The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-04-30
ECHOES OF STRIKE
HEARD IN LETTERS
From Saturdays Daily.

between John ID Rockefeller, Jr., and
l.. VI. Bowers, chairman OF the exec
utive department OF the Colorado
Fuel and Iron company, was giver
out here today by the local felt
quarters of the United States com
mission on industrial relations. The
letters and kilograms relate to the
strike of coal miners I'm Southern Col
orado and were submitted to the com.
mission i'm accordance with demand
made for them at the hearing In New
York. January Is TO February 6, last.
The letters from Mr.. Bowers to his
superiors i'm New York emphasized
that the company had anticipated in
dustrial unrest and possible strike b,
initiating various reforms. such as the
eight hour day. bi-monthly paydays
and the employment by the men OF
their own check weighman. MIR. Bow
ers maintains in the correspondence
that these measures were voluntary
on the part of the company and were
not forced by the laws of the state. as
was maintained by the union men.
Call Made BY Stewart.
The first of the letters. dated Sep
TENDER l6. 1913. was addressed TO Mr.
Bowers by Starr j. Murphy, and de-
scribed a call made by Ethelbert Stew
art chief statistician OF the bureau
of labor statistics of the United States
department Of labor. MIR. Stewart
talked with Mr.. Murphy inasmuch as
John ID. Rockefeller. Jr., was absent
ON vacation.
The letter states that Mr.. Stewart
tnr
in the then threatened strike. told the
writer that he had called in New York
10 determine whether 1T would be
worth while for him TO go to Colora-
do" Mr.. Murphy wrote that he in
formed Mr. Stewart that the industrl-
al dispute would have to be handled
by the executive officers in Colorado:
that We here In the east knew moth
ing about conditions, and would be
unwilling TO make any suggestions TO
the executive officers" The letter
adds:
Our interview was pleasant. and
Mr.. Stewart does not seem TO be at
all of the labor agitator type"
In acknowledging this letter Mr..
Bowers complimented Mr.. Murphy for
the manner in which he handled the
subject inasmuch as he thus left the
Colorado men Handicapped i'm
event there Is strike among the
coal miners in Southern, Colorado. :,
The executive officers of the company
then proceeded to outline for MIR.
Murphy's information the methods by
which the concern had convinced it
self that certain reforms were neces-
sary.
Able to Carry Out Changes.
we have found Il desirable to take
up from time to time those questions
that were likely TO reach a controver-
sy and study them from every angle,
wrote Mr.. Bowers. where we could
meet them by making certain eco
nOmic changes without loss we have
taken the initiative I'm their applica-
ton In this mining district. We have
been opposed by some of our compel
Tive operators. whose notions of fair
ness are in our opinion somewhat
lopsided. but our position among them
was such that we have been able TO
inaugurate and carry out these chang
es without serious criticism on the
part OF these competitors. Today,
they are patting us on our backs.
We studied the eight-hour prob
lem, which we knew would come up
in the form of bills in the Legislature
and would be pushed through by agi-
tstors, so we anticipated these mat
tiers and experiments with eight hour
labor Generally speaking. we
found that working our mines eight
hours saved us In overhead expenses
and i'm other ways enough to Offset any
loss that might come from an eigh;
instead of nine or ten hour day In
many of our mines. After this had
been thoroughly settled I'm our minds
we established an eight hour day for
all coal miners, complying with union
rules in that respect, but operating as
non-union mines"
The letter goes on to relate that
the semi-monthly payday was inaug-
urated after the men OF one mine
told their superintendent that this
reform would be great convenience
TO them.
Pleased the Employees.
Investigation showed, Mr.. Bowers
ut one mine they would have to pa,
at all their mines but this was done
very much to the delight OF our EN-
ployes-wholly unsolicited. as yor
see. but II was done as a matter oI
policy, anticipating that these ques.
tons might be raised sooner or later
as we'll as because OF our willingness.
TO accommodate our employees. ever
at some extra cost TO u.s."
Mr.. Bowers told of the attempts oi
the company to persuade the men tC
select their own check weighman. He
wrote that the miners were urged
TO do this and added: $50 far as
know not single man was selected.
The accusation that miners were
forced to trade at the company store,
was denied by Mr.. Bowers. He argued
that all employees. were welcome Il
trade anywhere they wished. "as In,
money was their own" He said tina
a careful canvass OF all the company,
camp failed Ito find single case o
dissatisfaction Of this account"
The above covers every demand
being made now by the agitators," re.
lated the letter. with the exception
of recognition OF the union and !:
trumpet up demand for a ten pc
cent advance which is entirely bun
combe as the average wages
of our men are higher titan I'm AN,
other soft coal mining section W,
Enow Of This u iit.ludef IN their Dc
mands to fool the public and to in
spire our miners 10 unite VIII: tn,
diliSn.