Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1907-12-10

out enumeratlnE strikes that went !
before. from December T. 1906. &C.
December !. 1907. there were four
general strikes in the distric, result
ing In complete Shutdowns of min
ing. 4 total Of more than ninety
days were lost by reason OF these
strikes or practically one.fourth OF
the entire year
Without going into detail AS to-
each OF these. Il will suffice here to-
give the cause of each. December.
1906, and January. 1907. for higher
wages; March and April, 1907. be-
cause the mine owners refused to
discharge carpenters who belonged
TO the American Federation of La
Dor and did not belong to the West
ern Federation of Miners: August
and September. 1907 because some
of the mines insisted on establishing
change rooms to prevent the whole
sale stealing of ores November and
December. 1907, because the mines
were compelled to adopt system of
paying wages in cashiers checks,
the only medium of exchange obtain
able in Goldfield. In passing, We
would also call attention to the fact
that in January, 1907, it was ex
pressly agreed as one of the condi-
tions of the settlement of that strike
that the mines might establish
change rooms; in April it was agreed
that no strike would be called with
out referendum vote, and two
thirds vote would be necessary, but
both the August and November
strikes were called without any sucn
referendum vote. The annual con-
vention Of the Western Federation
of Miners also adopted rule that
no local union could call strike
without a two-thirds referendum
vote The Goldfield union will not
stand by it's own written agreement
or the solemn rules of the organiza-
tion to which it belongs.
Sixth-Not content with this
record of strikes in Goldfield itself,
the union by a majority vote declared
itself in favor of sympathetic
strike to aid local union in the
state of California. The union at
Bishop, Calf, had declared strike
against the Nevada California Power
company, which furnishes all the
electric light and power for Gold
field and Southern Nevada. A strong
effort was made to get the loca
unions in the Southern Nevada
camps to go on sympathetic strike
In every instance except Goldfiel5
/ the local unions voted down the
propositions almost unanimously, bu
here the agitators were able to Sc
cure a substantial majority, but for
tunately less than the required two
thirds A strike of that kind woult
have shut off the electricity of tn,
camp, leaving it without light, waite
or power.
Seventh-All of the strikes hav,
have been accompanied by the usua
threats of violence to life and prop
erty In March and April citizens
committee spent thousands of dollar
in patrolling the streets of the cit
day and night, to guard against fire
murder and outrage. With ever
strike all the mines, mills, reduction
plants, power plants, large buildings
banks and important pieces of prop
erty have been guarded day an
night. And individual mine owner
and operators have been forced t
place armed guards in and aroun
their homes. Wives and childre
have been compelled to sleep fo
weeks with a Waterman in the &C
Joining room, keeping the vigils {
the night with sawed-off shot gu
across his knees The union
: known to have bought and had in il
possession at least two hundred an
!, fifty stands of arms with bountifl
supply of ammunition.
The above is a brief summary
: the conditions as they actually ext
: and have existed in Goldfield. Viii
the district attorney has done h
:, duty, and we believe the sheriff
: the county, and constable of the pr
!. cinct are personally honest and ST
cere in their desire to enforce Il
!, law, their environment is such tn
it is impossible for them to do S
! Goldfield is upon desert, almo
two hundred miles in every directi,
;. from settled country. 1t has be,
/, rendezvous for all lawless elemen
and anarchistic agitators; SO VIII
! the mine owners determined to thrC
off their letters they laid the abo
facts before the Governor of t
State and asked for his assistan,
He has responded by having the Fe
eral government send troops to t
cnpnn for llcp in aoCn nf nnoncci