Evening star., 1915-01-31

| I'm almost every great industry the
thing which both capital and labor
| must have in order to apply them
selves are SO cornered or contracted by
| a small monopolistic group that busi-
| ness cannot be extended and employ
| ment cannot be increased, and there re-
| suits on the one hand a restriction of
| product and consequent high prices to
| the consumers, and the restriction OF
| labor and consequent unemployment
and poverty in the labor class"
Anthracite Coal Industry.
The witness mentioned the anthra-
cite coal industry as monopoly which
| produced such a restriction, and said
| that the same condition existed to a
great extent in the soft coal field of
| Colorado. He cited as similar exam
pies the United States Steel Corpora
| tion, the Standard Oil Company and
| the beef packing and lumber indus
| tries.
The doctrine of government ownership
of natural resources would be fought
to the death by the monopolistic group,
he said, but not until it prevails will
we realize the maximum Of industrial de-
/ velopment, democracy in industry or q
| fair opportunity for employment on
| equitable terms"
| Through the restriction of industry
and the consequent power to fix prices
| of products and oppress labor. the peo-
pie of the United States are today Civ
ing up to private monopolies more than
million dollars a dayat conservative
estimate" declared the witness.
| Strike at Roosevelt.
| Mr.. Pfnchot pointed to the recent
strike at Roosevelt. N. J.. where strik-
ers were shot and killed as an instance
where absentee control is protected
from responsibility for conditions.
| Acceptance by educational institu-
tions of donations from the Rockefeller
Foundation or the general education
board. Mr.. Pinchot considered grave
danger" The smaller colleges, he de-
clared. were full of instructors and
| professors who have not been de-
liberately driven from larger univer-
unfriendly to benevolent exploiters in
| industry, but who nevertheless have
found their chairs in the large univer-
sites untenable and have left them
| owing to influences which were ire
sistible,. but too subtle to complain
| about.
| The commission adjourned until Mon
day before Mr.. Pinchot had completed
his testimony. but he was permitted to
| place the remainder on the record in
the form of a prepared statement. In
this he advocated an investigation by
the commission, or similar body. into
the handling of news in labor contro-
| versies.
The effect of public opinion could
only be justly exerted, he said, when
| the public was put in possession of
the facts. He declared that there was
no element which gives labor a feel
as it's knowledge that the merits Of
its side of the question will not be
presented to the public through the
press"
Labor Trouble News.
! The Associated Press. in particular,
he said. failed to carry news relating
to labor troubles in an impartial man
ner and takes affirmatively the side
of capital" He asserted that he has
been informed by "a representative
citizen of Colorado, himself a news
paper man of high standing and sub
the failure Of the Associated Press to
carry news impartia1ly in the labor
troubles was serious element in CIV
ing strikers the feeling that they could
not hope for Justice"
Speaking Of labor troubles in the
West Virginia coal fields and in the
Michigan copper mine region in 1913
he quoted what purported to be dis
Characteristic evidence of its par
| tiality to the operators side of the
case" He declared that the Associated
| Press reported rifle attack by mine
| guards from an armored train upon
-,iners' tent colony at Holly Grove, w
Va as II the miners had made an
unwarranted attack upon a passenger
train"
AS another typical instance Of op-
| nression and pa-version % news" by
| the Associated Press he compared tes-
| timony Of Charles H. Meyer, president
of the Western Federation of Miners,
before the congressional committee
which investigated the Michigan COP
| per strike troubles. with what he de-
clared to be an Associated Press ac-
count, both referring to circumstances
| surrounding Meyers departure from
| the mine district for Chicago.
Way It Got Information.
Both in the West Virginia and
| Michigan strikes the Associated Press
| tion of affairs said Mr.. Pinchot. This
| was due, in part, to the fact that in
West Virginia it got it's information
from a man identified with the coal
| companies, while in Michigan, during
a large part Of the strike, the Asso-
ciated Press received its information
from two newspaper offices controlled
by the mine operators. But whatever
the machinery may have been through
which suppression and misrepresenta-
tion occurred, the fact remains that it
did occur and that it resulted in blind
ing the public to the actual facts un-
til congressional Investigations
brought them out"
John r. Lawson. executive board
membee for Colorado of the United
Mine Workers of America, who testi-
fed yesterday and today, said that
there are nineteen indictments against
him in Colorado. with one grand jury
still out"
There are fourteen indictments
charging murder, one arson, two as
sault with intent to kill and some for
restraint Of trade. Altogether, he said
5000 coal miners are under indictment
in Colorado. and not an operator has
been indicted.