The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-08-19
STANDARD oil IS
UNFAIR REPORT OF
Investigators
Wages Paid BY Operators Are
Lowest PoSSibleEmpIoyes
Have No Rights Of
Protest.
EMPLOYERS TN A COMBINE
Plant superintendent Enter
Agreements With Other En-
ployers to Keep Wages Low
John D. Won Strike.
EMPLOYERS IN A COMBINE

George p. West and c. t. Chenery. who
investigated the July, 1915, strike OF
the Standard OIL company employees
at Bayonne. N. J., for the United
States commission on Industrial rela-
TONS was made public last night by
Frank p Walsh, chairman of the COM
mission. The report said In part. aft
er stating that the st=ike was against
the Standard OIL Company Of New
Jersey:
"This company is the most impor-
tant 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, IL
not In the world, that Of John ID. Rock
efeller, ST., and his immediate family.
Wages Too Low.
1.-THE fact regarding the company's
labor policies must therefore, be re-
garded as of special Importance, 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 OF
widening their Influence and activity,
propagating what they deem to be the
proper theories and principles that
should govern the relations between
employer and employee. The follow
ing findings Of facts are to be con-
sidered In the light OF the foregoing:
THE Standard Oily Company OF
New Jersey although conducting an
enormously profitable enterprise, pays
wages too low to maintain family on
a comfortable, healthful basis.
A Selfish Combination.
cit fixes wages, not with relation to
the earnings of the company, but by
taking into consideration wages paid
by other companies in same locality
and then fixing the wages as low or
lower than the prevailing wage in that
locality. In Bayonne II paid common
laborers less than the companies whose
plants adjoln ITS reflnerles. This is In
direct contradiction to the claim OF the
company in q statement issued at 20
Broadway that II has always paid the
prevailing wages or better. The state
ment OF the general manager Of the
company that the interests of the other
companies in the same locality are
considered in tho fixing Of wages con-
stitutes In effect an admission that
the company combines with the + or
est and least generous employers to
fix the wage rate s.at
"The company maintains q settled
policy OF refusing to deal with any
labor organization or professional
labor man, and even refuses to per-
init those employees who cannot speak
English Aintelligib.y to engage an at
torney as their spokesman and rep
resentative." t. aa -a
Developing this hast point further In
the report, II is stated that Paul SUI
piusky a Jersey City attorney, visited
General Superintendent Hennessy, OF
the company, as spokesman for COM
mittee OF six employees who had hired
him to negotiate for them.
1t was further stated that Mr.. Hem
messy, acting in conjunction with Mr..
Clifford. general manager of the COM
pany. refused point blank to consider
the demands and expressed indigna-
ton that the men should have en-
gnged a nonemploye OF the company to
aid them In presenting their griev-
ances." t.# v.
"The men are made to understand"
the report continued, that they must
seek no outside assistance In their
dealings with the management. and
that any show OF independence or any
hint Of compulsion win be vigorously
resented. ta
Hire Thugs for Guards.
THE company has instituted no ma
chinery by which real or fancied griey-
ances may be peacefully and promptly
adjusted. The officials say that any
man has access to the general superin-
tendent. but the employees allege that
they would be discharged before leav-
Ing the office. t
General Manager Clifford is not
believer in child labor legislation. and
thinks the children should be allowed
to go to work earlier. He and Mr..
Hennessy apparently have little re-
spect for the foreign born men whose
labor produces the company's earn
ings and who are proponents OF the
extremely individualistic and reaction
airy industrial theories discarded by
enlightened employers and by econo-
mists many years ago"
The report then recited that the
company employed detective agency
OF New York city to furnish guards
torney for the agency as referring to
the men as "a lot OF thugs"
The strike was broken by Sheriff
Kinkead." the report stated, who first
overawed and disorganized the strik-
ers BY assaulting and arresting one Of
their leaders and then strengthened
his control over them by promising to
use his influence to obtain an increase
IN wages by arresting 80 Of the armed
guards" ts n
was stated that the sheriff's alleged
assault was upon "a young Elizabeth
City socialist by the name of Jere-
miah Baily."
The report asserted that the sheriff
had suggested Baily as member OF
the strike committee. and when the
man went to the plant to draw back
pay insisted that Baily, not being an
employe OF the company, be barred
from the pay window, and that the
sheriff first "beat him viciousIy' and
then arrested him.
Then a Small Advance. 4
Sheriff Kinkead, of course, had the
cordial approval OF Standard Oil COM
pany officials, who were thus enabled
10 maintain their refusal to make any
concession to the men until the men
returned to work, and had In effect
thrown themselves upon the bounty
OF the company" continued the report.
The ouIeoIne OF the. strike consti-
tutes complete victory for the Stand
nrA OIL my ita xzitnl