The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-12-17
Over Two Thousand Out on Paint
Creek as a ResuEt===Connpany
Has Notified the Miners to Va
cate Houses-== rEen will Stand
Firm by the Contract

Glaring notices of Il reduction
In wages faced the mine workers
yesterday, at fourteen mines on
Paint Creek, and as Il result they
laid down their tools and will
stand by the Joint agreement
entered into by them with the
operators i'll this city last spring
for two years.
they at once notified the Dis.
tl1ct office of their action and were
at once Informed by the officials
that their action was endorsed by
the organization ana they would
receive The necessary support.
At the Joint conference here last
week alter seeing that they could
not break the agreement some OF
the operators made the statement
that they would go direct to the
rank and file of the miners and
secure the reduction they were
seeking. Following up this threat
they got busy and advertised a
general mass meeting Of the miners
on FAINT Creek for a meeting at
Wacomah Tuesday, but their bluff
was called by the union men.
they paying no attention whatever
to the wind fest, the slim audience
being composed Of mine bosses
and clerks.
1t has lealsas: out that Paint
Creek has been chosen to make the
light against the miners, to be sup
ported by all the operators in this
cnd OF the state, and of course if
they succeed it will spread
throughout the District. But al
ready the shrewd and intelligent
ones see that they are up against it
and have no hope of winning, only
Il few hcadstrong blustercrs are
furnishing the hot air and making
noise like slave drivers.
The operators claim that the
miners are willing to accept these
terms, but the National Executive
5oard's decision prevents them
from doing SO. This is not the
case the miners insist on making
the operators live up to the agree
ment. The operators have made
the miners do SO. in several cases
where 20 per cent Of the men were
OIL day they have discontinued the
two weeks pay and returned to the
OLD monthly system as provided in
the agreement, and in all Of these
eases the union men were not to
blame.
The miners have ylivcd up to
their part Of the agreement and
when the operators refuse to do
SO they simply violate their pledge
OF honor given the miners in the
ODD Fellows Hall in this city last
spring when they signed the Joint
agreement for two years. There
Is no tuther agreement to the
matter it is 4 simple fact.
II regard TO their ycllS Of com
petition from non union operators
1t Is simply rubbish. as some Of the
Aanawha operators have Slashed
prices i'll the market worse than
the other fellow. On the other
hand the non-union operators
production costs him as much if
not more per ton than in union
fields, if you Will but stop to con
slider that he is at a heavy ex-
penSe maintaining an army of
guards and detectives and the
either costs attached to the system.
It's only the pipe dream Of three
little diXonsH and they Will all
awaken from it within a very
short time.
The miners Will, as in the past
conduct themselves III an orderly
and peaceable manner and will
counsel conservatism among their
friends and neighbors. They are
all honest law 1hitlir,rr ,.itiz.,,S ,,,I
are only seeing justice and "A
square deal.
The men have been ordered to
VacGe and unless they return to
work by Monday the companies
Will endeavo1 to throw them ont
of their homes into the public
highway.
President Davis and his col