Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1903-08-12

| Inc following letter has been pre-
pared and issued by the Yavapa
county Mine Operators Association:
with the first day of June, 1903
a law became effective limiting tC
eight hours the length of an under.
ground day. The law was crudely
drawn and passed the legislature and
was signed by the governor because
there was no organized opposition tc
it. When tested in the courts it will
undoubtedly be declared uncOnstitu-
tional as has recently been done with
a similar measure in Nevada aud still
earlier in Colorado and other states.
Meantime, however, it is law and
must be obeyed.
"The legislation to which reference
has been made is chiefly interesting
to us on account of the results which
have come from it. Prior to its pas
sage Arizona had been unique in its
freedom from labor troubles. The
wages paid have been high, the
miners largely independent of union
affiliations and so we'll satisfied with
the existing conditions that large
numbers of them have been coming
here from other mining camps. The
days pay for mining has varied from
50 to 50. 80 per day of ten hours with
additional prices for places of espe-
cial danger, difficulty or discomfort
With the enactment of the eight hour
law the Western Federation of Miners
promulgated a scale in which the
lowest rate for mining was to be
50. 30 per day of eight hours. To the
mine paying 50 per day this meant
an advance of ID 3-4 cents per hour
or 46 per cent. To the mine paying
g. % an increase of IL IA cents per
hour or nearly % per cent and to
those paying 800 an advance of
8 "a or . per cent. The necessity
of meeting the conditions that June
LIST would bring in a spirit which
should be at once fair to those who
are investing their money in Arizona
mines and to the men engaged in
working these mines proved to be the
unifying influence long needed to
bring the mine owners together into
an organization for the advancement
of the varied interests OF the mining
ipHncfru in XavaDai a,nnfv Cu.b
an organization was effected. 1t was
seen at once that it would be OF the
greatest advantage to supplant the
former varying prices with a uniform
scale subject only to such modifica-
tions as individual cases or peculiar
conditions make necessary. After
consultation and careful considera-
tion the following scale was adopted
by the association:
''For an eight hour day, under
ground:
miners, sinking, $3.50.
"Miners, drifting, upraising aud
prosecuting, 1925.
"Miners, stopping, 50.
Machine men, $50
'Pumpmen, 3d. 30.
"Muckers, those who shovel into
cars, 50.
Carmen. pushing cars, 3. 30.
''This we believe to be the highest
scale of wages paid under anything
like similar conditions in the world
1t is higher than is paid in other
counties OF this territory although
none of the others are as pleasant or
as healhtful to live in or as we'll cir
cumstanced as regards climatic condi-
tions for work throughout the entire
year. 1t is a scale in which full jus
tice has been done to the rights of the
miner. Under the highest wages pre-
vailing prior to June LIST it practically
represents nine hours pay for eight
hours work. 1t means to the opera
tors an increased cost of labor
amounting to at least % per cent. 1t
is a higher scale than was expected by
the miners generally, is commended
by the sensible ones as exceedingly
liberal and we do not hesitate a mo-
ment to declare is the very utmost
limit that legitimate miuing in Ari-
IONA can afford to pay and expect to
live.
"Since the first of June most of the
mines have either been paying the
wages just enumerated or have been |
shut down because of their refusal to
recognize any other scale. Some bad |
feeling, a good deal of loud talk and |
a little show of violence has been the |
result but these have for the most |
part passed and the battle for a fair |
wage scale is practically won. That |
this is true is due entirely to the I'M
tied action taken by the operators. I
Individual managers or owners stand /
alone, fearing damage to their inter |
ests or property or dreading to bear |
the brunt of the BATTLE unsupported |
would have yielded and Yavapai !
mines would have passed under the /
yoke of unIonism. You have only to |
consider bow great were the issues at |
stake to see the Importance of this
victory. The mines of Central Ari-
iona have very few of them as yet /
passed the development stage. For /
the large majority of them the month
Iy pay roll ranges from one to four
thousand dollars. An increase of %
per cent on these figures would stop /
work upon many of those now devel
oping and change most of the others /
from a paying to losing basis. But |
more important by far than the money /
involved is the higher consideration
that yielding in this instance means
the unionizing of what have been |
independent communities. /
UniOnism means the absolute control
of the mines by walking delegates.
No non-uniOn man may be hired and
no union man discharged without the
consent of the union. An instance
was recently reported in the daily
press of two large mines shut down
for over a month with loss to owners
and employees exceeding $500, coo.
The cause was the discharge of man
for maltreating mule. The union
agreed that the man deserved dis