The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-10-01
NO BASIC INDUSTRY
PAYS HIGHER WAGES
Gary Denies That the Steel
Corporation Had Any
thing to Do With Death Of
Mrs. Fannie Sellens, De-
clared by Exhibit as Due
to "Steel Trusts Fiendish
Cruelty"

Washington, d, G., Oct. denying
that the United States Steel corpora
ton 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 to-day that in his opinion
there was no basic industry in the world
which had paid larger wages than his
company.
at has been stated before this com
mittee," he said that the steel compa-
MES have been guilty of illtreatment
of their employees Some statements
have been made on misinformation 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 per-
haps not as large, nor has treated their
employees with greater respect and con
sideration, if as great.
1t has been charged that during the
pending strike the subsidiary companies
have been guilty of attacking and mis-
treating employees.
"There isn't vestige of truth in that
statement. Photographs were displayed
here and it was said a woman was
killed This photograph has been posted
all over America, with a line over it,:
Mrs. Fannie Sellens'' body ghoulishly
mistreated by the steel trusts fend-
ish cruelty
'She was shot at Breckenridge, Pa.
We have no works there. No men there.
IIf she was killed it was without even
the knowledge of the steel corporation
or any of its employees"
Hasn't your company investigated
that matter, in view of the charge p
asked Chairman Kenyon.
"'The verdict Of the coroners Jury, .
said the witness, made it certain that
no agent of ours had the remotest CON
nection with her death. We have dis
cussed the incident with some of our
people, not because we thought they
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. Lindabary, council for the cor
poration, said the woman'w was killed dur
ling strike of coal miners. Judge Gary
said in his opinion the "shot probably
was fired by the strikers themselves"
He added that his company had no in
terest in the coal mines where the riot
ioccurred
Senator Phipps read certified copy of
1.-THE inquest record in the case. The jury 5
verdict said the killing was by persons
unknown and that the deputy sheriffs in
volved were firing in self defense
Chairman Kenyon asked whether dep
uty sheriffs were sworn in at the cor
Jporation's plants and were on the com
pany's payroll
Il should say yes" said Mr.. Gary.
80 far as | know they have had moth
ing to do with any of these outbreaks. .
He added that it was possible that
some of the eompany's guards had par
ticipated in disturbances since the steel
strike began, but pointed out that Mrs.
Sellens was killed before the strike
started.
Referring to testimony of President
Gompers of the American Federation of
Labor, that Jefferson D. Pierce, un-
ion organizer, had been beaten by com
,pany agents while attending to organl-
cations in the steel mills and died from
injuries, Judge Gary read an affidavit
which he said had been made in his
office on Sept. 27, by Pierce's son.
81 was with my father the night he
received his injuries" said the affidavit,
"and he said they were not caused by
any agent of the steel corporation He
was injured by member Of the T. w.
w. faction which was endeavoring to
gain control of the organization wish
to refute most emphatically the charge
of Mr.. Gompers, that his death was
caused by an agent Of the United States
Steel corporation. He died one year
later of cancer resulting from the
wound"