New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-16
THE STRIKE IN MICHIGAN
A FRUITLEss AND DISASTROUS CONTEST
BY IRON MINERS.
AN INTELLIGENT BODY OF MEN WHO FAILED TO
SEE THAT THE CONDITIONS MADE so''hS'
IMpossrBLE-THE CAUSE OF LOW


rMpossrBLE-rHE CAUSE OF LOW
WAGES AND THE CHANCE OF
BETTERING THEM.
Ishpemng Mich Sept. Is (speciaD.-The prevail
ing strike on the Marquette Range has had I'M
portant effects, not only in Michigan Du' 'hrous"
out iron mining States OF the Northwest l's ehe.'
IN Narauette County can hardly be estimated NJ
MOS, the entire population OF the county either
works in or depends upon the activity Oh 'he ''''.
for it's support The causes leading up 10 'nis
strike were dissatisfaction not with wages SIMPLY
hut With what the miners considered the p'o"''Se
breaking Of the companies
The class OF men employed here Is superior 10
that in any other mining district the men are
nrIncipallv English Scandinavian Finlanders' if'sh
and French OF which the first two classes nearly
equal in number largely predominant Ihey are
as a rule better educated than men II the'r en-
nlovment elsewhere. They are also. az whoie'
far more peaceable than Hungarians ana foie''
During the strike there has been wonderiuhS niue
drunkenness or disorderly conduct
II il generally stated here that wages nave oeen
lower on this range than Is jusuhed oy inc I1
rent ore prices But contracts for this year snip
on,s we're made not at the prices now current
but AT those offered last fall and winter. Inc
comnanes did not foresee that h!gh-grade Bessemer
ore would sell present for - 10 - % III lev
land Contracts for this season were mace DR.
low as 81 80 to 81 10 for the same grade ore anu d.
lou &c e. for non -Bessemer. Ii is asserted that
or,. ~ the companies sold their entire output De-
low the cost OF production In order 10 continue
orL rim better prices should prevail. These
,b,rgs tho men either did not understand or "ouid
not believe.
CAUSE OF THE STRIKE.
The roen accuse the companies OF promising TO
raise wages and failing to do so AS nearly as
a., no learned from the conflicting statements
thA
nromise seems to have been generally made by the
9ants 70 increase wages when prices permitted Inc
ability of the companies pay higher wages uhoer
evistine conditions is doubtful Some or the COM
NAMES more fortunate in the qualities OF theii ore
and in placing their contracts could aioiu ~
Weld somewhat to the demands OF their men, sa''i
AGING proht for the sake OF peaceful settlement
I'm, others were already running behind. Inc men
,uotad IN. advanced price OF Bessemer ore Inc
agents called attention 10 the effect or the con-
tracts Then the men, led on perhaps oS lie"
who thought to serve their personal interest ue
mand-d g scale. stigmatized the contract aPpea
~ AN excuse and even went so far as TO deny the
visence of the contracts and accuse the agents VI
lying. .,,,
1h union was formed as a method Of binding
avarv man to stand by this hasty and excessive de-
mand only at first was this wage contest A"e
recognition OF tins union soon became the ooHe -
contention. The companies offered TO uede WI"
he
union This they felt that they could not anord
- 4, 1,hav nreferred to stop shipment for a
time nerhaus on the whole gaining rather IMAM
os,ro nv the act Al the bottom OF all this trouble
from beginning to end viii be found more or less
petty political aspiration. Those most conVersah'
with the in,ricacies OF local politics aiirm that the
chief agitators and subsequent supporters. OF the
strike have been open to strong suspicion OF punt
ical self-interesL There certainly seems 10 De
tangled network OF political wires far TOO COM
plcated for any fully to trace out.
WAGES PAID THE MINERS
,r, yerage daily wage paid to miners by the
pi,,shur, and Lake Angeline Company THIS year.
AZ stated by their books. has been u ~ FOR
Inn. the la~t full month before the strike u %"
This company pays from 10 10 cents a ton taxes.
ms, having an excellent soft hemaute ore placed
contracts AZ 81 80 for g. per cent guarantee nom
Hessemer. and from s. - to 81 80 for Bessemer.
~, -. ts coutrac,s with its miners run below 30
csnts a ton These figures a. all other wage state
sr,s ,r4 taken after. and not, as - often stated
before deduction for supplies, power ana candles
They were furnished directly by the captain in
charge OF The mines here
on thing tending to prejudice the nearer. al
first against the companies. but on investigation
against the honesty OF the miners themselves Wa
he way In which false or incomplete std NJ
~ wages were made and pay envelopes ioI me
las, half month posted up IN puOc. ouppnes
,a1 drawn at the beginning of the month and
J.dnrtsd from the money paid them aiter the
opy"a,s low a. $40 to SIS Whereas had work here
continued Throughout, lhe month ~ 20 sSy Of
The Miners Union. and prominent eader since the
beginning OF the strike prrmteo s .ne ppvstoo
wages Report placed his earnings AZ 81 gay az,
one Of the local papers looked up a"e m e a
dav and averaged SlN Another man employed az
one Of the softore mines was az wa saia o GOi
tents a day TWO men having the same name ana
Initials were in the employ OF ,he Go"psy
iaslr e sH4Iy 50 a. as sh0M@ VIC
NessanIST and hotbeds Of the strike These
towns situated three miles apart. contain a total
1000 directly empioyed III OF aoou a. o,o ,rh
The daily loss In wages has been nearly soW. ne
a a3.s, 500 The strike has almost entirely
stopped ore shipments to Marquette decreasing
The daily receipts OF the railroad By 1000. IN add
ton 10 which 5000 a month was paid out In rent
on idle ore-cars. 1t IL not strange that the loss
weeks. has dealt the county elow from which
II will take long 20 recover. In ADDITION me mlHta
have been called out. which cost the county nearly
81 600 day.
PARALYSIS OF BUSINESS.
With the receipts OF the county decreased and ex-
nenses increased In these ways business Is becom-
ing paraiyzed Credit has been refused the local
merchants by the wholesale dealers. They In
turn have refused credit TO their customers Herein
lies the only benefit TO be detected resulting from
OF the Upper Peninsula. BY bringing the entire
business OF the fowl on cash basis. general re-
ductlon In prices OF about 70 per cent was made
The strike can end In only one way. Many OF
the men. knowing that defeat must come and be-
ing unwilling to accept II, are departing TOT the
other ranges at the rate OF 200 week Many are
going 20 poorer pay. higher prices ana rougher &C,
commodaiions. Many originally entered mo me
strike with some reluctance and would gladly re-
turn to work at the compromise offered by me
companies even perhaps at the old wages. But
there are few agitators who control the quieter
men and insist that the fight shall continue TIL
THE men get what they're after the recognition
OF the union and a s. scale
The effects OF the strike outside OF this county are
many and important Marquette was the largest
shipper OF the Lake Superior ranges. This year
the largest shipper has been practically idle for
eight weeks IN the best part OF the season. Never
theless this years shipments OF ore hid fair 20 be
large, in excess OF last years the difference being
made up the Minnesota ranges These ranges
especially the Mesabi. have shipped nearly as much