The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-16
NORTHERN MONTANA
The Northern Montana Office of the Standard
IS located in the Bach. Cory Block, Great Falls,
directly opposite the Park Hotel. Advertising
rates furnished on application.
STRIKE Of THE MINERS
! Investigated by the President of
. the Federation.
FEELING GROWING BETTER
The Western Federation Did Not Author
izs the Striks--Many Families
in Belt Are Suffering
for Food.
FEELING GROWING BETTER
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard
Belt Apri! 15.-President Boyce of
the Western Federal ton of Miners ar
rived here on last Monday to investi-
gate the causes leading up to the strike
meeting of the Miners union was called
at 1:30 p. M, and in the evening the
executive committee, accompanied by
Mr.. Boyce, called upon Manager Whyte
and superintendent Kinney to discuss
the conditions and if possible reach
some agreement. The matter having
passed out of the hands of Messrs.
Whyte and Kinney, they We're power
less to do anything that would help to
arrive at a settlement of the difficulties.
Until this time the understanding here
had been that the strike was ordered
by the Western Federation of Miners.
On the day the strike was inaugurated,
when the committees of strikers were
turning back 70 their homes, the men
who had started to work. they told
them the strike had been ordered by the
fedora tion; that if they went to work
they would become 'scabs," and some
of them were told they were foolish
to think of going to work; the feder-
alton would provided for their families;
to go back home and remain there I'M
til the strike was declared off. Presi-
dent Boyce denied that the strike was
ordered or authorized by the federation
1t is purely local affair and the men
who were kept away from their work
by being told the strike was ordered
by the federation feel indignant at the
deception practiced upon them. Had it
been known the strike was purely local,
1t would never have been in any man
ner effective, and the mines would have
been working full time.
AT the meeting on Monday evening
the books of the company We're opened
for Mr.. Boyce's inspection. 1t was
shown to him the machine men have
always received more than the stand
ard union wages. They were asked to
perform an additional amount of labor
but which could have been easily per-
formed in much less than the regular
lO-hour working shift and not mans
pay would have been reduced. On the
contrary, the new schedule, as pro-
posed by the company, added to the
pay OF the miners a sum that would
equal $1,000 per month.
The feeling against the Miners union
for their hasty action in declaring a
strike grows more pronounced every
day. 1t is pretty generally understood
the membership of. the union is made
up very largely or machine men, the
greater number of whom Joined the
union after the trouble began The
unions membership represents much
less than so per cent. of the employees
of the company. 1t seems an unfair
proposition that a few men who have
always received the highest wages paid
in the camp, and who We're never asked
to work for less than standard union
wages, should keep so many men who
have no grievances whatever from earn
ing livelihood. There are now more
than 10 families depending upon the
county to support them and other APP
plications are being made daily. The
Miners union recently declared a dvi-
dend which amounted to $3.50 per cap
ita. Some seven or eight families, how
ever, are receiving aid from the union.
Mr., Boyce left on Tuesdays train
and the strike is still in the hands of
the local union. Asked what action the
federation would probably take in the
future, Mr.. Boyce replied that he did
not know. The matter would probably
come before the convention on May s.
but until that time the Western Fedora
ton was not in it.