The Labor enquirer., 1884-11-29

oHouty SouctuOfCu VIC ePp1oR1lasC way
of opening the discussion, Mr..
John L. Lewis, executive secre-
tary of the state Cancellation board, was
called for, and that gentleman stepped
upon the stage holding in his hand q
copy of the agreement submitted by the
board for the approval of the managers
of the southern mines, and under which
the mines of the north are at present
Operating. Mr.. Lewis took as his text
the agreement referred to, and also an
interview with Mr.. W. g. Brown, genes
raj agent of the Colorado Coal and Iron
company at Denver, which appeared in
the Tribune Republican of Sunday last.
The speaker said there was no DISPOSE
ton on the part of the miners to longer
prolong the suspension Of the mines, to
the inconvenience of the public and the
loss of both the companies and the men /;
but, he said, the miners claim that they
have some rights guaranteed to them by
their citizenship, and they ask that
an amicable arrangement of terms be-
tween employers and employed be agreed
upon, whereby Justice would be arsured
to both and future troubles be avoided,
and the public saved the annoyances
which naturally follow the Suspension Of
one of the chief industries of the state.
He said the terms of agreement as laid
down by the existing board of miners
and operators were emiEentlY fair and
proper in the premises, and he read the
agreement in verification of the state
ment. The reading of the document
was greeted with applause by the au-
dience, and the clauses calling for the
abolition of the " iron-clad and the
"truck system" were cheered to the
echo. Mr.. Lewis went on to explain,
and produced documentary proof of his
statements, how the board had made
special provisions in the interest of the
Colorado Coal and Iron, the Sante
Fe and Union Pacific companies, by
agreeing that the board should be numer-
ically increased to admit a representa-
tive of each of the companies named,
when they decided to become part of
it, and acknowledged the principle of ar
bitration as embodied in the board. The
speaker went slightly into details and
gave the audience an idea of some of the
unjust practices of the managers who are
antagonizing settlement of the present
difficulty and gave clear idea of what
the miners demand as their rights. The
applause which greeted every statement
of Mr.. Lewis demonstrated that his hear
ers were in hearty sympathy with his
remarks, and he took his seat amidst a
storm of applause. At
Messrs Danforth and Cameron were
again loudly called for, and finally the
former gentleman was induced to come
to the front and say something. He de-
clined the invitation of Chairman Dunn
to occupy the stage, but stood in the or
chestra space and said his say. 1
Mr.. Danforth simply reiterated the:
statements made by Mr.. Brown in his
interview with the Tribune-Republican
with the addition of few statements of
detail. He gave what he characterized
as a statement of the trouble between
the Colorado Coal and Iron company
and its miners at Coal Greek from the
beginning to the present time, prefacing
his remarks with the assertion that the
whole trouble in the state was brought
about by the position of affairs at Coal
Creek. This, the informed public knows
is not true; there were differences to be
settled IN every coal mine in Colorado,
Mr.. Danforth said that on the eighth
of August last the Colorado Coal and
Iron company found that it must curtail
its expenses at Coal Creek or close up,
the mines, "and" said he, "the only
place we could make reduction, was in
the price paid to the miners, and so we
gave notice of a reduction of 10 per cent"
The manager went on to say that a
short time since he found that the pub
lie was to be the sufferers, and he sub
mitted proposition that two men from
each of the three mines come to Pueblo
and together with Mr.. Cameron try and
arrange matters amicably if possible, this
committee to appoint an arbitrator
to settle the matter in dispute. The
men at Elmoro. Walsenburg and Coal
Creek agreed to this agreement and were
about to go to work, and did 60 to work
for two or three days, when the Denver
board sent down messages and told them
not to 90 to work, and they again quit.
That owing to the miners having broken
their word twice with the company, it
did not feel like opening new negotia-
tions. He called the attention OF the
business men of Pueblo to this Denver
board which was composed of five coal
operators and five miners, all OF the
northern part of the state except two
miners, one of whom did not represent
the miners. There are only two things
that can be done, either to give bill OF
sale to this Denver board or let the Colo
rodo Coal and Iron company run their
own affairs, and he did not believe the
company would do the former. He ask
ed the business men how they should