Evening star., 1937-03-03
La Toilette
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members Of the National Erectors'
Association, Garner continued, de-
scribing the organization as an open
shop" group of bridge-building COM
panies. Any meeting with union rep
resentatives would be contrary to this
policy, the witness said.
After admitting expectations Of
trouble" when Ambridge obtained the
Pulaski contract in 1881, Garner told
the committee the concern was paying
SITS per hour for skilled workmen
while the union scale was 81.
Did you ever meet with union rep
resentatives in efforts to adjust these
differences?" Senator La Toilette asked.
No" Garner replied.
With other parts of the Pulaski con-
tract let to the McClintic- Marshall
and Phoenix Bridge Cos, competitors,
Ambridge joined with them in collec-
tive action in seeking an injunction
which would restrain union picketing,
Garner said, after introduction of let
tiers and memoranda between officers
of the three concerns.
How do you justify this type Of COL
lective action when you refuse SINH
lar privilege to your employees" La
Toilette asked.
Garner said the company had good
reasons" for not recognizing the union
Guard System Reported
In one of the memoranda, signed by
Garner, the Ambridge official told CT
organizing a guard system. some Of
whom are armed" and of steps taken
Ito feel out the proper officials" about
an anti-picketing injunction. The
proper officials" were identified in the
memorandum as the Mayor Of Jersey
City and the police department.
The company officials debated the
advisability Of coming to Washington
to see If the then Secretary Of Labor
William N Doak would interest him.
self in attempting to overcome the
labor difficulties" additional evidence
showed but this was not done.
The company contributed $3.50 to
the New Jersey Association Of Police
Chiefs, it was shown, which was head
ed at the time by Philip Bell. chief of
the Kearney Department, which later
furnished police protection to AM
bridge workers.
Denying there was any significance
in the contribution. Garner said all
local groups prey on US" when job
is under way. A contribution later
was refused to Patrolmen's Benovo-
lent Association because Garner
thought they simply wanted "a bit OF
the pie"
Mine Terrorism Probe.
Terrorism, climaxed by murder, soon
will become the concern Of the COM
mittee, it was disclosed in an
| nouncement that subpoenas had been
served on several individuals and
coal companies in notorious Harlan
County, KY, where the gang kill
ing of Bennett Musick, 19-year-old
son of United Mine Workers organ
izer, was the latest case of violence.
Those placed under subpoena are
Theodore Middleton, high sheriff OF
the county; the Harlan -Wallins Coal
Corp, Harlan Collieries, Cornett Lewis
Coal Co., Benito Coal Co. and the
Cooke Sharp Co.
Coincident with this announcement
of committee action, the United Mine
Workers Journal released today de-
nounced the state of lawleSsness IN
Harlan County in an editorial con-
tanning the following excerpts:
"Once again it has been demon
! strated that there is not much chance
for justice in Harlan County, when il
comes to protecting the lives of mem
bers of the United Mine Workers OF
America. Harlan County Is so COM
pletely dominated by anti-union coal
companies that a grand jury found ii
impossible to secure any evidence upon
which to base indictments for the
deliberate and vanton murder OF
Bennett Musick.
Father Held Intended Victim.
Bennett Musick was killed in his
home near Evarts, Harlan County
Evidently the killers were out to kill
his father, but the latter happened
to be away from home at the time
Evidence showed that automobiles
loaded with men drove past the Mu-
sick home, and the house was riddled
with bullets from these cars. Ben
nett Musick was killed and his mother
| was wounded.
1T is generally accepted as a fact
that the killers were hired thugs who
roam at will throughout the county
to keep out the U. M. w. It Is not
strange that witnesses failed to iden-
tify the killers before the grand jury
Any person who would furnish such
information would probably bt
bumped of" by the same gang oi
murderers. Thus there is created ir
Harlan County a reign of absolute
terror, by which method the anti
union coal companies maintain Their
stranglehold on the county"
A date for hearings on this case be-
| fore the La Toilette Committee has