The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-21

they may talk and agitate.
DEMOCRATIC CLASS LEGISLATION
Although in force only a few weeks,
the effects of the impracticable class
legislation of the, democrats in enact
ing a law reducing the hours Of la
Dor of a certain element Of the work
ing men of the state are beginning to
pile up in a manner pOrtentous OF
trouble of the most serious nature.
One strike has just been settled, now
another and even greater is threat
ened. At Butte two large smelling
concerns are confronted by an ultima
tum from the union to which the larg-
err number of their employees belong
demanding a reduction in hours for
men who are not members and to
whom the provisions OF the labor law
do not apply. This, however, does
not make any difference to the men
who are behind the agitation and they
do not care that the position as
sumed by them is not right or justi-
fed by any possible line of reasoning
they may apply. Neither do they seem
to care that a large majority of those
whom a strike will affect are satisfied
with existing conditions and want no
change.
The disagreement has arisen over
the complaint of less than one-tenth
of the whole number of men employed
by the two companies and, as already
stated, they are not members of the
union, as the class of labor they per-
form does not make Them eligible to
membership. They are all what is
termed outside help, carpenters,
helpers, surface men and machinists.
They are said to have made a writ
ten demand on the union that it use
it's influence and power to secure for
them the same short day that the
actual smelter men enjoy under the
provisions of the law. The demand
has been made and refused by the
managers of the two plants. Follow
ing their refusal the managers took
steps to close down the works, know.
ing that a strike would p%robaDly fol.
low and as a first step ordered sus'
pension of work at the COMMENTATORS,
resulting in the laying off of a mum
Der of men. This was further fol
lowed by a temporary shutting down
Of some of the mines, as no demand
existed for the ore they were produc
ing. At one of the smelters, that OF
the Butte & Boston company, some
!, OF the men were also laid off and
- preparations completed to shut down
; A Butte dispatch states that the
action of the leaders in forcing the
union into a strike is not meeting
with the approval of the main body
, of the organization. A member is
l quoted as saying hat n majority Of
, the men employed at the two smelt
ers were satisfied with the situation
, as it had existed for some time pas
$ and had no grievance against the
!. companies. He is further quoted a!
!. saying that the majority are opposed
n to the issuance of an ultimatum, blu
q that the union is controlled by inter
o ests a~ntagonistic to the Amalgamatet
company. ...
At this distance it may not be 81
I easy to guess the identity of the Sin
h terests antagonistic to the Amalgam
o ated company" but for all that a tol
erably safe guess might be made b.
pointing to the same interests VIII
have in the past and are still mani
Testing an antagonism that take
form in resorting to every possible
method of interfering with the wor
and legitimate purposes Of the CON
pany and by the exercise Of perver1
ed ingenuity causing it all the tror
g BILE possible. No doubt the ma
h quoted had in mind the same inter
o ests which are e~ndeavoring to proven
n the Butte Miners union from inves1
n ing it's surplus money in stock of tn
v company and threatening to resort t
l. the power of injunction If no Othe
r means can be found to accomplis
Is their purpose.
s., While all will aeplore the unfortl
IT nate condition of affairs, the fac
should not be overlooked that tn
a. blame for it a. must be placed o
o the democratic party Of the state
n securing enactment Of legislation RI
sponsible for the trouble. In thei
selfish desire for power and their luz
f11u011