The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-08-31
Unpublished STORY OF CAUSE AND
STRUGGLE or MINNESOTA MINERS
Forced Them Into Strike Against the Greatest
Capitalistc Organization the World Ever Knew.
1T Is Fight For Existence.
Statements Mining Company Given to Show Men Have
Grievance Reign of Anarchy ON Mesaba Range
Due to Presence of Armed Thugs

~
the press, the church and the law to
defeat the Western Federation OF MIN
ers in Minnesota.
Organized capital through the power
Of gold endeavors to crush out organ
lied labor by breaking up the miners
Unions. Whether the Steel Trust Will
be successful In its malicious and
criminal purpose 1t is too early to say
However. a review of the conditions
of the mining camps and close study
Of the causes and development OF the
>ctual strike plainly say that If for
once the common rights Of men are
respected In the free United States Of
America the Western Federation OF
Miners must win this strike and
so relieve the Minnesota mine work.
ers from the appalling conditions Of
bondage and poverty forced upon them
by the mine owners senseless craving
for profit.
The creations of the miners unions
on the Mesabe and Vermilion Ranges
were not the work Of agitators sent
here from the west; they were the
natural result Of dreadful conditions
in which the miners lived for years
and which would not be tolerated even
In Russia. The miners in Minnesota
are treated something worse than
beasts.
Wages At the Bread Line.
Very few If any miners Of the
ranges can boast of a saving in the
bank, for they are very poorly paid.
The standard wage is supposed to be
$500 day. During the month Of
April, in the two great mines-the
Adams Spruce and the Fayal-there
were employed $500 men. The amount
of money paid out in wages for that
month was $125,O0O. an average Of $50
per man. This is reduced to $45 when
from the total there has been duduct-,
ed the high salaries paid to the off,
GERS and supervisors In charge Of
mines and miners.
The cost of necessaries of life is
high when compared with the average
wages. Second class board costs at
least $40 a month. A single room, If
1t can be found. costs SO a month:
and "a place. In a bed for two IS a
month. Laundry Is not Included.
Half the men do not f1hI employ
ment the year round on account Of
some Of the open pits not being oper-
ated during the winter.
The regular work day is tr-n hours;
but often men are kept al work IL
and IA hours There is a day and a
night shift. Some mines do, and some
do not work on Sunday. The steam
handlers are compelled to work on
Sunday and without any remuner-
alton. On that day they are supposed
to clean and repair the machinery
they use during the week.
Go In Debt For Necessities.
The unmarried man can hardly af-
ford to buy 4 decent suit Of clothes.
While the miner with a family cannot
get along at all. For the most COM
mon necessities Of life, many Of them
are compelled TO go into debt against
the coming pay day. And in case Of
sickness or loss of employment their
debts remain unpaid Evictions are
not rare.
The work is hard, dangerous and
tlresome. The glacial deposit consist
Ing, to dispense With geological terms,
OF fine sand, clay, gravel and rock
which did not decay as fast as neigh
Ing tendency to cave in, shift and slide
about, especially when permeated with
the moisture characteristic of the
country. In the covered mines drifts
are framed with light timbers. Single
tracks from the pits to the dumps in
crease the danger Of accidents
The miners who are continuously
employed very often must lay off and
rest for a few days.
Two thirds Of the workers do not
remain here longer than une or two
years.
Lower than the standard OF life is
the standard of education of the wage
slaves. No village or town offers a
night school or a public library. When
the unfortunate inhabitant of a
shack goes to the village, he becomes
the easy prey Of the sporting and
gambling houses where he Is robbed of
those few dollars which otherwise 20
to help his family whose roof and loaf
are at stake.
Neither Justice Nor Humanity,
In the hands. Of the officers Of the
corporations there Is neither Justice
nor humanity. The list of the injured
long,
despite the fact that the men paw 81
month for doctor and hospital care
There is, besides, compulsory contri-
button Of SO cents q month to provide
for fund for accident benefit. The
rules regulating this fund convey the
idea that the life Of a worker is worth
$240.
- Many are the crippled who are COM
belled to work, mary are the perman-
\ emily unified for any labor whatever
and many more are those visited by
4 the white plague, which early turns
healthy men into candidates for the
= grave yard.
II In the face Of such misery which
drifts the miners beastward and sinks
n their women to haghood, the mine
+ owners pile profit upon profit; $685.
100000 was the clear profit netted last
year out Of the work Of the 16. ooC
rs mine workers Of the Mesabe Range
A figure, which swells to 100000, 900
when We add the profit exploited gu,
/ OF the 5000 miners Of the Vermiliou
Range and that given by the 5000