New Britain herald., 1915-02-01
FEDERAL COMMISSION
 HEARS TESTIMONY Mitchell Says Rockefeller Plan is
 "SimpIy Absurd" LAB0R'S DEMANDS BROUGHT OUT

Pinchot Takes Crack at Associated
 Press-''Workingme Do Not Want
 Benefactions or Charity, but Indc-
 pendence," Part of Mitcheu's Talk.
 New York, Feb. 1.-"Simply ab- surd,'' was the manner in which John Mitchell, former president of the United Mine Workers of America and now a member of the state workmen's compensation commission, today char acterized before the federal industrial relations commission the Rockefeller plan of settling labor troubles in Co., orado
 NO good can come out of such a plan," said MT. Mitchell. '"The un- organized men can be depended upon to select to represent them only men the bosses want. They may not be directly influenced to do this, but there will, be an indirect influence which they cannot resist.
 We have gone through such a thing before. The slogan We might as we'll starve idle as starve work ing will naturally be raised again just
  cite f1elds''
 MT. Mitchelps reference was to the plan of collective bargaining suggest ed to the Rockefeller interests by W. L. Mackenzie King, former commis- sioner of labor of Canada who was recently employed by the Rockefeller Foundation to conduct an investiga- tion into industrial relations.
 ifoI In11 dunn and recall was of an advantage to labor.
 Compensation for Workmen.
 Speaking of compensation for work men MT. Mitchell said it was effective in more ways than one.
 "When,' said he, "it costs more to kill man than it does to save him the employers will save their work ers''
 Takes Crack at A. P.'
 At the resumption of the hearings Amos Pinchot was recalled to finish ,estim ony he had not concluded while 1n the stand Saturday. but which had been placed on the record. Tn this 1e had accused the Associated Press If partiality to the capitalistic side If labor controversies in the handling # news. ''I do not beieve'' said MT. Pin 'hot, after finishing the statement 1 hat the Associated Press will carry 'n it's wire despatches concerning my testimony here about it. There is | bylaw in the Associated Press 1 which provides that any member l printing news derogatory to the As i ociated Press will be disciplined and l S subject to losing it's franchise"
 Commissioner Walsh asked the wit ness if he knew of any instance of a | member of the Associated Press be- ing disciplined for the violation of the ] alleged bylaw. MT. Pinchot replied that MT. Mccormick, editor of the Tribune had been so disci- plined some years ago. The commits sioner then asked the witness if he knew of any public record of such a by law. To this MT. Pinchot renlioJ that last year Clarence Shearn in fil- ng complaint against the Associat- ed Press in behalf of the New York sun had included the alleged bylaw m the papers.
 The witness said that he himself had a copy of the bylaw. After be- ng asked by the Commissioner to
 
 further questioning
 James Mackaye of Boston, an engi- 1eer, was the next witness. He read l statement outlining a constructive plan he had drawn up for regulating he wage problem.
 Mitchell Testifies.
 John Mitchell testified next. In re- ply to questions MT. Mitchell said that le believed certain improvements had resulted toward the betterment of the condition of the workers. As an ex- ample he pointed to the United States Steel corporation.
 "On the other hand" MT. Mitchell continued, the great com binations lave done much harm to the work ngmen. For instance; many of the i Jig corporations refuse to treat with organized labor. This is a great mis- ake.
 q do not wish to take anythinr lway from the good the corporations lave done. Nothing, however, can compensate workmen for taking away he right to deal collectively with heir employers
 The working people do not want 'enefactions or charity: they want in- and the right to bargain 1 the witness said. 1 The concentration of industry has yorked to retard the development of he worker, MT. Mitchell thought. It ppeared, he said, that the financial , 1stitutions were able to "control the 1 ituation." He cited as an example 1e settlement of the anthracite coal t trike of 1902 when J. P. Morgan and ( ompany suggested a satisfactory so- ltion after one offered by the rail- S pads had been turned down. Commissioner WeinstOck questioned