Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-17
UNION ORGANIZED FOR TREA-
SON is CHARGE
LABOR LEADER MAKES STRONG
DENIAL
President McKinnon Says His Men
Have Been PeaceabIe at All Times
and Have Intended No
Violence
BY Associated Press.


field Mine Owners association submitted
a statement to the. commission which
President Roosevelt has sent to Goldfeld,
this afternoon, which declares the Wes-
tern Federation Of Miners is not labor
organization but combination in re-
straint of trade, that it is, in fact,
reasonable organization, and in the
statement are quotations from the pre-
amble of the constitution and bylaws of
the Yves tern Federation of Miners In sup
port of the contention.
This statement has been officially re-
ceived by the commission and the con-
sideration of 1T will be begun at o'clock
tomorrow morning.
Today was spent by the commission in
going over the information obtained by
Gen. Funston and Governor Sparks. All
of this was laid before the members of
the commission, who were in executive
session this morning, and the entire day
was consumed in considering it.
Funston to Leave
Gen. Funston and Governor Sparks will
leave Goldfield on Wednesday morning,
Gen. Funston to return to San Francisco
and the governor to go to his ranch to
recuperate.
Tonight President McKinnon of the
Miners union in Goldf1eld, was called
before the commission and asked to give
his version of the trouble.
No intiiaation of what passed during the
session is given out, but after the meet
ing it was learned that President McKin-
non stated to the members of the COM
mission that the members of the Western
Federation of Miners have been peaceably
nj
in his declaration that no necessity has
existed for the presence of federal troops.
He has promised to prepare a statement
of the Western Federation's side of the
controversy to be presented later.
Strike breakers to the number of thirty
were brought into Goldfield today and to-
morrow will go to work in the mines
The officers of the Mine Owners asso-
citation assert tonight that large number
will be brought in tomorrow, some COM
ing from the south and some from Cali
fornia.
No demonstration was made today when
the new men alighted from the train, and
it is now known the plan of the associa-
tion Is to bring the men in small num-
bers each day until sufficient miners are
in camp to take the places of all the
members of the Western Federation who
have struck.
In the meanwhile opportunity is being
given to any member of the federation to
renounce all allegiance to that organiza-
ton and return to work. Not many of
the members are taking advantage of
the offer. The total number to date is
placed by the mine operators at 100.
Expect Many Recruits
The operators say they expect many
more to accept the offer when the 500
men who are coming from outside are at
work. The union officials deny that this
number have gone back to work
Commissioners Charles P. Neill, labor
commissioner; Herbert Knox Smith, COM
missioner of corporations, and Lawrence
o. Murray, assistant secretary of the de-
partment of commerce and labor, declined
to make any statement tonight regard
ing the results of their Investigations to-
day. but from the Mine Owners associa-
ton statement as to their contentious,
embodied in their statement to the COM
mission, was obtained
The mine owners suggest the bringing
of a suit against the Western Federation
of Miners by the government for the
dissolution Of that organization as trust,
combination and conspiracy in restraint
of trade among the states; also the bring
ing of criminal proceedings on the same
grounds.
The allegation is made that the organi-
cation is reasonable.
Presence of Troops Desired
The retention of the troops in Gold
field for an indefinite period Is suggested
for the protection of life and property.
The Investigation that will be made
by the commission will require at least
two weeks time and during that period
the control of affairs in Goldfeld as far
as the government is concerned will be
practically in the hands of the commits
sion.
An attempt will be made to start up
the Nevada Goldfield Reduction COM
pany's works tomorrow morning. Man
ager Dowlen says tonight that sufficient
men to operate the plant are available.
Pickets of the union are still patrolling
the mines, but there have been no reports
of interference with the men at work to-
day or tonight.
Gen. Funston said loday that he had
made no recommendation to the commits
sion, but merely turned over his'informa-
tion to them. He will send no further
ran0rte ~ XNa shin ofnu