Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-24
OUR MINING TROUBLES.

! AS matter OF course the community
is we'll aware of the deadlock which
al present prevails in mining matters
in this district. 1t is also quite ap-
parent that times are growing fear
fully dull in consequence. How long
this state of affairs is to continue no
one knows, but certain it is that the
end should be reached without un-
necessary delay. There are always
two sides to every question, and usu-
ally both parties to every disagreement
have a showing of right to sustain
them. This, we take it, is precisely the
situation as regards the miners and
mine owners of Eureka. Both evil
IDENTIFY believe they are right, and each
is firm in the maintenance of his par
ticular side of the question. Wrongs
have doubtless been practiced on both
sides, and hence the clash. The OBJ
ject of this article is to present the
| whole case in plain, yet impartial lam
guage. The origin of the troubles
seem to date from the attempt of the
Richmond Company to pay the miners
in deprecated trade dollars. The
miners naturally viewed this as
an indirect way of cutting
down their wages and accordingly re-
sisted the proposition. Viewed from a
personal, and maybe selfish stand
point. we are glad The miners did not
tarnely yield, because the silver already
brought to this place by somebody has
come to be an intolerable nuisance.
1t would have been still more so
had the miners consented to receive
their pay in that commodity -
for, strictly speaking. il can hardly be
termed money, the world over treat
ing it as an article OF merchan disc,
whose value is everywhere determined
lv tho immutable law of supply and
demand. Gold is the only true stand
ard of value, and when the miner
stipulates to work for so many dollars
per day ne expects To receive his wages
in gold or its equivalent. High
wages are better for every people on
earth. The better the aboring classes
are paid the more intelligence and
happiness you will find among them.
The man who must labor con-
tinuously for barely enough to
procure a scanty livelihood for
himself and wife and little ones oc-
cupies \ most unenviable position IN
deed. 1t is little better than serfdcm
itself; and this is what must result
from any material reduction OF wages
in a country like this, where every
thing consumed. from a lucifer match
to bolt OF muslin, including all Of the
sta pies, have to be imported across tho
continent. No wouder, therefore, that
miners are tenacious for fair living
wages. Their figures are four dollars
for days work and it is their right to
employ all legitimate ard honorable
means TO maintain that standard.
For the accomplishment of this worthy
object the right is not denied
them to band themselves together in
labor unions, and when so associated
to induce all men who follow the same
occupation to unite with them. 1t
simply amounts to a 'corner" on la
Dor, so to speak, precisely the same AS
capital always forms when it is to IT'S
interest to do so. There is in the print
ing business what is known as the
Typographical Union, and nearly
every good printer in the land
The rules and regulations of that So
suine, from those Of the Miners
Union. Both are Identical in this,
that they seek to establish and con-
troll the price OF labor. 70 return to
some further mention of the Ruby
Hill troubles, we desire TO say hat our
symratlies 20 out t. the miners in all
PROF o. endeayors TO keep wages at s..
This is little enough. considering the
nf iiylnIp the and thA
manifold dangers which beset under
ground work. AS we understand it,
the chief and sole object of the Miners
Union as first established in Storey
county was to see to it that every
miner who went below the surface
~hould receive four dollars, and no
less, for his days work. Pick
boys, and persons engaged in
light work on the surface,
have always been exempted from
this rule. The miners Of Ruby Hill,
we think, went too tar when they in
sisted that the companies should en-
plov none but Union men. They also
committed an indiscretion in interfer-
ing with the Richmond contract work.
So long as the companies yield to their
demand and pay the highest wages
ihev should be allowed, as it is their
undoubled right. to employ whom they
please. We are now Informed that
every miner on the Hill has Joined
the Union, so that at least one point
Of difference is removed. The
companies have also signifiee n
willingness to continue to pay four
dollars per day. This brings the
whole matter down to single issue as
regards certain contracts in one mine.
The miners, We have no doubt. will,
on mature elaboration, revoke their
decision OH this point and thus
allow the mining operations of
the district, upon which all other
business is dependent. to proceed as
usual. A brief resolution by tile min
ers setting forth willingness to comply
with the programme we have here i'm
perfectly mapped out would cure the
whole matter aud give them the hearty
sym pathy of the entire community in
case of any attempt TO reduce wages IN
the future. We hope that this much
will be done at the very next meeting
of the Union.
CONCLUDED TO REMAIN.--Dr Bish-