The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-02-15
SERIOUS SITUATION cONFRONTS
THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD IN
COPPER CITY.
UNIONS IN CONTROVERSY
Question OF Jurisdiction May Result
in Complete Tieup Of Operations
in the Mining Camp and Ultimately
Force the Snelters to Suspend Oper.
ations--Tryino to Avert Disaster.

Butte, Feb. li-tSpreial)-Th serl-
BUSINESS III the situation which con
fronts the industrial world In Butte
cannot bc ovcrestimatcd as 1t looks ~
II there Will be general shutdown of
All Of the mines of the camp next
Wednesday morning. The officers or
the Amalgamatcd have stated that
they arc powerless to reinstate any
contract is with the three unions in
volvcd. the engineers or No. SO, the
min and smcltermen and the miners
of union No. 1. President Shea head
"a the committee which appeared be-
fore the officers or the Amalganfhted
company today and stated its posi-
tlon regarding the matter which may
result In grave complications. This
committee claims jurisdiction over the
pumpmen, compressormen. firemen
and oilers, as well as hosting engi-
neers. At n late hour the committee
had not waited upon the manager of
the Clark properties. A general shut
down viii mean that within three. or
at the most. four days after 1t goes
into effect the smelters at Anaconda
and Great Falls will be closed. IT
will also mean the immediate suspen-
sion of operations by the Clark re-
ductlon works, in the event that the
engineers go out there and stay out.
The Butte Miners union will discuss
the situation at it's regular meeting
tomorrow night, Officers of the union
today declared that the Western Fed
Grafton could and would furnish en-
glneers To operate the mines, and II
they are able TO do so. n long shun-
down may be ayerted The miners
say they will bring engineers into
Butte II necessary and that many OF
the members of the international union
stand by Engineers nnion No. 80 and
decline to go out.
Giilie Talks.
Superintendent Gillle today merely
repeated what he had already said
about the situation. This Is his state
ment:
we have nothing to say in regard
10 tho situation. Ii IL a jurlsdictionnl
just n matter between the unions
The man at the Never Sweat was
taken out nj the request OF the mill
and smetermen's organization. We
are simply observing our contract with
the Western Federation or Miners"
Today the International engineers
werc again informed that the Amalsa-
mated company would stand by It's
contract with the Western Federation.
This could have bur one meaning. and
when the committee let 1t was un-
derstood that their men would not 60
10 work Wednesday morning. 1t II
understood that milestone. the man
whose discharge caused the trouble
will not be rcinstatea. He was former
ly employed as an oier at the Never
sweat The Butte Mill and smcltor-
mems union. which always has claimed
jurisdiction over tho oilers. demand
cd that he become 4 member In good
standing. He carried license from
the International Engineers and re-
fused 10 pay dues to the Mill and
Smeltcrmen's union or to the Engi-
necrs union No. 49, which acknowl-
edges allegiance TO the Western Fed
Grafton of Miners. On the request ol
the Butte Mil and Smeltermen's union
he was dismissed. The present situa-
tlon Is brought about by the factional
fight OF the hosting engineers, n large
majority of whom. 1t is claimed, de-
sire To break away from tho Western
Federation of Miners.
Under Contract.
No question of hours or wages Is In
volved in the controversy. All the OPP
Grating companies are under contract
To recognize the Western Federation
OF Miners. the contracts having been
signed with Engineers union No 81
three years ago. These contracts were
To be binding for five years. The COM
panies will recognize No So with
which 1t has contracted. II the union
together with the Butte Miners union
and the various mill and smeltermcn's
unions are able, as they declare they
are, 10 furnish competent engineers
the impending shutdown may be OF
short duration. It Is all up TO tho
Western Federation, for the fight is
out of the companies hands. John
G. Lowney member Of the executive
committee. says: THE Western Fed
Grafton of Miners will maintain its
jurisdiction in this city at all costs
As far as the present difficulty Is
concerned. the Western Federation oi
Miners has n contract with the EN-,
ploycrs here. and the managers have
assured us that they will maintain
the contract in spirit and letter.
When the contract was entered in,
To Industrial peace WAS assured hero