The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1913-10-02
The Mine Owners Side
OF the Coal Strike

so to do. 20 days during the month az
nearly every mine. The men them
selves have not complained in this
regard, and it has remained for union
organizers from elsewhere TO discover
here a sreyious wF9ng-
"a semi-monthly payday. an eight
hou work day and check weighman
are demanded by the leaders OF the
union precipitating this strike. II Is
not generally known that the opera
tors of this state have paid their men
twice month for many months. An
eight hour work day was voluntarily
put in force in the mines sometime
before the statute OF the state requir-
ed it. There is not a mine owner in
Colorado who will not permit his men
TO have a check weighman of their
own selection at any time. and the
statute compels it.
Much is made OF the alleged denial
OF the obvious right of the miners to
trade with whom and where they
please, and to board where they Will.
The answer is simply that the men
are not and never have been denied
these rights, and those who do exact
ly as they please in this regard are
given the same consideration by the
mine owners as other employees.
Better working conditions in the
mines are demanded. This is an in
definite and all-inclusive demand
Conditions in this state are recogniz-
ed as far better than in most of the
states OF the union. But the mine
owners themselves. no less than the
miners, join in the hope that still
better conditions may come as time
progresses. Coal mining is univer-
sally recognized as a hazardous and
dangerous business-hazardous for
the mine owner and dangerous for
the miner. But the owner OF a coal
property Is neither a brute nor fool.
He will not knowingly subject his
property to destruction nor his men
to unnecessary danger. Selfish in
terests alone dictate a contrary poll
cy. Aside from this. the legislature
of the State recently passed what has
been characterized as the most ad-
vanced and stringent law of any State
in the Union regulating the conduct
OF coal mines. II is being vigorously
enforced by the State authorities.
with the cooperation OF the mine
owners; and II will be well to await
the effect OF the enforcement of this
law before giving too much heed to
careless criticism OF existing operat-
ing methods affecting the welfare of
the miners and the employers alike
THE further demand Is made by
the leaders Of this strike that the en-
pioyment OF armed guards by the
mine owners be discontinued. The
owners of valuable properties can not
be expected to comply with
this demand. To remove such pro-
lection. in the presence OF an excited
body OF striking men. would obviously
invite wholesale disaster and destruc-
tion OF property. Not only so. but TO
subject the men who are at work in
the mines to the danger of physical
violence at the hands OF the strikers
would be positively inhuman. These
men ask. expect and are entitled TO
protection.
The mine owners have been forced
to employ these guards; II is not of
their choosing. The necessity for It
is being demonstrated daily. Their
right 20 do SO is not denied and they
will continue to protect their mines
and their workmen. II the striking
perty OF others. they need fear no
molestation. II they insist upon