Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-30
MINERS CHIEFTAIN
FLAYS CHARITY OF
THE ROCKEPELLERS
Lawson Of U. N. W. Says Thou.
sands Suffer in Colorado While
Own Earnings Feed Other
in Philanthropy.
PAINTS HORRORS OF THEIR LIFE
Dumped Into Desert Without Food
or Water and Starved and
Abused by Masters.
FoLICY STUPID AND CORRUPT

NEW YORK, Jan. 29.-John r.
Lawson, executive board member
for Colorado of the United inc Work
ers of America, appeared today be-
fore the Federal Commission on In
dnstrial Relations and attacked the
testimony of John D. Rockefeller, jr.,
and the methods and purposes of the
Rockefeller foundation.
Mr. Lawson told of the shooting of
striking miners in Colorado the shatter-
ing Of miners homes, OF how hundreds
were. dumped In 1903 into the desert
without food or water, while others we're
driven over the snow of the mountain
ranges. He uttered a vigorous arraign-
rnent of Mr.. Rockefeller for his confessed
lack OF knowledge of conditions among
the wrkers of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company.
Charity of the ROckefelIers.
Z The philanthropy Of the Rockefellers,
Mr.. Lawson referred TO as follows
Health for China, a refuge for birds.
food for the Belgians. pensions for New
York widows. university training Cor the
elect-and never thought or dollar
for thousands Of men. women and hill
dren who starved in Colorado, for the
widows robbed OF husbands, Children OF
their fathers. There are thousands of
Mr.. Rockefellers employees in Colorado
who wish to God they were in Belgium
TO be fed or bird to be tenderly cared
for.
Fourteen months thousands of men,
women and children suffered on the
mountainsides and prairies and two more
months have gone since we called off the
strike as a result of President Wilson.
and yet he has not had the opportunity
for a personal investigation.
His-Excuse.
'TIls excuse for his lack of knowledge
and his failure is that he is too busy.
What Ia his business7 He explained it
by stating. I spend large part of my
time in directing with others the various
foundations which my father has estab-
lished and in giving time to questions of
Investments
Mr.. Lawson compared Mr. Rockefeller's
Testimony with that given by Henry Ford,
who testified that he kept In close touch
with labor conditions among his enl-
ployes. Mr.. Lawson reviewed that part
of Mr.. Rockefeiier's testimony IN which
It was stated that John ID. Rockefeller,
jr.. had received only tS71,00O in dividends
on all his stock. ta
1T was only unde rauestioning that he
confessed that his father received IS, SSs, 900
from his bonds" Mr. Lawson continued,
''and that the assets of the company were
$2s. .0Oo, 600 In excess of liabilities and that
this item did not take in an appreciation
in property values of some $ls,000.O00. Nor
did he mention the vast holdings that the
company refuses TO develop, keeping them
adIe, while the population increase adds TO
their value.
I Policy stupid and Corrupt.
''whatever appearance of poverty clings
10 the company is not due TO anything
but It's own stupid and corrupt policy.
Had It taken the money It has spent in
controlling officials and the electorate,
IN purchasing machine guns, theemploy-
ment Of gunmen and in crushing the
aspirations OF human beings. and spent
it ia wages and the improvement OF work
ing conditions, they would have rich re-
turns in increased producity.
'These-tnis record of Indifference re-
specting human life and human happi-
ness-are vital causes. OF Industrial dis
content An employer who is never seen
and whose power is handed down from
man to man. until there is a chain that
no individual can climb; our lives and our
liberties passed over as birthday gift or
by will; our energies and futures capital
ized by financiers in distant cities; our
masters too often men who have never
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