Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1923-06-15

and other companies that ne could
not think of at the moment" The
strength of the House Of Morgan
makes its head the controlling figure
and the employer Of close to a mill
ion men. Mr.. Morgan. however, could
not approximate the number OF en-
ployees in my Ct his corporations save
United States Steel.
Disinterested in Conditions.
Under examination this mighty fac
tor in industry admitted that it had
never been the custom in any OF his
corporations for directors to receive
reports from executive officials on Ia
Dor conditions, that he did not trouble
himself to make tours Of investigation,
and that no instructions were ever
given to- executive officials that "liv-
ing wages must be paid, that the hours
Of labor shall not be too arduous, and
that proper sanitary conditions be OBJ
served" Here is question and an
swer that went into the record:
Chairman Walsh: Do you believe
that $40 week is enough for long
shoreman to earn?
Ignorance Displayed.
Mr.. Morgan:> l do not know, sir
If that is all he can get, and he takes
1t, should think is was enough.
He had no definite opinion as to
the proper age or condition under
which children should be employed In
industry; he had never made inquiry
into the wages OF the longshoreman
employed by his five steamship lines;
he did not know whether their work
was laborious or not; he had no
knowledge of the working day in the
Steel corporation, and he could not
answer the question whether twelve
hours a day was too long or not. The
following excerpt from the official
copy of the testimony is illustrative
of the whole:
Questions and Answers.
@. Do you consider that the wealth
produced in the United States is gen.
erall distributed in proportion to the
value to society of the services per-
formed?
A. That is too big a question for
me. could not answer that.
@. Did you ever study that or kim
dred questions from the standpoint
of citizenship or mere educational in
formation?
A. No.
Q. II it should be true that a very
large proportion of the population fail
to secure an adequate living from in
dustry while others enjoy a super
fluffy, what would you say was the
cause?
A. l have not observed any cause
for such condition.
Q. Has the extent of poverty and
suffering in the United States ever
been brought to your attention?
A. No.
O. What is your opinion regarding
the causes Of poverty?
A. I haven't any.
Q. Do you consider that industrial
conditions are responsible in any large
measure for poverty?
A. No, l should say not.
Q. take it. Mr.. Morgan, that as
a man holding a position of power,
trust and responsibility, that in com
mon with the rest of us who find our
selves in positions of responsibility
you have doubtless been a student OF
economic and social problems, which,
of course includes the labor problem ?
A. have not been a great student
of those problems. l have had other
problems to study, and have not had
much time to attend to those.
Opposes Organization.
And Mr.. Morgan opposed equal suf.
frage on the ground that women could
not vote intelligently!
1t was with regard to the organiza-
ton of labor, however, that Mr.. Nor
gan was most interesting. He did not
know what collective bargaining
meant; he had never studied unionism
and had not made up his mind wheth-
er it was a good thing or bad, but he
did feel able to say that he was not
opposed to the organization of his en-
ployees in any industry. Yet on the
heels of this he was forced to admit
that he and the other directors of the
United States Steel Corporation had
adopted a resolution that they would
not treat with or recognize any la.
Dor union, and calling upon the execu-
tives of all subsidiary companies to
pursue policy Of determination whey
ever organization existed among the
workers.
Asked If he had any suggestions to
make as to legislation that might es-
tablish a higher degree OF industrial
peace, he answered: "The purpose is