The Washington herald., 1908-01-13
MINE OWNERS
SCORED IN REPORT I
Continued from Page One.

Continued from Page One.
out their case. and lay upon them the
responsibility Of producing as rapidly as
possible the evidence therein. reserving to +
ourselves, Of course. the right TO hear
thereafter evidence on the other side.
Mine Owners Agree.
They agreed to this procedure, which
seemed the most practical way Of hand
ling the matter. and for several days
brought before US numerous witnesses,
documents. and other evidences intended
to substanuate the allegations Of their
so-called complaint and demonstrate the
need for Federal troops. Their counsel
was informed that our primary object
was 10 secure Information bearing on the
question as to what Justification existed
for the call for Federal troops. and for
their continuance at Goidheld. and after
several days Of hearings, on December
20 be assured us that he had produced
substantially the best evidence on his
side OF the ease. that anything more he
might bring would be simply cumulative
ard, in substance, that he rested his case
on what he had presented
''In8smuCh as We were by this time
satisfied that the mine operators had not
in any particular established case JUS
tifying either the bringing or the reten-
ti0n Of the troops. we did not deem il
necessary to take any extensive evidence
on the other side. and the hearing was
substantially closed with a brief formal
interview with the said committee from
{ the miners union.
Operators Wanted Troops,
The commissioners profess TO be salts
+ fed that the troops were called for by
/ the operators in order that they might
carry out their plan OF reducing wages
and refusing to recognize the miners
union. To refuse to recognize the union
I by an agreement among themselves, the
/ commission says, is violating a law Of
F the State of Nevada The commission
says,
( There has existed at GOldheld. which
+ is exclusively a mining town of an esti-
mated population OF between 15,000 and
20o00, in Southern Nevada, for over
year past, and especially since the spring
Of 1907. a disturbed Industrial situation,
due to frequently recurring labor diff
/ culties between the mine operators on
/ the one hand and the miners on the other
/ The two sides were represented almost
| completely by the Goldheld Mine Opera
+ tors Association. including almost all the
/ owners. operators. or lessees of mines, on
/ the one hand. and by the local unions Of
/ the Western Federation Of Miners on the
other. a union comprising substantially
all the miners in Goidfeld This union.
known as GoldheId Miners Union, No.
/ 90. is a branch Of the general organiza-
( ton known as the Western Federation
/ Of Miners IL has carried on its rolls
/ a membership estimated at above 1900
men, which number, however, included
members of crafts in Goldheld other than
workers in and about the mines
Nineteen Hundred Go on strike.
Figures furnished US by the mine
/ operators showed that about 1900 mine
/ workers went on strike on November p,
/ 1907. Although a number of strikes and
minor difficulties had occurred during
7 1907. the only acute situation arising prior
To the call for troops existed in the
spring of 1871. This controversy involved
not only a dispute between the mine own
ers and the miners at Goldfeld, but also
{
union and the members of other crafts
+ I'm GoIdfeld affiliated with the American
! Federation Of Labor. The Goldheld min
ers' union was also affiliated with the
/ organization known as the Industrial
Workers Of the World. and an effort
was made TO force members OF other
crafts not affiliated with this organiza ton
/ to join its ranks. Not only the Mine
/ Owners Association and members Of the
miners union went armed, but members
1 Of crafts not affiliated with the Industrial
Workers of the World felt it necessary
/ % carry arms TO protect themselves while
/ al their work. The condition of Goldfteld
/ at the time was that of an armed camp,
and for time a serious clash seemed
imminent
: Results in One Murder.
/ THE controversy resulted in murder
of a restaurant keeper and aroused much
opposition against the Industrial Work
/ ers of the World, and a ban was practi-
IcaIlv put upon them, and the organization
under that name was forced to abandon
| GoIdheld. This acute situation disap-
peared before the end Of the spring of
1907.
"On November q, 1907, a strike OF the
miners Eas inaugurated, and is still in
effect. This strike grew out Of a re-
fusal on the part of the miners 10 ac-
cent cashiers checks in payment OF their
wages. The miners insisted upon some
form OF guarantee by the mine operators
of whatever paper was accepted in Heu
of cash Various propositions were made,
but no basis of agreement was reached.
THE merits Of this controversy are not
of Importance here. as We are concerned
solely with the question of whether or