The Labor enquirer., 1885-03-21
JOHN L. LEWIS.

Executive Secretary.
The above statement covers period
IF nineteen weeks. If every item was to
be given separately it would take up
pretty much the whole of THE LABOR
ENQUIRER. Those wishing to find out
the items, both in receipts and eXpendi-
lures, are invited to call at the Office,
when the treasurer will be pleased to
throw open his books. Any brother is
respectfully invited to call when in the
city and inspect for satisfaction. From
this time forth we propose to issue quar-
terly printed reports, itemized, to all the
assemblies. During the past week l
have visited the brethren at Franceville
and Marshall, and found them as ever
alive to the necessity of perfecting or
ganlzation. At the Fox mine in Lang
ford lockout has been iraugurated by
the company.
The facts which have resulted in this
course are those The miners load all
their coal inside with forks having an
inch and quarter space between the
prongs, and after it is brought out of the
mine the company deduct OUT of every
mine car 300 pounds on account Of slack.
The Cancellation board resolved several
weeks ago to send out committee to
investigate the matter. The committee
last week reported and the board on
Saturday adopted the following motion :
That no further deductions be allowed
the Fox company on account OF alleged
slack" inasmuch as the coal ls filled
inside the mine with forks having a
space of one and quarter inch between
the prongs."
The secretary of the operators side
Mr.. L. NJ Fouts. was instructed to COM
municate the decision of the board on
Friday the twentieth instant, to show
reasons why the miners should not be
paid for the amount of coal "dccked" oi
them since the third of last November.
Other matters will be brought before this
committee relative to the give and
take" principle of ofweighing and crediting
all odd pounds. The committee consists
of Mr.. Langford and Mr.. Hawes for the
operators, and Curran and Lewis for the
miners.
The number of idle brethren that have
called at the office seeking relief during
the past week has been great. 1t grleyes
me to see our noble men roaming the
country in search Of work for their sup
port. But this is the state cf things
which men often have to put up with
under the despotic ruling of such men
as Danforth. By the eternal there Is
to be an end to this way of ruling, and
that end will soon. -
The organization is booming all oyel
the land and the coal miners are not be
hind in the grand work. We have
placed another noble worker in the
field, and he enters upon his duties thli
day with determination to succeed
The field of his labors is ready for the
harvester, and within the rext foul
weeks we expect to add sbou: ten assem-
blies to our continually Increasing mum
berS. There Is necessitv for increased
activity and earnestness in pushing for
ward the cause. Here is something il
the shape of "bombshell" that ha
just been dropped on my desk:
Mr.. John L. Lewis, Executive secretar!
Miners Amalgamation.
DENVER, March Is, 1885.
My Dear Sir--At meeting of tn
operators in the board of Cancellation
held March II, 1885, the following resc
luton was adopted: r.
Resolved, That it is the voice of tn
operators side of the board Of concilis
ton that the first step in the matter c
self-protection7 is, that the miners COZ
sent To- reduction of wages to wher
they stood October 25, 1884. rfT I
Yours truly, L. NJ. FoUTs,
- ! Xxx Operators Secretary.
This letter is Indicative of move thu
should cause every mar, tothink and