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Show lOMDO'S COAL FIRMS ffJQKD - Church Investigator Blm Mine Op. I ,rtors for Labor Troubles In That 8tate New York, Nov. 23. In a report to the commission on church and bo-tlal bo-tlal Bcrvlco of tho Federal Council Cf the Churches of Christ In America Bad0 public hero tonight the Itov. Henry A. Atkinson, associate socre-wry socre-wry ns Investigator, arraigns, tho Colorado coal companies for tho recent re-cent trouble In that state. The Kov. Mr. Atkinson was sent to Colorado and also tho tho copper districts of Michigan, wheYe thcie were recent Industrial difficulties by the Congregational churches and the commission of the Council of Churches Church-es and was empowered to represent I both bodies in his investigation to I tie labor conditions. I After reviewing tho trouble In Col credo his report says: I "The coal companies dominate the H politics In those counties whero tho H Blno aro located. They havo B brought about the election of the H Judges, sheillTs, coroners, and as-I as-I lessors. They can do about n8 they plcaso so far as tho law Is concern cd. A mass of evldenco was brought out to show that they control ih,. ,u Htlcal, social and economic sltua tlons. Jefferson Fn r, sheriff of llu erfnno county, has been In onico for fifteen years. Ho Is known n8 the 'King of Huerfano county.' 'What ho soys goes' ns one of his admirers put it to' me. It is not what he sa) s however, but nhat the coi oonipan-lea oonipan-lea hare sccurod his election as well s that of other officers and they control con-trol them." Further tho report says: "It Is Impossible to onforco tho law and tho courts are practically closed to those who In any way incur tho enmity of the coal companies; thus economic Justice is denied the man through the manipulation of political po-litical affairs. Thirty years of such oppression, Industrial, social and political po-litical havo taught tho miners that their only hope Is In the unions. An Individual counts for nothing; ir ti0 protests ho loses hIH Job; If hp makes too much trouble, he is dealt with by hired gunmen, who nro kept at tho mines to do the will of the com panics and help enforco tho law against tho workers." Of tho actions of the mllltla the llov. Mr. Atkinson Informed the commission ns follows: "Tho constitution of tho stnte was set aside. The mllltla met and escorted es-corted strike breakers who were, brought Into the stnte. Tho mllltla Instead of aiming to maintain order and securo Justice, was used to break tho strike. Special attack was made ,upon tho Ludlow colony, It being tho largest In tho district. |