Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-18
LABOR IS ABUSED
BY MINER KINGS
Testimony Of Attorney Inter
myer In Probe Of Million
aire Foundations

New York, Jan. 1S.-Abuse of labor
by the nations money kings was the
burden Of the testimony offered here
today by Samuel Untermyer, prom
inent New York attorney, the first
witness called at the opening hearing
Of the federal industrial relations
commission % investigation of the
Rockefeller, Sage and Carnegie founda-
tons. Untermyer said he did not be.
heve the foundations were mismanaged,
bue he suggested several changes.
II think that such institutions
should be incorporated under the fed
eral laws instead of by state charters"
Untermyer said. "A perpetual charter
should not be granted, and the founda.
tiOns should not be allowed further to
increase their size by allowing their
incomes to accumulate.
"Happily, the foundations do not
reflect the dubious ways by which the
money behind them is acquired. I be.
lieve they are managed well and un-
selRishly, and that they do great deal
Of good. The institution which par.
ticularly is the recipient of the Rookie
feller money is hot bed Of radicalism.
Certainly the doctrines taught there are
opposed to the business polidies of
some of the men behind foundations.
'The course of the concentration of
wealth works against the nation S
workers. Labor has all the worst of
it in its fight to get its due.
"The greatest error labor has made
has been its silent acquieseence when
trusts were formed The effect Of con.
centrated wealth is demorali2ing. But
| think conditions have improved. The
corporations cannot do what they used
to but they still continue their short
sighted policy of fighting the unions"
Frank p. Walsh, chairman of the
commission, asked Untermyer what had
caused the improvement.
at has been due partly to exposures
by newspapers and magazines and part
" to government CONTROL he an
swered Gas the corporations become
more and more under control Of the
government conditions improve.
Untermyer drew a vivid picture Of
how labor was slowly being crushed be-
meath the steadily increasing power Of
concentrated wealth.
Organizations Of union workers,
Untermyer continued, care gradually
weakening. Capital is now arrayed
against labor in a bitter but unequal
struggle. Concentrated wealth is
responsible for this"
Untermyer praised the socialists for
their efforts, but added
Notwithstanding its faults, be-
lieve in Il capitalistiG system. The
world owes much 20 socialism but il
will not work as a practical scheme.
owe need laws to protect the worker
and curb the power Of the corporations.
We need government insurance
against sickness, unemployment and
accidents, and a whole comprehensive
system of reform.
~ believe the creation of this com
mission has launched a reform move
ment. Labor has not had a square
deal We are generation behind
Europe in looking after the toiling
man. -
Untermyer attributed present indus,
trial unrest "to absentee ownership
and the accumulation Of topheavy
fortunes.
"The great trouble with the bic in.
dustrial leaders is that they live IN
New York." he said "and don Y
know the working conditions of their
employees or the sentiment Of the
country. New York is more provincial
| than Oshkosh