The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-05-19
Social Worker in Colorado
Camps Tells Industrial Re-
lations Commissions Minor
Officials to Blame.
c, r. G 1. NO LONGER
SEEKS TO RUN POLITICS
Letter Read Into Record To-
day Indicates WelbOrn Re-
fused to Give Up to the Boys
for Campaign Expenses.


Washington. May te.-flcspons!bil-
ity for the Colorado Gal strike "a
laid at the door OF minor officials OF
the coal companies directly In touch
with the men, In testimony today De-
fore the Industrial relations commits
SIN. By Rev. Eugene :. Gciddis, a
Methodist clergyman and former SUI
pe%rintcndcnt Of the sociological WorN
for the Colorado Fuel and Iron com-
pany. Minor officials in touch with
the men were 'brutes' ana bias
phemous bullies.' be said.
Mr. walsh asked II there We're no
state officers 90 protect workers
against cruelties at the hands OF
min bosses.
The state OF Colorado is epre-
sented in the closed camps and IN
some Of the open camps BY justices OF
the peace who we're company men,
said Geiddis. Coal az any cost was
tho avowed policy 81 the small bos-
SEES. one OF them told me that a
drunken spree vas good for a miner,
because M worked harder 90 maze
up after the spree
Influence Of the ~sub-bosses or tho
Colorado company was important in
politics. Geiddis declared. lie said in
the national election In November,
1914. he saw a mine store manager
aud a local approximations acting as
election judges at the polls In open
violation OF the state law.
Sociological conditions In the
camps. while considerable betterment
work has 0een undertaken, We're gem
orally bad and cursed with saloon
associa;ions,' and In many cases
''disreputaDly di~sgraceful,'
Geiddis thought the company prot
tied by the camp saloon.
Twenty nve years ago. he said,
four-hnhs OF the men In the Colorado
mines spoke the English language.
Not Ions before the strike. however.
he asserted. "thc ratio was exactly
reversed and only one-Afth of the m
ployes were English speaking
I'VE were informed, he said. that
foreigners were given h preferred
places because they were better money
makers"
"rhe policy of the company" said
tho witness. "ls 10 Condono parceling
cut camp saloons. many iu company
buildings. Go human ghOuis who oper-
ate them illegally. I'm %conuiyancc with
he marshals. Saloons after pas
da}s are chambers of horrors and
outlaws are fattenlng on the earnings
OF the Miners with the t1cit approval
OF Mr.. Rockefelicr's officials
els 90 "a fact asked Chairman
walsh. "that the Colorado Fuel and
Iron company sim has control Of poll
tics in Colorado
They control d ms Ear as they
dare Gciddls replied, although do
not think they do II to such an ox-
tent MS before the coal strike. They
absolutely controlled q before the
strike
Chairman Walsh read into the rec
ord q letter sent 10 the commission
by John -. Rockefeller, Jr., written
by l.. N. Bowcrs. chairman Of the ex-
ocutiye department OF the company in
Miay. 1918.
'"rhc Colorado Fuel and Iron com
pany. for many years, ne wrote,
"wcrc accused or oelng the political
dictator OF southern Colorado, and In
fact Hore 20 mighty pcwer In the en-
tire state. Whca I came mere II was
said that the coorado Fuel and Iron
company voted every nan and Voc
man in their employ without regard
10 their being naturalized or not; and
even their mules, IL used Ca be re-
marked, were registered II they were
fortunate enough Co possess anne
Anyhow. "a political department
was maintained at "a heavy expense
had before me the contributions OF
the Colorado Fuel and Iron company
for the campaign Of 1904, amounting
90 SsO.G05 poid out personally by
President Hcarnc. Al the vouchers