The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-09-26
LABOR SPYING
QUIZ MAY END
IN LEGISLATION.
Fridays Hearing Packed
With Drama and Many
Revelations
By ARTHUR F. DeGREVE
United Press Staff Correspondent


WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (UP)
American industrialists paid
the Pinkerton National Detective
Agency nearly $6,O00,0O0 in the
past two and one-half years and
100000 of it was applied to
spying on union labor organiza-
ton work and radical activities,
the Senate Civil Liberties commit
tee disclosed yesterday.
Secret details of the agency's
operations extending from coast
forecast were barred for the first
time by it's 32-year-old president,
Robert A. Pinkerton, and group
of his shrewd, well-tailored eXecu-
tives.
Revelations included:
/. Union officers were hired by
the Pinkerton organization to spy
on their brother workers.
2. A total of $150,000 has been
spent thus far this year for indus
trial espionage through the Pink
erton agency.
3. Pinkerton operators were or
dered to discontinue filing written
reports on their Investigations af-
ter the company correspondence
had been subpoenaed by the COM
mittee.
4. The Pinkerton office in Mil
waukee, Wis, was abandoned al
ter passage of state law forcing
detective agencies to register the
names of their operators.
5. Five per cent of the Plnker-
ton operators are women.
6. Fisher Bodies Corp, a SUBJ
sidiary of General Motors, was
billed 300 for services by Pink
erton at "tool and dye makers
picnic" from August 4, 1888 to
Nov. 80, 1888.
7. Pinkerton agents obtained in
formation on radical activities in
Denver, Colo, from Major Har-
ring, calvary officer at Fort Lo-
gan, Colo.
The committee recessed its in
quiry yesterday subject to call OF
the chair. 1t is expected to be re-
sumed around Nov. l, when it was
reported Pearl Bergoff, Self-styled
"king of strikebreakers" may be
summoned. The investigation is a
fore-runner of legislation design
ed to eliminate or curb drastically
the activities of private detective
agencies and other organizations
engaging in strike-breaking and
labor espionage. ,
The scene yesterday was packed
with drama. In the center of the
horseshoe desk sat Sen. Robert
NJ. LaFollette, P, Wis. chairman
of the committee, and his col
league, Sen. Ebert Thomas, D.,
Utah. Directly facing them were
two men who control the activi-
ties Of more than 1000 men and
women, who carry on the work
begun sc years ago by Allen Pink
erton.
One was the founders great
grandson, well-built, steely-eyed
Robert Pinkerton. He is a Har-
ward graduate, speaks with a Brit
ish accent and drew dividends in
1885 of $129,500 from the agency.
He owns 70 per cent of the 1000
shares of common stock in the
company.
The other was Asher Rossiter,
vice-president and general manag-
er. He became a PinkertOn man
40 years ago when the underworld
feared "a pink" as much as its
characters shun a Conan" today.
Rossiter reminisced about ethics
of his profession as laid down by
the founder of the agency and of
changes in operations that have
become necessary in the new in
dustrial state.
From an office boy he rose to
the high position he holds today
which paid him $4,000 in 1885.
He nodded proudly as Ray l..
Burnside, assistant superintendent