Show LABOR TROUBLES Committee Investigating the Homestead Riot Reports CONTINUED UNTIL NEXT SESSION Conimiitsc Finds that Both Mdes Arc Equally to Blame and That Congrats Hai So Jurisdiction in tlie Matter WASHINGTON Aug G Oateg chairman of the subcommittee of the House which is investigating tha labor troubles at Homestead Home-stead and the connection of tho Pinkerton detectives therewith submitted a report to the committee which was not agreed too to-o member questioned its correctness but a Republican member would not assent to what was upoi tho tariff anda majority of the Democratic members of the committee thought it impossible to make any report until the entire investigation was completed com-pleted which could not be done before the second session of Congress Therefore a POSTPONEMENT OF THE BEPOUT was made until next winter The report says the Pinkertons who surrendered sur-rendered were brutally and outrageously used principally by women and boys and Oats is loth to believe that any of these women are native Americans He says the indignities to which they were subjected were a disgrace to civilization pates asked whether tie Carnegie firm was justified justi-fied in equity and good conscience in proposing pro-posing a reduction in wages said Prick declined to state tho cost of a ton of Bes senior steel billets and the labor cost The 4 men were paid unsatisfactory wages but the work much ABBREVIATES TUB NATURAL PERIOD 0 LIFE end should be well paid for He thinks the company should have some of the benefits bene-fits and profits resulting from the use of improved machinery He condemns tho McKinley law for failure to benefit the American workmen and says the promises made to the operators have been disappointments disap-pointments Had Frick stated the bottom facts to the committee they would have agreed that the proposition to reduce the wages was justifiable but they took issue with him in his conclusion that the tariff did not cause a decline in prices Oates finds further that the conduct of the company towards the employees was lima in many respects It loans them money at a low interest to buy homes and never foreclosed mortgages but in the wage negotiations the officers DID NOT EXERCISE PATIENCE and Frick seems to have been too stern brusque and somewhat autocratic Oates IB persuaded that i Frick had appealed to the reason of the employees and shown them the state of the companys affairs a reduction might have boon made and no trouble followed The Pennsylvania law contains nothing to prevent Frick from employing Pinkerton Pinker-ton men as watchmen at Homestead but says that under the circumstances he should not have done so He made overtures over-tures to tb3 Pinkertons before the negotiations negotia-tions with the men were interrupted and did not appeal to the county or state authorities au-thorities in the first instance for protection protec-tion Oates asserts that Sheriff McCleary is a very inefficient officer but says had Prick aided him and joined in his appeal to the governor instead of employing Pink ortons the state would have furnished sufficient force to protect the property Oates condemns as unlawful the acts of tho workmen in turning away the sheriff and says it was the purpose of the Amalgamated Amal-gamated association to prevent the employment em-ployment of nonunion mEn and declares that no organization has the right to enforce en-force its wishes by stronghanded defiance of the law The men had no legal right to resist the coming of the Pinkertons and are answerable to the Pennsylvania courts In conclusion Oates finds that Congress has no power over the questions involved |