Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-08-16
STANDARD OIL.
DENOUNCED BY
WALSH BOARD
Report of Investigators for Indus
trial Commission Flags Com
pany for Attitude in the
Bayonne Strike.
DECENT WAGES ARE NOT PAID
Refusal to Deal With Union Repre-
sentatives Criticised in the
Findings.
SHERIFF IS GIVEN A SCORING

CHICAGO, Aug. 15.-The report
OF George P. West and C. T. Chen
cry, who investigated the July. 1915.
strike OF the Standard Oil Co. en-
ployes at Bayonne, N Y, for the
United States Commission on Indus
trial Relations, was made public to-
night by Frank P. Walsh, chairman
of the commission. The report said
in part, after stating that the strike
was against the Standard Oil Co. of
New Jersey:
''The company is the most import
ant of the Standard Oil group and
this group is the principal contrib
utor to the wealth, prestige and
power of the largest estate in the
country, If not in the world, that
of John d. Rockefeller, Sr., and his
immediate family.
THE facts regarding the companys
labor pulicles must therefore be regarded
as of special Importance, because Of the
tremendous power welded by the group
of men who control this industry, and
because of their announced intention to
enter the field Of industrial relations with
q view Of widening their influence ana
activity by propagating what they deem
TO be the proper theories and principles
that should govern the relations between
employer and employe
Findings of Fact.
THE following findings If fact are to
be considered in the light of the fore
going:
THE Standard Oil company of New
Jersey, although conducting an enor-
mously profitable enterprise. pays wages
too low to maintain family ON COM
Portable, healthful basis.
1T fixes wages not with relations to
the earnings of the company, but by
taking into considerations wages paid by
other companies In the same locality and
then fixing the wage as low or lower
than the prevailing wage in that local
ity. In Bayonne. IL paid common labor
ers less than two companies whose plants
adjoin it's refineries. This is in direct
contradiction to the claims of the com
pany In statement issued at 26 Broad
way. that 1t has always paid the pre-
vailing wage or better. The statement Of
the general manager of the company that
the interests of other companies in the
same locality are considered in the fixing
of wages constitutes. in effect. an ad-
mission that the company combines with
the poorest and least generous employers
to fix the wage rate.
Won't Deal with Unions.
THE company maintains a settled pol
icy of refusing to deal with any labor
organization or professional labor man
and even refuses to permit those en-
ployes who cannot speak English intelli-
gibly to engage an attorney as their
spokesman and representative"
Developing this last point further in
the report, 1t was stated chat Paul Supin-
sky. a Jersey City attorney, visited Gem
eral Superintendent Hennessey. of the
company as spokesman for a committee
of six employees who had hired him to
negotiate Cor him. II was further
stated that Mr. Hennessey. acting in
conjunction with MIR. Clifford. general
manager of the company. refused point
blank TO consider the demands and ex-
pressed indignation that the men should
have engaged a non-employe of the COM
pany to aid them in presenting their
grievances"
Tho men are made to understand
the report continued. that they must
seek no outside assistance in their deal
ings with the management and that any
show OF independence or any hint of
compulsion will be vigorously resented.
No Means of Redress.
The company has instituted no ma
ohinery by which real or fancied griev-
ances may be peacefully and promptly
adjusted. The officials say that any man
has access to the general superintendent.
but the employees sllege that they would
be discharged before reaching the office.
General Manager clifford is not be-
.liever In child labor legislation and on
the other hand, thinks the children should
be alloyed to go to work earlier. He
and Mr.. Hennessey apparently have lit
Continued on Page Two, Column Three.)