The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-20
COMPLETED HIS REPORT
Hogan Finishes His Investiga-
ton of the Shut Down.
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE
Systematic and Progressive Reduction
OF Laborers Wages at Horr-Ex-
tortion Practiced to the Extent
of Twenty-Five Per Cent.

William Hogan of this city, who was
appointed by the bureau of labor and
agriculture as special agent to inves-
tigate the causes which occasioned the
shutting down of the properties of the
Montana Coal and Coke company at
Horn and Aldrich, in April, 1897, has
completed his report and sent 1t to Hell
ena yesterday. Mr.. Hogan says in the
report:
These properties were formerly ope-
rated by the Park Coal and Coke COM
pany, j. H. Conrad president, and w.
X. Rhoads, superintendent. In 1893 this
company went into liquidation. Sept.
"a, 1894, the property was reorganized as
the Montana Coal and Coke company,
with j. A. Edgerton as president ana
j. II. Conrad manager. In January,
1896, C. Fl. Palmer was made president,
W.. III. Aldrich manager, and }. Il.
Strong superintendent 1t was under
this management that the lockout oc-
CURED and the properties remained
shut down until July, 1897, when the
company was again reorganiZed and
operations resumed under Z. E. Conrad,
president; Henry Burrel, manager. and
Henry WEIGH, superintendent.
The situation previous to the organ
ization of the union, April IS, 1897, was
the deplorabie one which usually ante
dates and necessitates a unification of
WorlSingmen. A systematic and
progressive reduction in laborers' wages
combined with policy Of conducting
certain auxiliary enterprises, such as the
company boarding house and the COM
pany store that employees were forced
TO patronize;. and it was in this fashion
that the surplus earnings of the en-
ployes We're all but absorbed
Gnder the Conrad management
company store was conducted in con-
nection with the mine, and while the
company conducted no boarding house,
yet toward the close of his management
unmarried employees We're forced to
board al the house of George We'll
come. Therefore, while we will record
that wages We're higher under Mr.. Con-
ra9's management, yet 1t is my belief
that they were only nominally so and
not actually. The absence of the COM
pany boarding house and the company
store at the present time offsets, in my
judgment, the benefits of higher wage.
There were no competing stores during
the life of the company store and it is
impossible to say just what the differ
ence in prices would have been. From
the best information i can obtain
/ am forced to the conclusion that ex-
tortion was practiced to the extent of
Is per cent, and on certain goods as
much as 80 per cent.
posed to accord his employees any hui
name consideration or to discuss mat
tiers with them in the least, the proba-
bilites are that there would be no union
organization here to-day. His difficult
ties with his men were due to
arbitrary and inconsiderate methods. On
the other hand, the general good feeling
among the men at the present time is
due to exactly the opposite policy of the
later management.
THE union was organized as a branch
of the Western Federation of Miners on
the evening of April 10, 1897. On April
81 the men were locked out. Mr.. Strong
had not received any official informa-
ton relative to the organization. No
demands had been made by the union.
no adjustment of grievances sought; no
committees called to interview him. Yet
the lockout-out was ordered and the
company, as usual, deafened it's official
ear to forestall any word of Cancellation.
The attitude of the present manage
ment is in evidence as proof of its WIS
dom, nationality and businesslike policy.
Up to the present time demands have
not been necessary. 1t is true that the
union has no official recognition from
the company even now, but Manager
Burrell and Superintendent WEIGH give
ear to their employees as men, which
is, as matter of course, all that official
recognition of the union could bring
about.
Abundant illustration as to the atti-
tudes of the two arrangements is fur
nished when the history of the follow
ing grievance is considered. 1t seems
that the custom of deducting $3.50
monthly from the wages of employees, to
be applied to the support of a physician
has ever prevailed In the camp. Now,
the village of Aldrich is situated two
and half miles back in the hills from
Horr. The grade is very steep and
travel between the towns is necessarily
slow. The company physician for
whose services the men themselves paid,
as shown above, resided at Horr and as
has occurred in case of accident, when
a physicians services We're speedily re-
quirea, several hours have been known
to intervene ere the surgeon could be
brought to the patients side. The men,
therefore, desired that the physician
should reside at Aldrich. Paying him
Literally. as they did, they reasoned that
they had the right to either decide
where this particular physician should
make his home or that they should be
permitted to select one whose residence
was already in Aldrich. The matter
was brought to the notice of Mr.. Strong
in an official way and he was asked to
require the company physician, who
was then living at Horr. to move to
Aldrich, or in case he should refuse, that
a physician be secured who would con-
sent to make his home in Aldrich. Mr..
Strong gave the men no satisfaction.
He gave them to understand in effect
that the matter of the residence of the
physician was not business of the men
but of the mana cement. that the physi-
clan was in the control and employ Of
the company and that he would be To-