The copper era and Morenci leader., 1912-04-12
KINNEY BILL LEADS ALL OTHERS IN
 IMPORTANCE
Mass Meetings Held in Mining Camps For and Against Pro- posed Anti-FOreign La.
 bor Measure.
Petition Circulated In Clifton in Oppo- sitiOR-Ameriean Employees Meet
 But No Action Taken.

All other proposed measures before
 the Arizona legislature have paled into
 insignificance, so far as public interest
 is concerned, and the one bill which
 is considered most important at pres
 ent is known as the Kinney bill
 which provide that underground work
 men, and all others engaged in hazard
 ous or semi-hazardous occupations
 shall read and write the English
 language and shall be American citi-
 zens. The bill is aimed at the employ
 ment of foreigners in Arizona or that
 portion of it which is not naturalized
 and is unable to read and write the
 English language. In the event of the
 enactment of the law, either by the
 legislature or referendum, and provid-
 ed such law would not be in viola
 tion of treaties between the United
 States and foreign countries the re-
 suit would be the discharge by en-
 ployers of thousands of foreign en-
 ployes in Arizona including Mexicans,
 Italians and Slavonfans, Swedes and Films.
 The bill, although just introduced, is causing some consternation and eX- citement in such camps as Ray, Globe, Morenci, and Clifton, and in all min ing camps. At Ray and Hayden, in Pinal county three thousand Mexicans are employed which would be includ- ed in the provisions of the bill. Ap- proximately a like number of Mexi- cans, Italians and Spaniards would be affected in the Clifton-Morenci dis trict. At Morenci mass meetings of the MeXicans have been held protest ing against the enactment of the Kin ney bill. J. P. Montez, Porfirio liar cosftas and Mike Spezia, all of Mo- renci, were selected as a delegation to go. to Phoenix where they arrived on Monday last and registered at the Commercial hotel to remain until the bill is finally disposed of. The Com mittee on Labor of the Senate held a public meeting at the Court House on Thursday night Of this week at which hearing arguments were made pro and con. During the first part of the week a petition was in circulation in Clifton among the workingmen and business men, which was variouSly signed against the passage of Sen ate Bill 21 in it's present form. The petition recited that in the event of the passage of the Kinney bill, on ac- count of it's drastic provisions, the operating mining companies in this district would be seriously crippled, if not actually put out of business, and on the other hand would be unfair to a large portion of the population of the district employed in the mines, many of whom have resided in the district for a number of years.
 On Tuesday evening a mass meeting was called at Prettyman'S Opera House by American workingmen. The object of the meeting was to discuss 1 the Kinney bill, and if deemed advis- able to endorse it. MT. Whitaker, a machinist in the employ of the A. C.. | Co.,, presided at the meeting. After i some discussion no action was taken. ] The statement was made at the meet | ing that another bill was being drawn | by the State Federation of Labor Leg islatiye. Committee, and before taking | any action upon the Kinney bill it was decided to compare both bills upon tue same subject.