Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1906-04-26
Letters tho % Editor
Ready for Honorable Settlement.
Tracy City, April "a. 1906.

us us union ulubIS. we want Lle
company to treat us as organized men.
They are running the mines as open
| shop mines and they are getting out
about one-third The coal that the union
miners got out in the days work in the
month We got out at one mine 30
railroad cars day. They are getting
out, this month, up till now, 1-9
cars per day. At the other mine they
get out little more per day but in the
two mines it is just a little over one
third the output that we got out when
we worked. The men who have been
shipped in here to take the places of
the union miners are hired by the day
for other men and make the man they
work for money that they ought to
have themselves and would get if they
were in union for the U. NJ. W. of A.
| don't believe in one man making liv-
ing for the other fellow, but believe in
every body having his own ticket and
all he makes being his and not some
contractors. We have offered to meet
the company with our committee or
arbitrate our grievances. They won't
| do either but say we are not entitled
to our union. Let's see what the law
of Tennessee says.
Mining laws of Tennessee. Senate
Bill No. 222. A bill for regulation
and inspection of mines in the state
and for the safety, welfare and pro-
| lection of persons employed therein
and providing for penalties for viola
tons of this Act
| Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the general
| assembly of the state of Tennessee for
r -. L
protection to the life and health of per-
sons employed in and around the mines
and to increase the security and pro-
lection connected with mining opera
tions and to facilitate an efficient and
thorough inspection of the mines in
! Tennessee.
Pray tell me how the unorganized
men can force company to give him
air, dry places, and timber as the law
requires and keep the gas out of the
mines so he won't get blown up2
The men who trust their lives to a
company along the line laid out by law,
with no assurance of their life other
than the mine inspector to look after
them may expect to be plunged into
eternity 2t6 at once like it was at Fra
terville mines. We want more protec-
tion by the law of Tennessee than we
have now and let us send men to the
legislature to see that better law is
made to protect our lives, and I have
this to say about the non-union miners
of Tennessee that they are helping to
make worse their own conditions by
staying out of the union by establish
ing such conditions as they do. The
cneck system, binding the men to trade
at company stores or not work. If
you trade where you please you are Or
dered to hunt work elsewhere The
laws of Tennessee give a man the priv
ilege of trading where he can do the
best.
Again Tennessee's laws say 9, 900 lbs
make a ton. How are the non-union
men to regulate the number of lbs in a
ton if the company says more than
what the laws of Tennessee say How
are you going to better your condition
if you are in water, bad air, gas, bad
top or bad weights or measure in your
cars. Pray tell me who are you to go
to better your conditions? Join some
union and appeal to the Governor of
the State under the laws of Tennessee
for the protection in all the above de-
tails, which are against the laws of
Tennessee A man can't do anything
by himself but collectively he can.
| would advise men to think what
they are trying to establish when fight
ing the union and where they are 60
ing to. Where men are locked out of
mines because they belong to some I'M
ion they are making it hard for the
miner in Tennessee to get what the law
gives him. We men here at Tracy
know what these contractors do for the
country as well as what they do for
their fellow men, The miners of Cum
berland mountain are willing for the
Governor Of Tennessee to help appoint
an arbitrating committee and inves-
tigate our grievances, but the differ
ent companys say, mo, we won't arbi-
trate anything. This is the answer
we get when we asked if they would
arbitrate the case. The people at large
don't know how miners are endangered
in coal mines. Neither do they know
what union is for. We know the
names we are called through certain
papers by men who have n t back bone
enough to sign their names to what
they publish. / long for law to be
passed in the state prohibiting any
man writing through papers who won't
sign his name to the article.
will say to the U. M. W. Of A,
No $40, members to let this be strike
to q finish and let us treat all men fair
and try to show our side up to the
world. Keep away from the mines
until the company meets us in the
right spirit and always meet them in
the same manner.
Now, have this to sag about men
or women writing through papers
don't like to see slurs written about
union or non-union men. That does
mt win anything to either party.
What is wrong in the south with the
laboring men is that they are morgan
lied Let's get more men into the I'M
ion and by so, doing we can better ouI
conditions The companies are organ
lied to better their conditions, under
the law of Tennessee, so let us organ
ize to better our conditions under the
same state law. Our constitution Of
the U. NJ. w. of A is subject to in
/, spection by our Governor if so request
ed by him or his lower officers. We
don't hold TO anything that is against
the law of Tennessee The constitu
ton of the u NJ w. of A. is open t
the public and especially so to the su
preme majesty of the state. We woul(
like TO see better feeling between labor
ers and operators On this mountain.
unTTGTnN nANNnN