The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-12-12
SYSTEM
FOUND VICIOUS

equal il not greater than the union
lied plants on the opposite bank of
the Ranawha river. The average
wage in Illinois, un'taized state.
the report says, is s5lO.66 a year,
while that in Indiana, Ohio and
western Pennsylvania are probably
little lower. ~
The geographical location of West
Virginia, according to the report.
plays an important part in the con-
sideratIon of the, question. 1T rec
ommends that the miners be allowed
TO orgr1z re but that terms be made
to suit local conditions; that such
agreement be made wholly i1de-
pendent OF the dlctation OF opera
tors OF competitive states or other
outside influences; that the miners
organization make some fixed stand
ard for membership and put forth
every effort to raise the efficiency OF
its members, thereby taading to ere
ate a skilled class OF laborers so
that the operators VIII be glad to
recognize 1t; that attempts to coerce
men to join the organization by
means of threats be abandoned; in
effect, make the organization one
which will demsad observance OF
Law and order and one which. can
show merit that the operator will
demand men belonging to it,
Speaking of the main cause of
the trouble on Cabin aad Paint
creeks the report says in part: ii
This ar'ses, in our judgment,
from the efforts of the United Nine
Workers to organize the union in
the whole chain of plsnts along said
creeks. Their desire is to make the
present strike region the place for
the insertion OF the thin wedge o.
unionism with the ultimate aim OF
organizing the whole state. The
frank declaration on oath Of Mr..
Thomas Cairns, local president of
District No. II. would appear to put
this intention beyond the region OF
doubt. The United Mine workers
association contends that this is es-
sent!al to the well being of the sew
enty-six thousand or more miners ot
West Virginia" r
The report then dwel!s upon the
geographical location OF West vir-
ginia, the freight rate d ffereutial OF
nineteen cents and the apparent
business of the claim OF the West
Virginia operators that the operators
of four competitive states dictate
terms for the West Virginia field.
Continuing the report says:
1T is impossible not to recognize
the merit OF, and to sympathlze
with, many OF the contentious on
both sides OF this unhappy quarrel,
Most sssuredly each party believes
upreservedly in the justice OF It's
claim. 1t is in the attempted en-
forcement OF them that each has
passed the limits OF justice to say
nothing OF Christian charity and
broad humanity. Two facts loom
big over the smaller ones developed
In this bulk of testimony-the des-
perate efforts and often unwarrantei
and Unlawful acts of the united
miners to force the union into the
disturbed districts, and the equally
desperate, unwarranted and unlaw-
full acts of the operators and their
agents to keep the union out. Thus,
fer months before the actual break,
union agitators. many of them
strangers, attempted to invade paint
and Cabin creek to persuade the
miners to joint the union. They
called meetings OF the workers and
described to them the hardships ana
iniustices of their lot and the OPP
preston under which they suffered.
The widest theories concerning the
rights of property and the means of
production were propounded and adj
vocated, and doctrines closely verg-
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