Denver labor bulletin., 1915-10-23
DON'T LIKE PLAN
OF YOUNG JOHN D.
u. M. W. of A. Committeeman
Speak Their Minds
Gall Attention to Some Phases Of the
Plan That Fuel Company Head
Gave Employees

ouh investigation of mining conditions
! in Colorado. have been for more than
a month attending to that duty. 1hey
| have visited every coal mining section
| in pursuance of their duties and have
| obtained much valuable information that
will be later embodied in report TO
be presented to the United Mine Work
ers' officials. There is no question but
what their final findings will have much
| to do with the future policy to be pur-
| sued by the coal miners OF District 10.
But it is safe to say that the work
of organization will be containucd until
| Colorado is well organized. Messrs.
Tetlow. Moran and Harlin will return IN
November to continue their investiga-
| tions.
Rockefeller's Plan.
The gentlemen did not take overly
kindly to Rockefeller's plan presented
to his workmen and adopted by them,
and issued their views thereupon as ioi-
| lows:
'We have carefully perused Mr..
Rockefeller's plan of Industrial Coop
Grafton and Social Welfare, and We note
| that the company in issuing the plan
states that it was discussed and adopt
ed at a Joint conference OF the COM
pany's Officers and the representatives
of its employees held at Pueblo on Sat
urday, October 2, 1915" notwithstanding
that at the time of its issuance the con-
ference had not been convened.
This calm assurance on the part of
the company that the result of the joint
conference was foregone conclusion
speaks eloquently OF their firm eonvic-
ton that the plan to work at all,
must work in harmony with their de-
sires.
''The great fundamental principles OF
industrial democracy and the right OF
collective bargaining which alone can
guarantee to the Colorado worker his
civil and political liberties have no place
in the document that has been so elab-
orately prepared by Mr.. Rockefeller and
his associates. for the future guidance
of his six thousand silent and appa-
rently non-consulted partners in the
mining camps of southern Colorado
Condition in Southern Colorado.
"Jhe historic strike of the Colorado
miners turned the searchlight upon the
unspeakable industrial conditions exist
ing in the southern Colorado coal fields.
"Prblic opinion condemned in unmeas
ured terms the spirit OF arrogance and
intolerance displayed by the coal opera
tors toward President Wilson and the
other earnest men who at diffeI eDt times
endeavored to work out solution of
the strike.
Exposed in their nnkedncss by the
| disclosures of u federal investigation,
| discredited in the eyes of every fair
minded man and woman ihruout the
nation, stained by the awful crime OF
Ludlow, it finally dawned upon these
| hat lao, ID fr
redeem themselves in the public mind,
and the best brains that their money
could buy We're put to the task OF draft-
ing document that would provide a
| more refined system OF exploitation and
that in plausible terms would outline
| plans for the hearing OF grievances while
at the same time il guarded ever so
carefully every vested right heretofore
claimed by the company.
THE plan fails 10 provide for meet
ings or conventions u the miners cxcept
locally. and by doing so insures com
pany domination OF liz working
"All meetings except local mine meet
ngs are to be Joint meetings where the
company will have equal representation,
thus eliminating tie danger OF the col
lective action that might result if the
men from several mines met together
3, Tree from company influence.
| An Arbitrary Document.
THE document arbitrarily fixes living
and working conditions from its becom-
ing effective until January l. 1915, will,
a proviso that any increase in wages
granted in competitive districts where
the company does not conduct operations,
a proportional increase shall be made; ;
no doubt with the end in view of safe
guarding the competitive advantage the
| company now has over the Wyoming,
Montana and other adjacent union fields
where the union scale is much higher
than in Colorado
eve are glad to observe that the
operators concede the men the many
favorable conditions provided in the
tsate mining laws, and which formed so
large a part OF the original demands of
the United Mine Workers two wears
ago, and we have no hesitation in stat
ing Our belief that the plan will un-
questionably be of benefit 10 the Colo
rado Fuel and Iron Company, and il
sincerely carried out will no doubt
eradicate some of the lesser though
none the less offensive, evils that have
existed SO long in the southern Colo.
RADIO coal fields.
ne evils thAt are fundamental VIII
be eradicated when the men are repre-
sented by labor organization powerful
enough TO compel recognition of the in
dustrial, political and civic rights of it,
members, and capable of writing these
principles into the joint agreement
along with the rights claimed by tho
employer.
Had the employees of the Colorado
Fuel and Iron COMPANY been go many
children of tender age, the paternal con
troll they geek to exercise thru the me
dunn of the Plan would be proper; t.
grown men of independent thought in .
nation that boasts of its free institu
tinns IL cannot h1 ailar H.. ..s....x<