The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-01-28
REAL INTERESTS
OF CAPITAL AND
LABOR IDENTICAL
Head of Colorado Fuel & Iror
Company Says Rights Of
Both Must Be Conserved
In Order to Prosper.
HOPES TO AID FELLOW MAN
Regrets Strike Violence and
Denies He Seeks to Shift
Blame-Admits Errors
Plans New Policy.

New York, Jan. 26.-In a statement
To-Day to the United States commission
on industrial relations on the Colorado
labor situation, John D. Rockefeller, jr.,
denied that he had, as he said had been
charged, attempted to exercise a kind
or absolutism over the coal industry
IN Colorado" or that he had sought
TO dictate a policy of n~onrecognition of
unions On the contrary, he said, he
was most heartily in favor of labor
unions, SO long as their purpose was to
promote the well being of the employees
and they had due regard for the inter-
ests of the public.
Ihe correspondence between himself
and the officers of the Colorado Fuel &
IRON company during the strike, which
mas already been made public, showed
Mr.. Rockefeller said, that he had not
heSitated to make suggestions for more
adequate representation of the en-
ployes in the determination Of matters
pertaining to their working conditions;
but that he had s~tudiously avoided
anything which might afford ground
for the belief that he was seeking to
dictate a policy or arbitrarily control
any situation."
The Colorado Strike.
The only coal property in Colorado
in which we are in any way interested
is the Colorado Fuel & Iron company
AS IpilliliuSu. LII duulllOl 10 ILLS
company, there are many other coal
mining companies in that state, in none
of which either we or the Colorado
Fuel x iron company have any in
terest whatsoever, and a large number
OF these companies were involved in
the strike. For me to have attempted
to dictate a policy or control the sit
uation would have meant an assump
ton of authority far beyond what the
investment which 1 represent in the
Colorado Fuel & Iron company would
AVE justified Il Il y"
Doubtless mistakes have been made
and conditions still are imperfect. I
have no desire to defend any conditions
that are justly subject to criticism. [
only ask that the responsibility for
them be apportioned fairly. The prob
lem now is for all concerned to develop
increasing good will and to improve
conditions as far as may be possible. To
that end my Thoughts and activities
have for some time been devoted.
Something Wrong.
"As to the strike itself, it's many dis
tresslng features a given me the
deepest concern. l frankly confess hat
I felt there was something funda-
mentally wrong in a condition of af-
fairs which rendered possible the loss
of human lives, engendered hatred
and bitterness and brought suffering
and priVatiOn upon hundreds of human
beings. Without seeking to aDportion
blame, / demanded. that insofar as lay
within my power | would seek means
of avoiding the possibility Of similar
conflicts arising elsewhere, or in the
same industry in the future. 1t was in
his way that L came to recommend
to my colleagues in the Rockefeller
foundation the instituting of a series
of studies into the fundamental prob
lens arising out of industrial relations
which resulted in securing the services
80 NT. MI ocJynnuia Kino former. minister
of labor of Canada. to direct the
studies"
10 the officers of the Colorado fuel
and Iron the witness stated
he had forwarded with his endorsement
the outline of a plan by Mr.. King to
establish a board on which both en-
ployers and employees would be repre-
sentcd, and before which questions az
fecting conditions of employment could
be discussed and grievances examined
The president of the company replied
that when the strike was ended the
ompan would take steps to give the
employees more direct representation IN
this respect. In accordance with his
plan. Nh. Rockefeller continued, a joint
conference between the executive CT
ficcrs of the company and representa-
tjves selected by the men was held In
Denver on January 10, and its spirit
had convinced the management that Il
would lead to more active cooperation
. hptUrpPn the company anu lis elllplOycS
in the future"
Views On Industry.
"Tn conclusion Mr.. Chairman" saiG
Mr. Rockefellcr, 'quite apart from any
particular situation may / express IL
utter frankness the views which as ar
indiyidral and citizen I hold towards
the problems into which your commits
sion has been appointed to inquire?
IT believe that the Ultimate object OF
all activities in q republic should be the
development of the manhood OF its cit
izens; that such manhood can be de
vetoped to the fullest degree only un
da,. conditions of freedom for the in
divjdual and that industrial enterprise!
can and should be conducted in &C
cordance with these principles.
II believe that a corporation should
be deemed to consist of its stockhold
ors directors, officers and employees
that the real interests of all are on'
ana that neither labor nor capital cal
permanently prosper unless the jus
rights Of both are conserved.
1Tf, with the responsibilities 1 hav
,n6 the opportunities given me, / an
ab1e to contribute towards promoting
tie we'll being of my fellow men
through the lessening of injustice an,
the aIlGpiation of human suffering.
shall feel that it has been possible t.
,rhe witness said he and others re
allied thai the public was not gettin,
the farts concerning certain large cor
poratf6pg. The witness came to believ
it waaS a, mistake to maintain secrec,
regaEhing corporations and determines
70 sef facts before the public. He com
mnniS;ffed last spring with Ivy L. Lee
who w4s then connected with the Penn
sylyarifa railroad.
WAS ELEVEN BELOW.
The minimum temperature for toda,
Tssched at 8 o'clock this mornini