Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-05
COUNTER APPEAL TO LABOR.
HR. HOLDEN THROWS NEW LIGHT
on BRUSH CREEK STRIKE.
Savings Bank of Which He Is As.
signee Holds Large Interest in
Mine-Asks Labor and Public
to Consider His Position.
To The Journal.

~ ANe"ao 4" ~ O. Ian
ccal mine. 1 have a few words to say. that
the COMPANY may be placed in the right
light before the public.
In September. 1896, Il strike occurred over
the question of wages. which was fnaHy
disposed of by a compromise which subse-
quent developments proved the company
could not afford to make. 1t wasthea under
stood that the mining rate should go TO 81
cents per ton on March l, 1897. When that
date came the miners. under the influence
of a few men who seek to run things, de-
manded 81, and went to the Industrial
Council with their case. The company,
conscious of the rightfulness OF Its posi-
ton and counting investigation by any I'M
partial persons, asked the council to in
Sestigate. That body appointed one or Its
leading members who, after thorough In
Guiry and examination of the books. re-
ported that S7IH cents was all the company
could afford 10 pay. The company urged
the committee Of miners to act with him
In his inquiry but they failed to do so. The
men were dissatisfied with this report and
demanded that a committee Of three be APP
pointed TO arbitrate the matter, one by the
miners. one by the company and a third by
shose two. The company freely accepted
this proposal and requested the chairman
of-the grievance committee of the Indus
trial Council to name the third man, which
was done in the person OF Mr.. d. l.; Guy
Sllc. DIeSlutAl u llc ypOS IlAS oAA4SE
so that the miners may be considered as
practically having had two members oil the
committee of three. After full investSa-
lion that second committee decided with
the first, that the company was right and
the men wrong in their demands. and, ait
er nearly a months disruption OF the CON,
pany's business, work proceeded at e'H2
cents.
THAT there should be no strike by the miners
or lockout by the company without prev
fous notice to the other side. The company
kept this agreement strictly, but, under the
leadership of those same few men. the min
ers struck several times without notice.
Since then the leaders in the strike OF
that though they We're beaten by arbitra-
tion then. they would get back" at the
SSe empad :, when he . Sep saus no c arbitr ani YOU'D
On August 2s, without notice to the
Company, the miners stopped work because
Whether the Charge was weii-grounded or
not Is not so material as that the men with
cut notice contrary to their hev ag green fbs in
grievance to TIE company their wishes
might have been met. On. the next day,
pany. / asked the appointment of a COM
mittee Of ten, representing all factions, TO
meet for discussion of all questions of mu-
and voted to refuse this request. The COM
pany had been expecting to close down Tor
a short time at least. for Necessary n re,
work of their own accord. 1t determined 10
suspend operations until certain other
eettled, and gave such notice after paying
all amounts due the men Most Oh them
left and obtained work put the
mine and sought to dignity their acton as
that of a strike for higher wages, when no
stated to a COMMITTEES some time before,
that IL such question should arise, the
company would say that 1t could not pay
S1.12ih. At the same time I offered to have
the mine run on a cooperative basis, the
men first having a fair wage paid them
and then sharing In profits II any; tney Z. %
party Of their own selection, but THIS was
the company desired to resume work, and
on the 18th Inst, I requested MI. Hernden'
the company's agent at the mine. 70 inter
view the committee of miners, winch was
still near the mine, and ascertain their oe,
mands an whether any differences would
be submitted SrIttsn c 10 aT1,iratiion. which can be
seen by anyone, that they demanded M.lats,
and would not consent to any arbitration:
Knowing that they had been before the
Industrial Council on Saturday before It's
last meeting 1 addressed a letter to the
president OF that boay; tas ind,'%tSia, corn-
"Dear Sir:-I rave observed certain pub
lished statements to the effect thai the
parties in the management of the Brush
Creek coal mine were unfriendly TO or
ganized labor. I desire to distinctly contra
DICT any SuCn SldltIleIl- CoihIhhs
approves of unionism and when last spring
q question arose between the miners and
the company regarding wages the COM
pany very cheerfully submitted the matter
30 arbitration under the direction of your
honorable body. / now ask that IL any
thing comes up before you with respect 70
Brush Creek coal mine affairs, no action
be taken or conclusions entertained until
after an impartial Investigation Is had by
committee of the council
This letter was read at the council meet
ing Sunday afternoon but the request
therein was diregarded and without any
knowledge of the real facts. the meeting
as the Monday morning papers stated. vot-
ed to sanction the boycott these few
miners had assumes to place on the mine.
the protest Of some Of the delegates. which
was certainly much to their credit.
For more than a month propositions and
been before the company for supplying new
miners from other points. who We're rsceiv-
ing less wages where they were than the
company was willing TO pay. Not until
the mine had positively refused any arbi-
tration and then not until after the In
dustrial Council had refused to listen to
cation by that body. did the company give
final orders for obtaining miners elsewhere
There being no other resource left. on Mon.
DAY Ii gave such orders and in pursuance
thereof the new men now at the mine
have been employed.
The secretary OF the so-called union i:
quoted in the newspapers as saying thai
even at Sl.12i7 per ton the miners can make
but sl.25 per day. How untrue this Is car
be seen by the company's pay rolls. which
are open to inspection. In July and Au'
gust, with the pay at S1lS cents. the en-
tire force of miners. including transients
. spcompetents. green hands and all, re
Ceived an average of a little over SLIGO pc
day, while the average was about $l.6S pei
day leaving out a few incompetents. 1t Is
said by those in immediate charge that the
average time worked was but little IL any
more than seven hours. Had there beer
full days work the pay would doubtless
have averaged 50 or more. Anyone familiar
with such matters can readily compare
these wages with those paid TO worker.
3n brick yards. on streets, railroads and In
other lines. To such, the prevailing rate
IS Sl.6 per day and in some cases less. Tn
company was anxious during those months
10 work every day and hour as, owing e
mand for coal. Aside from the miners, q
large number of men are employed ir han.
ding the coal after II is mined and these
have received sl.75 per day.
Brush Creek has been the stcadiness OF
work. a large number OF mines run but !
part of the time. often closing for weeks OF
working two or three days per week. The
Brush Creek mine has given work to IT.
employees 81 days out of a possible $40 Il
the year ending September 1. 1897.
The idle days We're covered almost en-
tirely by holidays. strikes by the miners q
Rbsenteeism after pay days. In the las
published state mine inspectors report 70
The year ending June 80, 1896. there are 81
coal mines reported as having been worke
in the state Of Missouri; during the proceed
tng year; of all these only ten mine
worked a greater number of DAYS than III
PSI Brush creek worked as above.
The company has had in its employ a
miners a few men of contentious dispositio
who manage to dominate their more plian
fellow miners and who tcnaciously hel