Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-02
HON. GEO. AUSTIN'S VIEWS.
Member of the Legislature Approves
Gov, Wells Action,
Lehl, Utah, Nov 30.

Lehl Utah, Nov 30 1903.
To the Editor + the "Newsr
was pleased to read in the News"
your approval of he action Of Governor
Wells in sending the state militia to the
coal mines to protect The people who
wish to continue at their NO q. / an
of the opinion that the governors time
ly action was for the best good of the
men themselves and for the people of
the state AZ whole. Strikes are do
T'ombe things and should only be or
dered as last resort. rne writer
speaks from experience, having been
forced into Il strike on the Onion Pa
ciilc railroad whom only boy. was
getting 81 day for driving scraper
team, and the demand was made for
81. ! considered then, as ! 20 now,
that our cause was unjust and we lost
the day.
] believe labor organizat lions are all
right, so long as they do not infringe
on the rights of those who DO not wish
10 affiliate with them, but II Feeins 10
me we should have some law in our
statute books 10 punish people who pre-
vent by force satisfied men from work
ing when and for whom they please.
People generally do not realize the cX-
tent to which some Of these organi1a-
lions interfere with business. | would
ijkn 10 relate one or two Instances:
A gentleman and myself a short time
ago went to one Of the rpd,ng stores
In Salt Lake to purchase a bill of iiN-
lures TO send into an adjoining state,
We We're promptly told that they could
not bill the goods to that destination,
and whom We asked for an explanation
they said that they would be glad TO
sell the goods. but when they arrived at
their destination IL would take some
work tn put the fixtures Into place and
the labor organization there would OBJ
iect to the goods coming from here,
so the order was turned down.
! believe the labor difficulties ave
much worse In Colorado, however. tnan
I'M Utah know personally oi gen
tleman IN Denver who tried to buy a
bin of fixtures at a store there to ba
shipped out Of that city, buJ not out
Of the state. lie was unable to have
his order filed, being told by he whole
sale dealer that he must place his order
with the labor union, and they would
then he pleased to sell him the good.
required
While ( was a member OF the STATE
Legislature last winter two men from
Colorado called on me In relation &c
ilhNst VII NJ lN- w ll'll NhN NhfANfFN
10 come mp for final action In the after
noon This bill provided penails ahC
ptnishments against people who hor,
arms for protecting property ana pun
ished corporations who hired men 4
act as guards, besides a number Of othe
provisions, which would have been verI
harmful to the business interests Of ,h
state. The two men asked how
stood ON the bill, and | promptly toll
them ! was opposed TO H. and shouh
do all | could 10 Kill II, that in M
opinion II II became a law II would on
couagc strikes and tend TO unsettl
labor conditions here. At this my tw
visitors became very abusive an
threatened TO advertise me from ON
end of the United states TO the othel
The bill was killed by vote OF 81 To
but whether the agitators ever carrie
out their threat on not | do not Know
except that | heard some time late
that I was given a free "Write-up
one of the Chicago papers, as "a cap
tallst" and an enemy of the Workin
men,
II Is the agtators who generally q
the honest hard working man into tro,
bile and cause much OF the suucrin
that follows strikes
GEORGE AUSTIN.