The Virginia enterprise., 1907-10-04
$4,000 GONE.

$4,000 GONE.
Strike fund Has Disappeared; So Have
the Leaders.
"Over the signature of TX. S.," al
writer in the American Kaiku, the
Finnish newspaper published at
Duluth, gives some very pertinent
facts in regard to the feeling at
Hibbing and on the ranges regard
ing the recent strike. TX. S." was
one of the most prominent members
of the Western Federation of Miners
in the district. The article as trans
lated is about as follows:
"Now that the strike has gone 80
tar that the truth can be told with
out putting personal safety in
danger, I wish to inform the read
ers of this paper of the true state of
affairs in Hibbing; how the strike
came about and how it has been
continued.
I'm order to do this l must 20
back to February when Teofilo
Petriella, man expelled from his
own country for his anarchistic
political views, appeared in Hib-
bing as the candidate of the Social
ist party for mayor. He was de-
feated at the polls but soon found
other means of securing a hold on
the public teat by joining hands
with John Kolu and the Western
Federation of Miners and at once
proceeded to breed trouble among
the miners of the district.
"Kolu and Petriella began work
among the Firms, telling them how
their salvation would come from
the west providing they signed the
membership cards in the w. F. O.
NJ. and paid the So admission fee.
The prospective member was in
formed that he would have work.
ing day of eight hours and a mini.
mum wage of $3.50 per day. This
looked very good TO some and those
who did not believe the statements
were at once told they were fools
and that dire calamity would over
take them when once the Federation
secured foothold on the ranges.
1--WE were also told that if we only
started the strike, the engineers and
dockmen at Duluth and Two Har-
bors, all the sailors on the great
lakes and also the men at the y. S.
Steel foundries would join with us;
all we needed was courage to act
and we could rest assured that our
orders to strike would be signal
for general cessation of work all
along the lines mantioned.. Then
we could rest and the Western
Federation of Miners would do the
balance besides paying us 81 per.
day as long as the strike was on,
"After we struck, we found that
the dockmen did not belong to the
union and the other iron workers
has their contracts signed for the
next year, 80 they could not help
us. Then came the deputies who
took our men off to Jail. These were
the first nisfortunes and setbacks.
Petriella and Kolu informed us that
our men were martyrs to the labor
cause but we soon discovered that
they were sacrificed in order to
make great name for Petriella
and Kolu, as leaders.
"At this time the union treasury
contained about $4,000 and more,
was promised from the western
headquarters as soon as we needed
it. The $4,000 disappeared and the
"millions" from the west failed to
arrive. Acting President Mahoney
then took it upon himself to go
west and get the money. He never
came back. Instead of 'Mahoney
came one Mckenzie. He made il
appear that the strike had been
started by us contrary to the orders
from Denver and that on this &C.
count the w. F. o. n. was not under
obligations to assist US and that
the Federation refused assistance
for the following reasons: H. The
range had been organized only a
flew months and had not the solidity
to stand for strike. (2) The new.
Fly organized unions have not the
money and the Western Federation
needs all the money it has and
more for the west. (3.) The strike
being made against one OF the mos,
powerful trusts,'it should have be
gun at a time when 1T would NEAR
something.to"the trust to have ,its
mines idle, for instance, the yea,
E1GO0.
"These reasons were plain anc
easily understood. Ourieatlers die
not want to understand. They
wanted to be leaders and make
money. Kolu has:left the city and
has sold his residence. 90 rumos
tells us, TO the mining company
He says he will fight against the
w. 20. n. hereafter. Petrieiia il
here. He is siiving =at hotel and
payiug 50 per day (of OUR money
for diving expenses. He has spent
thousands but says he ia account