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The day book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, January 30, 1915, LAST EDITION, Image 2


Persistent link: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1915-01-30/ed-1/seq-2/

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paid $90 a day, or over $32,000 a
year. For the same period John Mc
Lennan received for salary $2,083.35
and for expenses $1,469.55 or $66 a
day. -- -
"Mother Jones, whosesole duty is
to agitate, received $2,668.62 as sal
ary for the same period, or $42 a
After reading this statement to Ivy
Lee, Chairman Walsh asked the wit
ness: "Is this one of the statements
you sent out?" Lee I believe it is.
Walsh As you afterward ascer
tained that statement was incorrent,
the figures you gave as representing
sums United Mine Workers' officials
had received in nine weeks they had
really received in one year? Lee
Yes. That was the mistake.
Walsh When did you first learn
that such a mistake had been made?
Lee Early in October. I received a
telegram from Mr. Welborn (presi
dent Colorado Fuel & Iron Co.) tell
ing me there had been a mistake
made in the pamphlet I sent him, but
I did not know what the error was
nor the scope of it. I did not know
whether it was serious or trifling.
Walsh You knew that it was
about the wages of United Mine
Workers' officials, didn't you? Lee
Walsh What did you do about it
when you received this information?
Lee I sent word to Mr. Welborn
that the pamphlets had already gone
out and suggesting that he have a
slip printed making the necessary
correction and sending it out with the
Q -Wouldn't such a statement as
you sent out about those persons
tend to destroy their reputations and
undermine confidence in them. A
Well, it did strike me that the figures
were large.
Q Did you say anything about it
to Mr. Welborn at the time? A I
don't think so.
Q Was the correction made im
mediately? A I wrote to Mr. Wel
born immediately.
Q Isn't it a fact that the error
was called to the attention of the
Victor American Fuel Co. by a news
paper man named John Fitch, one of
the editors of the Survey? A I
don't know.
Q And isn't it a fact that those 9
damaging statements sent broadcast
by you to a mailing list of about
4.000,000 people went uncorrected for
three months; that, although Mr.
Welborn knew about it and wrote you
about it early in October, no attempt
was made before Jan. 2 of this year
to correct the damaging impression
that had been given of these union
organizers; that no attempt was
made at correction until the January
bulletin was issued, so that that dam
aging impression was allowed to re
main all that time In the minds of
those who received the bulletin.
A I think it should have been done
at once. I thought it would be done.
Q Did you ever take any steps to
have a correction of that statement
made? A I was only acting in an
advisorv caDacity to Mr. Welborn. I
could hardly undertake to direct his
Q How were these pamphlets
sent out entitled "The Truth About
Colorado"? A There was a mail
ing list?
Q How was it made up? A It
was made up of lists of congressmen,
university presidents, labor leaders,
newspapers, all the various types of
people we felt would be interested in
such information.
Q When you went out to Colorado
to undertake this work, did you give A
that fact any publicity? A I did not,
Mr. Chairman. You see, that was no
part of this publicity work. There
was no reason for injecting personal
ity into it
Q Did you know Frank J. Hayes
at the time you were engaged in this
work? A No, I don't think I had
ever heard of him.
Q Did you know John R. Lawson
Qr Mother Jones? A No.
Columns were printed in Chicago

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