Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-07-29
LABOR D|SAPPROVES
ACT Of GOV. BROWN
N SENDING TROOPS
Local. Federation Hears and
Unanimously Adopts, With
out a Dissenting Voice, a
Condemning Special Report
LARGE ATTENDANCE
ENDORSES FINDINGS

report submitted to the Atlanta Fedora
! ton Of Trades Wednesday night by the
special committee appointed by 1t to in
vestigate. Summarizing its opinion, the
report says:
Your committee, therefore, concludes.
and so reports. first, that the coal COM
pany had every opportunity to appeal to
the civil instead of the military arm OF
| the state; second. that the facts above
related show that the contentious arising
under said hve-year contract were ques-
| tions, when in dispute, which should have
been settled by appeal to the courts:
third, that the civil power was ample to
have preserved the peace and protect the
legal rights Of the respective and con-
tending parties, and, fourth, there was.
! therefore, no necessity for calling upon
the governor for troops"
| While Governor Browns motives are
not impugned, his infraction Of labor
rights, the committee says, rouses its
protest.
/ 1t is also suggested that 'fhe Eov-
ernor should be promptly advised by the
attorney general that a deputy sheriff
has no legal right to call upon the gov
ernor for troops"
II is also pointed out that the deputy
| sheriff in question was also an employee
of the mines, and that such persons
feel that their first duty is to their
| employers"
The committee was composed of ST.
Marks, chairman; A. B. Birch, N H.
Ktrkpatrtc, secretary; William Strauss
| and H. f. Garrett.
The reading Of the report provoked an
plause. and at its conclusion motion, ex-
tending the thanks Of the Federation to
the committee for its complete report.
and indorsing IL, was adopted without a
dissenting vote.
As showing further the members ap-
prevail, there was no argument or contro-
versy over the report.
| There was not a dissenting voice rails
! ed to the finding of the committee. II
was unanimously approved.
The meeting was one Of the largest
ever held by the federation, which rep
resents every branch OF -laber.-
The following Is the report Of the
1 special committees:
REPORT OF COMMITTEE
| To the Atlanta Federation of Trades:
| Fellow Delegates: Your executive com
mittee to whom was entrusted the duty
Of inquirtng into the action of Governor
Joseph NJ Brown In sending a company
of militia to the mines Of the Lookout
Coal and Coke company at Durham, Ga,
to submit the following report:
1. On July z. inst. we sent to the
governor the following communications
Hon. Joseph NJ. Brown, City. Dear
| Sir: At recent meeting of the Atlanta
Federation of Trades. the undersigned
were directed to make full. impartial in
curry into the facts and law concerning
| the sending of a military company 10
! the mines Of the Lookout Coal and Coke
company, in Walker county. regarding
some differences there arising between
certain employees and the company. In
order that the facts may be reliably
and officially ascertained, and that no
| injustice be done to any one concerned In
the premises, we respectfully inquire
| If you will furnish us with a statement
of such facts. as officially reported and
on file in the executive office? And
obIige, your obedient servants"
| The governor courteously replied, writ
ing the committee to call at the execu-
! tive office, and that he would gladly
! show them the records, etc, and this not
being convenient for the COMMITTEES 20
do, and the governor being so notified,
he, the governor, later wrote your COM
mfttee that the entire matter would be
reported by him to the house OF repre-
sentatives in a few days. and that they
could get the necessary information
| therefrom.
olution of the house Of representatives
calling for a report, the governor trans
mitted to that body such report concern
| ing said transaction.
FACTS FURNISHED
II seems that on March %, 1910, the
| coal company leased Mine No. to GER
| tain italian contractors and laborsrs Tor
a term of five 90 years The contract,
as reported by the governor as an exhibit
to his report, is somewhat vague as TO
wbether only five Of the Italians sign
ing same were the lessees, or the whole
as Italians signing same, the latter 40
ostensibIy as witnesses. IT is probabie
all As were cooperative lesses. or miners
Of coal at a fixed royalty TO owner or
mine.
The contract stipulated that the Itai-
fans should be furnished all the mine
eouinnent then installed, mules trans.
etc hut tn themselves should, at their own
exnense. make certain other improves
rnents. such as tram tracks, rooms' halls.
etc The lessees were to mine and load
on cars at a minimum of five thousand
(5 ooO) tons of suitable coal per month
at a prescribed price per ton, etc.
LEADER SKIPPED OUT
II seems that the coal company PAID
the May payroll over 10 one oi ens a.sly
ian Iesses, or sort of leader or padrone
who skinned out with~the money, leaving
his fellow-countrymen in the lurch. just
why the company paid the money over
TO Guierino, the padrone. instead OF to
Zach of the men according to the poyroIl
which they (the Italians) were to rur-
nish to the coal company on the 10th OF
each month, and which was furnished
Nav 10 under such lease contract, is not
made clear.
Indeed, 1t might have been reasonably
contended by the other Italian workmen
that under said contract the company
did so at it's peril, and more, was under
a legal duty to see that all Of these men
should get their pro rata of the money
for the coal they severally mined during
the current month, as shown by the pre-
scribed payroll
At all events, when Guierino decamped
with cash, and when these men were told
by the company that they could not get
any money they promptly set up howl,
Demanding money for their services The
fact that these ware foreigners. proba-
bly, most of them unable TO speak or
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