Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-09-21
GOVERNORS TALK PLAIN
GIasscock Narrows Down Issues
of w. Va. Mine Situation.
The Guard System the Right Of Work
men to Belong to Unions and
to Discuss Waues

Charleston, Sept 19.--Further cor
respondence between Governor Glass
cock and the Kanawha coal operators
was given out BY the Governor. II con
tains the reply OF the Governor 10 the
coal operators refusal to arbitrate
and the reply Of the operators to the
Governors last letter
In the governors last letter he mar
rowed the arbitration proposition
down to three points:
The guard system. the right OF the
individual miners to belong TO a IN
ion and the right of the employees, or
ganized or unorganized, to meet with
their employers to discuss questions
OF wages, conditions of labor etc.
He also made It plain that the term
operators" meant the operators Of
Cabin and Paint Creeks and Coal Riv-
er, the district affected by the strike
The Governor also declared it was
an easy matter to have the represent
atiyes of the miners selected, whether
they were union or non-union. He clos
ed his letter by saying:
"The Importance of the coal indus
try to the entire State OF West Vir-
ginia Is 50 well recognized and SO
many other businesses are dependent
thereon that every citizen Of West
Virginia desires that the operators be
assisted in every way consistent with
the law and right to carry on their
mines, but believe now that the time
has passed when We should bubble
over non-essentials'
The operators say that if the ques-
ton of the right of miners to organ
lie in local unions should be decided
adversely TO the miners by arbitration.
the miners would not respect the de-
csion.
we cannot too strongly impress
upon your excellency the fact that the
United Mine Workers of America is
persistent AMI malignant foe to the
PROSPERITY of the coal industry of this
State, harmful alike 70 operators and
employees. We know whereof we
speak of this subject" is one para
graph in the operators Letter to the
Governor
And finally we're convinced that if
we undertook to end the local trouble
and stop the present great expense to
the State and to us by arbitration, it
would not be 80 days until similar
trouble would be on foot in one or
more of the fields of the State and the
national guard again be on duty
there"
Martial Law Extended
Martial law was extended to in
clude the towns OF Kingston and Keif-
erton and other points in Fayette
county, and as a result fifteen armed
Baldwin-FeIts mine guards are under
arrest for carrying fire arms and do
ing police duty. some of whom are be
lived TO be non-residents of the state.
The territory added embraces a sec
ton from which there has been con
siderable complaint. Coal operators
and mine guards have repeatedly de-
MED that there were any mine guards
in keiferton and Kingston neighbor-
hood, or that they have been conceal
ing themselves in tie mountains near
the head of Paint Creek
General c. ID. Elliott and Major Jas.
/. Pratt, after having been convinced
that these mine guards had gathered
in the section referred to and TO stop
the shooting in that neighborhood,
had the governors proclamation car
ried over into Fayette county, under
Captains Jackson and Chambers, and
their companies and martial law was
declared.
All citizens will be disarmed, and
those arrested will be taken to Paint
Creek Junction to await trial by the
military commission.
Instead of recessing over until to-
day when the operators will begin the
presentation of evidence to combat
that presented by the miners, the
mine investigating commission has
called ID. T. Evans, superintendent Of
the Mt. Carbon Company, limited, at
/ Powellton, to ascertain the cost of
mining and freight rates from the var
ious fields of this state, and also of
Ohio, Indiana. Illinois and western
/ Pennsylvania.
Evans viii be used as an expert
other mining experts will be placed
on the stand probably today through
whom it is desired 10 secure data as
/ to the cost Of mining in the nonunion
as we'll as the union districts. freight
rates and other questions that enter
I into the mining industry.
/ President Cairns, of District No II,
! received the following telegram from
| Oskaloosa Ia:
/ I'VE, the officers OF the United Mine
1 Workers, by virtue of the authority
conferred upon us by the information
al executive board. after considera-
tion Of the West Virginia strike unan-
imously endorse the same and agree
to furnish financial support necessary
/ to successfully conduct said strike.
We have also decided to attend the
meeting called by the governor of
West Virginia next Saturday at Char
I lesion and to hold in allowance any