The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-30
DESP0TS REIGN
IN MINING CAMP
LAWSON CLAIMS
Executive of Union Tells In
dustrial Commission of
Conditions In Colorado
OPERATORS METHODS
FLAYED BY WITNESS
Says Mine Owners Control
Even the Social Life in the
Large Mining Camps

New York, Jan. 30-John R. Law
son, executive board member for Col
orado of the United Mine workers of
America, continued his testimony be-
fore the federal Industrial relations
commission today.
There is no social life in the
eamps,'' Mr.. Lawson said, "the COM
panies own all the nousesi ground,
schools, churches and stores. Com
p1ete despotism exists in the mining
camps"
Mr.. Lawson read into the record a
long list of the various accidents in
coal mines and a list of the men
killed by violence in the Colorado
mining camps in 1913. This was
done, he said, so that the commission
father1ess children there were in Il
Colorado
'tAnd they get an average Of $685.
40 If the father and husband is kill
| ed he said. sfWhat can they do in
| life with $305.4O? What chance have
| they got %
Men worked in the mines, the wit
ness said. because they were forced,
not because they wanted to.
eff they complain it is down the
canyon for theirs he said. t'And if
the man who does work is hurt he
lis taken to a company hospital IF
he dies a company coroner conducts
the inquest over the body AS long
as I can remember only two verdicts
unfavorable to the Colorado Fuel &
Iron Company have been found. The
coroners have habit of giving a
verdict of suicide or death due to
carelessness. Our coroner wrote in
| g. certain case that the victim of an
| accident had mo relatives and dam
| ned few friends -
| No coal miner, Mr.. Lawson said,
has ever shirked his duty in saving
life or the interests of the proprfe-
tors. The only recreation tho men
have, he. said, is in the eompany's
saloons. They are not allowed to at
tend meetings of fraterna1 organiza-
lions to which they might otherwise
| belong. Company detectives and
gunner constantly spy on the men to
see that they do not get together.
This applies to the camps where
i there were no, unions.
In union camps, Mr.. Lawson tes-
titled. conditions were entirely diff
ferent The University of Colorado,
he said, had promised the United
: Mine Workers of America that it
would extend its work into coal
4 camps 50 that the men might have
an opportunity to educate themselves.
In the non-union camps there was oc-
easiona1ly a dance but no other
amusements or recreations.S
Mr.. Lawson said it was mistake
on the part of organized labor to re-
elect union officials who had been con
victed of violence or the use Of dy-
Mantle.
The witness read a list of the laws
of Colorado which he said the corpo-
rations in that state had violated. The
list included laws providing for
weightmen, an eight hour day and
right to join labor organizations. La
Dor Commissioner Weinstock read q
notice distributed by the United Mine
Workers of America calling upon the
mine workers to form into companies
and arm themselves. He asked the
witness If that action did not -consti-
tute violahce of the laws of Co1ora-
do, or being a call to arms, a rebel
lion.
'"That is no violation of the law, -
Mr.. Lawson replied. Il defy anyone
to prove that we violated the law. Il
my neighbor called to me and asked
me to get my rifle or revolver and
help him defend his property and the
lives of his family would that be 3
. violation of the law"