The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-03-20
THE WOOD RIVER STRIKE.

The news that comes from Wood
River concerning the conflict between
the owners of the Minnie Moore and
the Queen OF the Hill mines and the
miners Is of that character which ever
produces an unpleasant feeling in the
minds of the public. The dispute has
existed for several weeks. The owners
of the mines, whether from necessity OF
through spirit of greed, ordered re-
duction of the miners wages from $4.OC
a day to $3.50. The proprietors assert
that this reduction was necessary in
order to keep the mines open, the extra
half dollar representing really more
than the profits on the mans labor. On
the other hand the miners declare
that considering the cost OF
living and the character OF
their work, $500 a day was not too
much: indeed, they go farther and say
the companies can well afford to pay
the wage, and that any less is robbing
of the toiler. Efforts at compromise
failed, and on the order of the Miners
Union the men stopped work. Some OF
their places were filed by non-union
men at the reduced wages, but the mines
have practically been closed for some
time. Recently, however, men were
put at work, and as threats of violence
on the part of the union miners had
been made the new force was protected
by guard. Now the information comes
that the union, 800 strong, after an in
effectual attempt to bring the mine super
ntendents to terms, assaulted non-union
workers, and it was with difficulty that
the officers were able to prevent the
mad strikers from wrecking the works
of the Queen. At our latest adyices
there was suspension of active hos
tilities, but there was liable to be an
outbreak at any moment. This business
is interesting here from the fact that
the mines in question are largely owned
and managed by Salt Lake parties, and
many of the miners engaged in the
quarrel are well known in this Territory
where they formerly worked.
The affair is to be regretted, as are all
labor strikes that are misguided and
conducted in lawlessness. The strike
itself may be all right; the miners
may be absolutely correct in
their estimate of the value
of their labor to the companies,
and in their statement of the cost of
living, and whether correct or in error.
it is their privilege to refuse to work for
less then the price they ask, but here
the miners right in the premises ends
and there should be a termination of
the relations between him and the COM
pany. The employee has no more right to
compel his employer to pay more tina
the latter will give willingly than the
employer has to compel the laborer to
work for less than is fair and Just. Vio-
lence on either side cannot be tolerated
where there is a government possessing
power to exercise its authority. But
our Wood River miner friends even go
beyond refusal to work, and say that
others may not earn the money
which the former refuse to accept.
They properly assume the right to act
for themselves, and not only this, they
dictate to others and employ threats and
force to carry their own mandates into
effect. This is all clearly wrong, and
can be justified by no grinding action
on the part of the companies. If the
miners are abused, or if they think they
are abused, let them as union or as
individuals stop work, and encourage
and induce by lawful persuasion. as
manv others as they can to quit; this is
their privilege, and by doing this and
nothing more they viii receive the ap-
proval, sympathy and support of the
public; but they must not say that one
man shall not enjoy the right of earning
wages which another man refuses.
Of course the strike must end in the
submission of the strikers to the author
ity of the law. The HERALD hopes they
will see it is to their advantage to bottle
their wrath before it leads them into
trouble far more serious than working
for $3.50 per day could ever get them
into. Get what you can. and all you
can, through agitation and lawful
methods. but avoid crininality.