the Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company continued to pay in scrip
until 1918. and the workers were forced
TO cash IL at "A 10 per cent discount
with the saloonkeeper or storekeeper.
Chairman Walsh then asked the wit
ness 10 tell of his meeting with John
ID. Rockefeller. jr.. on Friday. He re-
FLIED that he had an agreeable talk
with the Inancier.
Didn't Like Rockefeller Plan.
"We discussed the Colorado situation
informally. for ! went not as a repre-
sentative of organized labor, but as one
American citizen 10 another. ! told
him didn't think much of the plan
outlined 20 bring about q correction Of
abuses out there. and suggested the
holding Of conference to talk the
matter over. II that were held | think
a scheme might be evolved to bring
peace TO Colorado coal mining"
During lawson story of the hard
shiDs which the workers had to en-
dure i'm Colorado there were several
outbursts Of applause. and more than
once Chairman Walsh raped on his
+ desk for order. The audience, which
fllcd the Aldermanic Chamber, appar-
Cntly sympathized with the miners and
was much interested in the witness 5
4 tale. lie brought "a laugh when he told
how he had frequently been followed
by company thugs and had been ar
rested and even thrown into jail for
carrying a gun when he didn't happen
t0 1--we one Oh hirl.
When asked abou. DR.. Eliot's testi-
mony that II was wrong to elect men AS
roads of unions who had been convict
cd Of crime. he said: Because of my
knowledge and observation that the
great corporations can take any man
and convict him of any crime. and un-
/ ,iI the time comes when the Iaboring
man has the same standing in court as
the millionaire. ] do not agree with
Ur Eliot. I believe a criminal who
yio,ates the law should he punished.
whether he is within or without the
ranks of labor. 49,,
zen's duty in dealing with bad law.
uc cave a. mis- view that every man
,,.od II TO society 20 live up to every
/ low and if the law was not good 20 use
- influence 10 have IL either taken
srou The statute books or hay.
amended. a.. ..u.
,as,;cr 70 Commissioner Welnstock
dc re were neighbors and you told
80 20 come over with gun. that your
- ,yas being invaded, would | be
noI.' .,r, the law" He replied that
,houeht so IL h. sent the invitation
,o ~ .nme over broadcast through the
state.
Nineteen indictments LeH.
NJ. Hartman then inquired abou'
/ .ho srmine OF the strikers, Dut aitei
,ba vritness told the date they received