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Show TAKES STRONG SIID flGAIWSTJHE UNION John C. Osgood of Victor Fuel Company Gives Views to House Committee. EXPERIENCE IS BITTER Takes Responsibility for Pur-. Pur-. chase of Machine Guns for Use of Guards. DENVER, Feb. 1'j. "r don't want any relations with tho United Mine Work-era Work-era of America and I will not have any." "Frankly, I always havo been opposed to the. eight-hour day In coal mines." "I never havo knowingly permitted fnleo weighing." "Wo have dono all wo could to comply com-ply with tho slate mining law." "The opeiatcro bought arms nnd ammunition am-munition for tho use of tho mine guards." "I want to take all the responsibility that's coming to mo for the purchase of machine guns." "So far as tho operators arc concerned, the strike is over." Tlicso were a few of tho statements made late today by John C. Osgood, chairman of tho board of directors of tho Victor-American Fuel company, beforo tho congressional comniltteo Investigating Investigat-ing the Colorado coal miners' strike. Mr. Osgood was put on tho stand as a witness wit-ness for tho mine owners, to tell the story of the labor war from the operators' viewpoint. Strike Traceable. "It is my belief thut the strike in southern south-ern Colorado is a direct outgrowth of tho, northern Colorado trouble," ho declared. 'We have Information that tho officers of the United Mlno Workers havo some times considered calling the northern strike off, as It is utterly lost. Later, according to evidence furnished by their own publications, they look up the matter mat-ter of calling out the southern miners to aid tho light of those In the north. 'Lust summor Frank J. Mayes, International Inter-national vice president of the union, visited vis-ited Colorado. At that time I was approached ap-proached by Governor Ammons on the subject of meeting the officers of the mine workers in a conference. Wc told the governor that wo did not want to make a contract with the United Mlno Workers of America and we refused to meet Hayes. Some tlmo before we had granted tho eight-hour day and had increased in-creased wages 10 per cent. Sitter Experience. "I had had hitler experience with the United Mine Workers in Iowa and I did not want to have anything more to do with the organization; I did not believe be-lieve It a responsible body. In Iowa a mine In which 1 was interested was absolutely ruined after the company signed a contract with the union. We abandoned the mine, although It represented repre-sented an Investment of S 100.000. "I do not. question the right of workmen work-men lo organizo and do business collectively, collect-ively, but I think a. business man has a right to do business with whom he pleases." Mr. Osgood then told of the wage scales in Colorado and neighboring states. Ho attempted to show that wages in Colorado were not substantially lower than those in Wyoming, and he declared they were 20 per cent higher than in Kansas. Oklahoma and . Illinois, where the employers have contracts with tho United Mine Workers. Discussing the much-mooted subject of check welghmen, the witness declared his company was willing to allow the miners to have their own mon at the scales, but that In most cases tho men had failed to avail themselves of tho privilege. Os- i go.od then touched upon the subjects of company stores nnd the uso of scrip. He said the men were not required to trade at company stores and that the use of scrip, under the present system, was legal and not compulsory, the scrip being be-ing Issued only at tho request of tho men as a matter of convenience. Contradicts Strikers. Mr. Osgood directly contradicted the testimony of witnesses who had told tho commlttoo that 95 per cent of tho miners In the southern Uelds oboyed the strike order. He declared that not more than 00 per cent of the workers walked out. "Now, I'd like to explain this 'notorious and criminal guard system,' " he continued. con-tinued. "Before the strike was declared wo never had any guards except ono marshal mar-shal and a night watchman at each camp. When tho strike was called wc realized re-alized that we would havo to protect our proporty and the lives of our workmen. work-men. The maximum number of guards employed at any time by tho Victor-American Victor-American company was 100 nover more than fifteen or twenty to a camp. We Instructed these guards never to leave company property except In case of necessity. ne-cessity. If wo could Jiave moved our mines five miles away from the tent colonies wo would havo dono so. "When tho strike started, violence started with us. The day after tho men went outthe town marshal at Sogundo was killed. Shortly thereafter the strikers strik-ers took two women from a stage and held them prisoners in a tent colonv until tho governor Interfered and eecured their rolease. During (his strike fourteen mon have been killed three of thorn strikers." strik-ers." Mr. Osgood then told of the efforts he said tho operators made to sfcure protection pro-tection from ihe local authorities or tho militia. "The governor did not call out the troops and the sheriff could not protect us. he said. "Tlmrj wo got machine guns. We got them on the samo theory that you gentlemen build battleships. Wc thought it was in the Interest of humanity hu-manity to provide our guards with weapons weap-ons so formidable that the strikers would be afraid to atlack ihcm. At some of our ar! suXk"aU WC,e r'00 |
