Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-09-12
UMPIRE Wright :.
DECIDES DISPUTES
Findings on Five Questions at Issue
Between Operators and Min
ers Made Public,
EMPLOYERS right TO DISCHARGE
men FOR CAUSES SUSTAINED
Membership in Labor Union Not Held
Says Employer Need Not Give
Reason for Diminishing M1ner-De-
cisiOn Regarded as Important.

Scranton, Pa, Sept. 1O.-Hon. Carroll
D. Wright, the umpire to whom was re-
ferred the five disputes between the OPP
orators and" miners representatives on
the board of Cancellation appointed under
the provisions of the anthracite mine
strike commission, filed his findings
Tuesday with T. D. Nichols, secretary of
the board. In dealing with the question
OF the employers right to discharge men
for any cause other than of connection
with a labor union, Umpire Wright
agrees wholly with the contention OF the
operators representatives and declares
that the right of an employer to dis
charge without giving the cause of the
discharge is sustained by the award Of
the commission. AS to the rockmens
dispute the umpire says they do not come
under the award. The complaint of
Thomas Tanner is not sustained in re-
gard to the allegations of discrimination
on the part of the Lehigh Coal and Navi-
cation company and Coke Brothers &
Company. He says that these companies
should take back old men instead of
putting on new men, in all cases where
the old men are competent and have not
been convicted or not awaiting trial for
crime committed during the strike. The
umpire's findings covers Is pages of
typewriting.
Should Give Notice.
Leading up to the final award the um-
pire says: taking the rulings of the
court, the assertion Of the anthracite
coal strike commission, the clauses in
the agreement made by and with the
United Mine Workers of America and
the admission of the different members
of the board of Cancellation, whether on
the one side or the other, there can be
no doubt that man has right to quit
the service of his employer whenever he
sees fit, with or without giving any cause,
provided he gives proper notice, and that
the employer has perfect right to en-
ploy and discharge men in accordance
with the conditions of his industry; that
he is not obliged to give any cause for
discharge, but that he should, as in the
reverse case, give proper notice.
Right to Discharge Sustained.
"This right to discharge must, there
fore, be sustained. Any other view of
the case would result in compelling men
to work for an employer when they did
not wish to do so, and thus enslave them,
when, on the other hand, it would COM
pei employers to employ men whether
they had work for them or not, and
whether the men were incompetent or
not, and would thus stagnate business
and work to the injury Of all other en-
ployes All discharges as all quittals
should be made on reasonable basis.
The employer and the employe should
treat each other with justice, and with
a desire to preserve peace"
The board has now disposed of about
80 disputes. Two more questions on
which it is deadlocked will be submitted
to Umpire Wright. They deal with the
nine-hour day in the Reading company's
mines and the proper basis on which to
compute the increase in wages awarded
by the commission, the companies in the
Lehigh and Schuylkill region contending
that it should be on the net earnings
while the men contend it should be on
the gross earnings.
Regard Decision as Important.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Sept. 10.-Coal op-
orators of the Wyoming region look
upon the decision of Umpire Wright,
| giving them the right to discharge en-
ployes, as a very important one. The
officials of the United Mine Workers
claim that the privilege given employ
ers is apt to be abused by mine fore
! men, who, acting upon instructions
| from headquarters, can make it very
unpleasant for the men who were &C.
tive in the last strike.
The superintendent of one of the
large coal companies says the decision
is far reaching, and will either bring
permanent peace in the anthracite re-
gion or open war upon the part of the
union miners. He points out that 80
per cent. of the petty strikes that have
taken place since the strike commits
sion made it's award were caused by the
discharge of some employe for cause.
In order to have him reinstated all the
employees of the mine would go out.
| To Be Unveiled October 3.
Adams, Mass, Sept. 10.-The date OF
the unwilling of the Mckinley memorial
statue here has been fixed for Saturday
October 8. The principal speakers will
be ex-Secretary of the Navy John D.
Long, Gov. John L. Bates and Lieut..
Gov. Curtis Guild, Jr. The statue is one
of the first to be erected to the memory
- E1D s-J1 t., T.
and is the result of public subscriptions.
Earthquakes Reported.
Denver, COL, Sept. 10.-Specials from
northwest of here tell of earthquake
shocks felt in Boulder, Loveland, Long
mont and Fort Collins. No damage was
DONE The shocks caused doors and
windows to rattle and at Boulder the
houses shook quite perceptfbly.
Killed by Marshal.