The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-01
AN E|GHT-HOUR STRIKE
Prospects in the SLOGAN Not En-
couraging.
BIG MINES CLOSED DOWN
Immense Damage Done-It Would Have
Been the Most Prosperous Year
in the History of the SLOGAN
Country.

Butte parties who are interested in
the SLOGAN country are not elated over
the latest news from that mining sec
ton regarding the strike outlook. There
is hope that settlement will be reach
ed, however, inside of a month If
things are not adjusted within that
time it is expected that the next thing
Will be a protracted strike, which it
may require months, maybe years, to
settle. An effort is being made to i'm
press upon the provincial government
the necessity of allowing the eight-hour
law to lapse and become inactive, thus
permitting return to the old 1O-hour
schedule. AT present there are not more
Nnah zOo miners working in the SLOGAN,
where are situated many large mines.
good producers. The Payne, Last
Chance and other big mines are closed
down.
Secretary H. c. Bell of the Wonder
full company is in Spokane and he re-
ports that the situation is decidedly
serious.
THE present strike is doing an i'm
mense amount of harm to the SLOGAN
country he said to a Chronicle re-
porter. This would undoubtedly have
been the most prosperous year in the
history of the country had not the labor
troubles interfered. There was an I'M
precedented activity in every portion Of
the country this spring The country
has now, however received a blow
which 1T will be slow in recovering
from. As long as there is any posi-
bility of labor trouble it will be prac-
tiCal1y impossible to secure Canadian
and English capital to open up the
mines and that is what the country
stands in much need of
Il do not see any prospect of an i'm
mediate end of the strike The mines
are closed down. Practically all under
ground work has stopped and there is
no disposition on the part of the mine
owners to resume at the union scale.
The miners are apparently equally de-
termined. Many of the miners are
leaving the country and practically all
the other unemployed are out in the
hills prospecting or doing assessment
work upon their properties. The mer-
chants throughout the SLOGAN are COM
planning as business is practically at a
standStill.
Another effort is being made to in
duce the provincial government to al
low the eight-hour law to lapse and
become inactive, thus permitting a re-
turn to the old 10-hOur schedule. The
government partially agreed to do this,
but then changed it's mind and began
it's enforcement. The present effort to
have the law suspended is headed by
the mine owners and business men and
has the Endorsement of many of the
miners If it should prove a success it
would bring an end to all the troubles"
The manager of one of the big prop
critics near Sandon, who was recently
in Spokane, declined to be quoted in
regard to the labor troubles, but eX-
pressed the opinion that the miners in
the end would DrOVp NiptOrjOIlS
Everything favors the miners in the
present strike" he said. IF it develops
into a protracted fight, the miners will
simply leave the country and force the
mines into submission. The mine owners
are not in shape for a fight. The shut
ting down of the properties naturally
will cause the value of the stock to go
down. This will cause indignation on
the part of the stockholders and they
will interfere and compel the resump-
ton of work. even at the union scale.
Il expect the crisis in the trouble to
come some time between July / and Is.
The beginning of the strike was at a
time when both the miners and mine
owners were in shape to make big
bluff. 1t was the season of the year
when the mines regularly have to shut
down because of water. 1t is also the
time when most of the miners quit work
and do assessment work upon their own
good shape for the strike. The danger
of trouble from surface water is now
practically at an end. The miners have
done their assessments and are now
ready to return to work. If there is 10
be a settlement at all this year it will
be within the next three weeks
A number of the properties which
were shut down by the strike are pre-
pairing to resume work under the con-
tract system, which is practically a vic
tory for the miners. A contract for the
work is let to a union man at such a
price that he can pay the union scale.
The mine owners do not hire any one
and therefore do not violate their agree
ment to pay only So a day. The miners,
however, get the $3.50 day which they
fought for.
This contract system has been adopt
ed at the Ymir mine, which was the
only property in Ymir camp shut down
by the enforcement of the law. 1t has
also been used in the Granite and Royal
Canadian, at Nelson, and several of the
smaller SLOGAN properties.