The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1907-12-05
Belief that GOIdfield will
be an Open Camp

William Mcclure Gotwaldt, associate
editor of the Goldfeld Review, is in
Reno for a few days visiting with his
mother and attending to business mat
ters, says the Reno Gazette. In speak
ing of the conditions in the southern
gold camps this morning, he said:
"There is but one logical ISOLATION to
the labor complications that exist in
Goldield at the present time, and that
is the open camp. Ceaseless agitation
on the part of men who are not and
never were and never will be miners
is what has forced the breach between
employer and employee in the camp. The
miners themselves are a sturdy, hon
est and capable set of men. If left to
their own devices they would insure
the tranquility of the camp, but some
how No. 220, w. F.. M, got it's head
into the /. w. w. moose and has found
it impossible to extricate itself without
the assistance of the Mine Owners as
ISOLATION.
viii Employ Union Men.
"By open camp | do not mean that
Western Federation men will not be
employed As a matter of fact, they will
be first choice when the mines reopen,
because of their experience in mining.
"The mine operators, however, will
take the right to employ whomever they
wish. no matter whether the employee
holds a card in the w. F. M. or not.
One thing is positively certain, and that
is that no work will be given to anyone
who has shown undue interest in the
anarchistic movement which was di-
rected primarily and absolutely with
out reason or excuse against the Con
solidated Mines company and the John
S Cook bank.
"These two corporations are the
backbone of the greatest gold camp on
earth. The former in its company work
ings and leases has a larger payroll
than all the other properties in the
camp combined, while the John s.. Cook
bank, by its self sacrifice, in paying
large premiums on gold, kept business
moving in the camp when the other
financial institutions were forced to
close their doors. 1t was noticeable
that the run Upon the Cook bank was
almost wholly by members of the In
dustrial Workers Of the World and
their friends. With a single exception,
not a business man in the camp with
drew his funds, and the mine operators
sent out of the camp for money rather
than touch their accounts with that in.
stitution.
Miners R~epudiated Compact.
"Unlike the miners of Butte, whc
compose the first union ever formed BY |
the Western Federation of Miners, and
who stood pat on their agreement to
accept a wage reduction when casting
copper fell below the 15-cent mark, the
miners of Goldfield nave repudiated
practically every agreement signed by
them. Under the terms of the compact
of September, 1906, Goldfeld would
have been assured of at least two years
of industrial peace. if this pact had not
been broken, and seemingly without
cause. Under the signed terms of the
agreement entered into last spring be-
tween the Mine Owners association and
Local No. 220, there was absolutely no
occasion for the strike brought about
by the installation of the change-room
system to which the miners had fully
agreed. This last and most fragrant
violation of the agreement may posi-.
bly, be the least excusable of all. Gold
field was compelled to go upon a paper
basis by reason of the exactions of
the smelter trust, which made still
more serious in local circles the panicky |
conditions that exist throughout the
United States Taken as a class. or
even as individuals, the Goldfeld min
ers would have accepted the script ia
lieu of cash, which would have been
an arrangement existing probably for
only one pay day, but the moral infu-
ence of the refusal by the miners to
accept the paper money, unless backed
by the individual guaranty of the min
ing companies, was so palpably intend
ed to depreciate the financial standing
of the John S. Cook bank that it is
probable that the cashier IS checks must
emain in circulation until the first of
the year, at about which time they will
be redeemed at face value by this bank,
which has back of it the greatest AMI
richest corporation in the state, and the
pledged personal fortunes of several of
Nevada's wealthiest citizens.
"To sum up the causes for the pres
ent close-down in Goldfeld, l would say
that it is the last desperate stand made
by the pernicious 1. w. w. ~organiza
ton against the personal rights of so