The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-03
COLORADO REPORT
ASSAILS JOHN D., JR.
Did Nothing TO Aid Mine En-
plOyces, House Committee
Asserts.
DIDN'T TRY TO ARBITRATE

wAsHtNGroN. March 2.-Criticisiug
conditions in the colorado coal fields.
the treatment of strikers by the militia
and many acts Of the operators the
Mines and Mining subcommittee made
It's report to-day to the House after
more than u years inv estigation.
The committee, however. was unable
to find evidence of "A conspiracy In re-
strdint OF trade to limit the output OF
the mines or proof of the existence OF
coinage.
After referring 10 the testimony or
John u. Rockefeller, Jr., VINO disclaimed
responsibility for conditions. the report
says:
Absentee owners or directors by their
absence from the scene of such disturb
ances cannot escape their moral reSpon-
sibility for conditions IN and about prop
critics in which they are interested.
M <id to Employees.
"Mr. Rockefeller. a large stockholdcr
Of the most powerful conpan in the
state, has done a great deal for the up
lift Of people in other parts of the
country and in foreign lands. spending
millions OF dollars in this work.. yet
io has not e~ndeavored to improve the
condition of the more than 5000 en-
ployees in tho company with which he
is connected and has not visited the
state for more than ten years.
"Mr. Rockefeller is a long distance
director. not having attended = meeting
OF the stockholders or directors of the
company in ten years. II seems to have
been his practice to select such men az
he thought best for him and then look
only TO them for the cement with
out any personal knowledge of the CON
ditions.
"Mr. Rockcfcller. before the committee
in Washington. said he would not agree
10 arbitration. for the reason that he
was lighting for a great principe and
would sacrifice all his property for tho
principle Of every man to he free To
work for whom he pleases and on such
terms as best suit the worker. He
should remember that for thirty years
there has been the ~fiercest struggle
among the workers in the mines of
Colorado. lie may win a strike by star
walton under the false banner of liberty
FOR the worklngman. but We do not he-
lteve he can maintain peace under such
conditions as exist In that state.
No Judge Of Conditions.
Mr.. Rockefeller was not a good Judge
of conditions in Colorado and knew
nothing about them. He was not willing
to submit to a fair board Of arb!ters 10
settle this strike. He was obstinate and
the statement that he was fighting for
liberty for the workingman Wi. not bear
investigation. The strike could have
been settled without recognition of the
union had he desired to do so and the
employees could ave worked for him
whether members of the union or not.
we believe he did not desire 10 ar
bitratc and in that way end this strike
and one must conclude he would rather
guns. pay of detectives and mine guards
and starve the strikers into submission.
On the other hand. the miners were
insis:ent on the recognition OF their
union. In the employment of force to
win the strike they went beyond the
rights OF law abiding citizens and COM
United acts of violence. They always.
however. seemed willing 10 meet and en-
deavor TO settle the dispute by srbitra-
ton and it is believed that a settlement
could have been made on a basis fair to
Doth the employer and employee
Liberal extracts from the 1000 pages
OF testimony taken by the committee
are embodied in the report. with this
comment:
Considerable testimony on both sides
of tho controversy we believe unreliable,
and 10 confidence should be placed in it.
Colorado has good mining |; VS., and
such that ought to afford protection to
the miner Il they are enforced, yet in
this State the percentage of fatalities
is larger than any other. showing there
IL undoubtedly something wrong in
reference TO the management % It's coal
mines. II is commended by the miners
as one of their grievances that the
operators do not obey the law, and.
however good the laws may be. il not
observed they are OF no protection