Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-05-29
COAL MINERS HAVE NO
GROUND FOR ARGUMENT

Editor Herald: The coal miners
of La Plata county have carefully re-
Trained from entering into any pole.
mics with the daily press of Durango
9rent the existing differences between
our employers and ourselves We
would very much prefer to meet and
| confer with them. and discuss our
cause face to face. as thev are far
| more interested in. and better under
| stand their own affairs than the press
| and this being not only the general
hut the most rational and humane
| method Of settling and regulating any
| disputed wage question of this kind.
It Is to be regretted that the major
mart of the mine operators thus far
have ohstinatelv refused to confer with
the representatives of the miners; and
We would not now take issue with the
| press. II the rawlings and erroneously
perverted and garhled statements of
| the facts I'm the case had not assumed
| the form of a travestv as well as an
outrage upon !. l.. Gehr and upon the
miners cause In general. in which the
| Herald has taken quite a prominent
| fore in Justice to ouselves and all con-
cerned we desire a hearing through
the columns of the Herald In which
we will briefly narrate our side of the
main issues in question. as far as It
"elates to the press.
To begin why should the press
| "lamor for the turning down of G. L.
Gehr on the ground of being an out
slider? Such nonsense, All other
ORGANIZATIONS as well as the corpora
lions. have their executive officers to
'ook after the best interests of its
members In peaceable manner and
we claim that Mr. Gehr as a represen-
tative of the U. NJ. w. OF A. has the
same right
| Mr. Gehr is also charged with get
ting the miners to strike, whereas it is
a plain matter of fact that the miners
are out in consequence of the failure
of the operators to comply with the
terms of the miners graded scale of
mining prices for the next six months.
The system of graded scale for
mining according to the size of the
vein TO be worked. is used in all mines
in the United States, and our schedule
has had due and ample consideration,
and If there Is any mistake In II at
the present time. 1t is that we are en-
tirely too lenient in giving our emlpy-
ers six weeks notice in order that they
may prepare for a strike.
Our schedule calls for no advance on
the present price for inside labor
which is $500 per day hence the
charge that the miners have turned
down $500 per day Is simply prepos-
ferrous and entirely groundless.
We are also informed that 80 per
cent of the miners would return to
work but for the coersion of the lead
ers This can truthfully be cited as
gross insult to the intelligence and
manhood OF the miners as body
The coal miners are not men of straw
or moral towards. but have the cour
age of their convictions on every just
and fair proposition which concerns
them.
In conclusion. Mr.. Editor allow us
10 call the attention of the genera
public to the attitude of the Morning
Democrat as now taken. compared
with the position it took in the smeltel
strike of three years ago. At thai
time the Democrat supported ever,
demand made by the smelter strikers
on the ground. and It then declared
that the cost Of living in Durango wal
35 per cent higher than in other towns
OF Colorado. although since that time
2 IT - ha riaQ NJ life haVl
increased from 25 per cent to 80 pc