The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-10-02
GARY TELLS SENATE
COMMITTEE STEEL
MEN ARE BEST PAID
CORPORATION HEAD DENIES MIS-.
TREATMENT BY UNION LEAD
ERS-GREAT RESPECT AND CON.
SlDERATION OBSERVED, HE DE-
CLiRES - WOMAN'S VIOLENT
DEATH DISCUSSED By WIT.
\ESSES.


NESSES.
Washington, Oct. L. Denying that
the United States steel Corporation
had mistreated its men, as charged by
union labor leaders. Judge Ebert Ii.
Gary, chairman of the corporation, told
the senate committee investigating the
steel strike today that in his opinion
there was no basic industry in the
world which had paid larger wages
than his company.
1T has been stated before this com
mittee,' said Judge Gary that the
steel companies have been guilty of
i'll treatment Of their employees. Some
statements have been made on misin-
formation and some absolutely without
foundation.
Il wish to state. Mr.. Chairman, that
there is no basic industry in this coun-
try nor in the world in my opinion,
which has paid larger wages than the
| United States steel Corporation and
perhaps not as large nor has treated
| their employees in greater respect and
consideration, If as great
1T has been charged that during the
pending strike the subsidiary compan
les have been guilty of attacking and
mistreating employees. There isn't II
vestige of truth in that statement
| Photographs We're displayed here, and
1t was sain a woman was killed. This
photograph has been posted all over
America with a line over it, Mrs. Fan
ME Scltns body ghoulishly mistreated
| by the steel trusts fiendsh crew.
she was shot at Breckenridge, Pa.
| We have no works there. no men
| there. If she was killed. II was with
out even the knowledge of the steel
corporation or any Of its employes,"
Hasn't your company Investigated
that matter, in view of the charge"
asked Chairman Kenyon.
The verdict of the coroner's jury"
said the witness made it certain that
| no agent Of ours had the remotest
connection with her DEATH
IL have the certified copy of that
verdict said Senator Phipps, repub-
lican, Colorado I'll file that
I'VE have discussed the incident with
some of our people" Judge Gary re-
] NuIll'h llbA btNeiuSN we lllOuBll tlrS
might be guilty, but for information.
our orders and our policy are against
any activity which could lead TO any
thing of that kind
r. V. Lyndabury, counsel for the cor.
poration said the woman was killed
during a strike Of coal miners Judge
Gary, said nhis opinion the shot prob.
ably was fired by the strikers them.
selves" He added that his company had
no interest in the coal mines where
the riot occurred.
Deputy Sheriffs on Payroll
Chairman Kenyon asked whether dep.
uty sheriffs were sworn in at the cor
| poration's plants and were on the com.
pany's payroll.
81 should say yes" said Mr.. Gary.
so far as know they had nothing
to do with any Of these outbreaks"
Referring to testimony of President
/ Gompers of the American Federation OF
| Labor that jefferson -. Pierce. union
| organizer, had been beaten by company
agents while attempting to organize
unions in the steel mills and died from
injuries, Judge Gary read an affidavit
which he said had been sent to his OF.
flee on September 27 by Pierce's son.
II was with my father the night he
/ received his injuries" said the affidavit,
land he said they were not caused by
any agents of the steel corporation. He
| was injured by a member of the |. W.
! w. faction which was endeavoring TO
gain control of the organization. | wish
to refute most emphatically the charge
of M. Gompers that his death was caus.
ed by any agent Of the United States
Steel Corporation. He died one year
later Of cancer resulting from the
wound"
Judge Gary then took up the state.
ment of John Fitzpatrick, chairman Of
| the steel strikers committee, that men
had been killed at Hammond, Ind, dur.
| ing the steel strike.
/ I'VE have no connection with the
/ Standard steel Company there" he said,
"and had no connection with the incl.
dent
This strike has been conducted in
many respects like other strikes" Mr..
Gary said.
"Only worse in some of its features.
/ The large majority of workmen were
not desirous Of engaging in strike.
! They were not members of any labor
union, having declined to become such
| year after year.
| Throughout the war our workmen
| were loyal. While it is true that there
| is a radical element of foreigners at the
present time, it is only doing justice to
say that in my opinion the majority
of the foreigners were good citizens"
What proportion of men OF foreign
birth have you?" asked Mr.. Kenyon.
81 cannot give you that now, but will
later" said Mr.. Gary
open Shop" the Big Issue
Reiterating that the open shop" Is
the big issue in the present strike. Judge
| Gary declared that it is "the opinion
of the world that open shops mean more
production. better methods and more
prosperity and that closed shops mean
lower production and less prosperity"
Here were these men," said Judge
Gary. referring to the steel workers
national committee. starting out. not
for better pay better conditions--we'd
never heard of their l2 points-but to
! get control of this industry-and what
that means, l think you know"