The Weston leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 189?-1946, 1915-08-20
STANDARD WAGES
| THOUGHT TOO Low
Cs=s;'ssy Css=ss'sssayy BLAMED BLAMED for NFlae BY
Federal Investigators.
PAY LESS Than COMFORTABlI LINING
Settled Policy Toward Employees Is
Criticised Laws Against Child
Labor Strongly Opposed.
PAY LESS TaAA COMFORTABLE uslS6

Chicago.-The report OF George p.
West and c. 7. Chenery, who investi-
gated the July, 1918. strike OF the
Standard on Company employees at
Bayonne. N. J.. for the United States
Commission on Industrial Relations,
was made public BY Frank +. walsh
chairman OF the commission The re.
port said. IN part. after stating that
The strike was against the Standard
on Company OF New Jersey:
~The company Is the most import
ant 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, II not
In the world, that Of John d. Rocke-
teller. Sr.. aud his immediate family.
The facts REGARDING the eompany's
labor policies must. therefore. be re
garded as OF special significance be
cause OF the tremendous power WELD.
ed by the group OF men who control
this industry and because OF their an
nounced intention 10 enter the field OF
Industrial relations with view TO
widening their influence and activity,
propagating what they deem to be the
proper theories and principles that
should govern the relations between
employer and employe."
The following findings Of fact are
TO be considered In the light OF the
foregoing:
~The Standard OIL company. OF New
Jersey, although conducting an enor-
mously profitable enterprise. pays
wages too low TO maintain n family
on . comfortable. healthful basis.
1T fixes wages. not with relation
to the earnings OF the company. but
by taking into consideration wages
paid BY other companies In the same
locality and then fixing the wage as
low or lower than the prevailing wage
IN that locality. In Bayonne II paid
common laborers less than those OF
two companies whose plants adsoin
its refineries. This Is In direct con
tradiction 10 the claims OF the COM
pany in a statement issued at 26
Broadway that 1t has always paid the
prevailing wage or better. The state
ment OF the general manager Of the
company that the interests OF other
companies in the same locality are
considered In the fixing Of wages con-
stitutes in effect an admission that
the company combines with the poor
est and least generous employers to
Tx the wage rate.
aThe company has instituted no ma
chinery by which real or fancied
grievances may be peacefully and
promptly adjusted. The officials say
that any man has access to the gen
eral superintendent, but the employees
allege that they would be discharged
before reaching the office.
General Manager Clifford Is not q
believer in ehild-labor legislation, and
on the other hand, thinks the children
should be allowed to go to work
earlier. He and Mr.. Hennessy appar-
emily have little respect for the for
efgn-born men whose labor produces
the company's earnings and are pro
ponents Of the extremely individual
istic and reactionary industrial theor-
les discarded by enlightened employ
ers and by economists many years
ago"
The report then recited that the
company employed detective agency
of New York City to furnish guards
and strikebreakers. 1t quoted the at
torney for the agency as referring to
these men as "a lot Of thugs" The in
vestigators added: Their appear
ance amply justified his use of the
term"
sThe strike was broken by Sheriff
Eugene Kinkhead," the report stated,
awho first overawed and disorganized
the strikers by assaulting and arrest
ing one of their leaders and then
strengthened his control over them by
promising to use his influence to OBJ
tain an increase in wages and by ar
resting 80 Of the armed guards"