Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1902-09-24
THE RECENT STRIKE
DISCUSSED ON ITS MERITS WITH
 OTHER IM0RTANT MATTERS
Mir. Murphy Plainly and FearIessIy Handles the Corporate and En-
 pIoyee Labor Problems.

Creek tunnel. MT. Murphy stated that there was nothing new to report MT. Martin, superintendent for tn company, had written him that ther would be no difficulty in filling thu places vacated by the machine mel and miners; that there was abso lutely no reason whatever for tn, men quitting, unless they though they could embarrass the compan, and by so doing compel the com pany to increase their pay-whicl did not indicate very friendly or co operative spirit. MT. Murphy re marked that development work, sucl as running the Poland-Lynx Creel tunnel, would be looked upon as l; big undertaking in any state or terri tory and should receive the supper of the entire community. The com pletion of this tunnel will mean mil lions of dollars to Lynx Creek and Walker mining districts; also affect favorably portions of Turkey Creel and Groom Creek, and incidentally mean a great deal to Prescott. Il must be conceded that the present prosperous business conditions 1T Prescott are due almost entirely tC tho opening, development and oper, ation of the mines in this section, and every opportunity to encourage and stimulate mining should receive the hearty support of each and every resident of the city and county.
 MT. Murphy further remarked that it was particularly unfortunate that there are, as rule, in and about mining camps, certain saloon men who encourage disturbance and un- settled conditions between employer and employee; that while it is true that for time immediately follow ing strike, miners are apt to congre- gate at the saloons and under the ex- citement spend their hard earned money rather more freely than they otherwise would, the advantage to the saloon man is only temporary, and in no sense to be compared to a steady and permanent business such as they are sure to have when a camp is prosperous and the mines in l full operation. Also that the small merchant or storekeeper, doing busi- ness in and about mining camps seens to feel that he is in duty bound, or that it is to his interest to throw his influence against the min ing company, particularly so, when | the company has a store. He did not think all saloon men were so short sighted as to encourage trouble; in fact many are disposed to be friendly to the companies and do all they can to prevent friction; and this is true of some of the small mer- chants; but there are always some who stand read dy to, and do encour- age the miners, right or wrong, to open up fight on the company, ex- pecting to profit directly or indi- rectly, at the miners expense. Miners are not always wrong, nor are they by any means always right, but he believed that the spirit of fairness that as rule predominates with the miners as we'll as with the companies, would more often succeed If it were not for the outside influences that too often cast the deciding vote.
 Mir. Murphy predicts that if min ing in Yavapai county and the terri tory generally, was going to be han dicapped and constantly subjected to the whimsical notions of irresponsi- ble people, the uncertainty as to the future of mining in Arizona will be such as to discourage capital and slow down operations everywhere.
 Why, said MT. Murphy. if the mines are not to be operated, and prospects converted into producing mines, railroad construction to the mining districts must of necessity stop. He stated that he built the road to Poland at big expense to handle the product of the mines in that vicinity, including Walker and Lynx Creek, and make profitable mining possible. If the mines tribu- tary to the road cannot be operated, then the railroad is failure. and why may net the same conditions at tach to the mines tributary to the aoad from Mayer to the Bradshaws? In the face of threatening conditions, what inducemeIt is there offered jus tifying the expenditure of millions of dollars in furnishing railroad facili- ties to the rich mining districts in Pinal and Graham counties, or to the mining districts west of Congress, or the districts east of Wickenburg and north of Hot Springs Junctioni
 Mr. Murphy insisted that it is time that the merchant and farmer as well as the conservative members of every union in the country, should lend their support to some sensible move ment looking to the immediate ad- | justment and removal of existing and threatening Instructions to satisfac- 1 tory and profitable mining in Arizo- ma It will not do to- wait until it is too late. Unbiased and serious con SideratiOn of these threatening diff culties should not be put aside even temporarily to suit the convenience and advance the interests of q few politicians who are apparently will ing to submit to almost anything in their desire to secure election of the paying offices, and if you please, con trol the politics of the territory, but those who represent the business in terests of the territory must stand up like men and meet the issue fairly and squarely.
 NIT. Murphy believes in conceding to the labor organizations every right and privilege that belongs to them, but not in submitting to arbitrary and unreasonable dictation. He also holds that American citizens who dc not belong to labor organizations should be protected in their rights to as full an extent as the members of the unions are desirous of having their interests and rights protected Otherwise, successful mining iu AriZOua has seen its best days and the unusual prospective development that would seem to be guaranteed tC the territory will certainly not be realized.
 Democrats ana the TerritoTes.