The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-02-11
.FINANCIERS TESTIFY
ANDREW CARNEGIE AND JOHN o.
ROCKEFELLER, sR., DEFEND
CHARITIES.
BOTH READ FROM BOOKS
lronmaster Tells Industrial Commits
sion He Raised Toilers' Pay and Is
Their Friend-oII King Discusses
His Foundation Fund.

New York, Feb. S.-Both Andrew
Carnegie and John d. Rockefeller, Sr.,
the worlds two richest men, testified
on Friday before the federal commits
sion which is inquiring into the causes
for industrial unrest.
Carnegie testified that up to the
close of 1914 his gifts aggregated
$324,657. .399.
The work still goes bravely on"
said the ironmaster. Il am, indeed,
a most fortunate man and think my
self in nothing else so happy as in a
soul remembering my dear friends, to
whom owe so much"
Mr.. Carnegie was asked what his
business was.
MY business" he replied, "is to
do all the good in the world that ]
can"
He read a statement which was, in
part, as follows:
Il never bought or sold shares OH
the exchange; all my earnings were
from manufacturing. If it were neces-
sary for me to return to that calling
| should not consider the problem of
labor as at all difficult. On the con-
trary, enjoyed conferences with our
men,"
Mr.. Carnegie said that he had had
only "one serious disaster with labor"
This was at the time of the riot at
Homestead, Pa. Mr.. Carnegie was
abroad at the time and when he heard
Of it, he wanted to return home, but
his partners requested him not to do
so.
Some of the men at the works, 1"
Mr.. Carnegie said, "cabled me; Kind
master, tell us what you want us to
do and we will do it for you
Wages were advanced 80 per cent
Mr.. Carnegie said, after that incident.
Labor and capital, he said, will
some day rank as one
Only once, Mr.. Carnegie said, had
effort to commit wrong on the part of
labor. This was when men at the Ed
gar Thompson blast furnaces sent in
a written demand for an immediate
advance in wages with the alternative
of leaving the furnaces unworked.
You have signed that treaty." Mr..
Carnegie said he told the leader of
the~men, and you break it, but the
grass will grow over these works be-
fore we will have such men in our
employ. 1t will be heralded through
the world as a disgrace to labor. You
have your answer; go.
There was no strike. That is the
best service ever rendered to Ameri-
can labor"
At the conclusion of Carnegie's tes-
timony John D. Rockefeller entered
the room and demanded to be heard
as witness. He was placed on the
stand
Mr.. Rockefeller began reading a
statement, which he had prepared.
The sole motive underlying the va
rious foundations which have estab-
lished has been the desire to devote a
portion of my fortune to the service of
my fellow men," he read.
II regard the right to amend or re-
scind the respective charters of the
several foundations which inheres in
the legislative bodies which granted
them as an entirely sufficient guar.
anty against serious abuse of the
funds" he said.
AS for educational institutions alter
ing their policies or form in order to
get donations from the general educa-
ton board, Mr.. Rockefeller said he
had never heard of it"
AS to our foundation" he said. 81
don't think such things have ever hap
pened. AS to others, do not know"
Regarding the responsibility of
stockholders and directors for labor
conditions he said:
Il think the stockholders are re-
sponsible for the choice of the best
men as directors. A large stockholder
ordinarily would have more influence
with a board of directors than a
smaller one"