The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-01-01
In Regard to the Employ
ment Bureau.
IS IT FOR NON-UN|ON MINERS?
Declares II IS Unwise to Send
inexperienced Miners
Into Shafts
UNION ORGANIZERS REMARKS

nished for non-union mines in Ken
lucky, the condition of union min
ers who now are hardly able to
kee pthe wolf of hunger from
the door, is made worse, w. 0.
Smith, international organizer OF
the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea, asks the chief executive to take
cognizance of the charge that the
State Free Labor Employment Blu
reau is being used to further the
interests of certain coal company
in this State.
"Mr. Smith says that these non
union miners in a short time leave
the place of their original employ
ment to go to Muhlenberg and Ohio
counties to seek work in the union
mines. He calls attention to the
fact that the men employed in these
mines are unable now to obtain
work necessary to bring them
wages which they need on account
of the car shortage. Mr.. Smiths
letter follows:
ITO His Excellency, James B.Mc-
Creary. Governor of Kentucky:
Dear Sir:-In order that no injus-
tice may be done to any one, de-
sire to call your attention, as the
chief executive of the State, to the
charge / recently made. which was
published in the Louisville Herald.
that the State Free Employment
Bureau was being used to further
the interest of a certain coal COM
pany in the State.
"In my statement I charged that
this Office was being used to assist
the company in securing miners to
operate in mines. ! based the
charge on w. T. Buckingham's adj
mission to me that he was employ
ing men for the company and that
he was employing only colored men
and non-union men. In connection
with this admission he went so far
as to say that the negroes had not
vet been able to establish a labor
union.
"In Mr.. Buckingham's reply to
my statement he said he had In
structions to know no religion,
creed or politics and If this is true
his instructions should be little
more comprehensive so that when
coal company or any other Company
asks his bureau for assistance In
procuring men, no special favors
will be shown the non-unionists.
In other words, this bureau
should assist those who are out OF
employment in obtaining positions
but it should not aid a coal compa-
ny in procuring men to work in Its
mines when the fact that the coal
company has not a sufficient num-
Der of men to operate its mine Is
due to the extremely low wages
paid it's employees and to the horri'
BILE conditions under which they
, are compelled to labor.
81 venture the assertion that you
have never known or heard of a
, coal operator who employs unior
miners in Kentucky visiting the Of
, fee of the State Free Labor Eh'
, ployment bureau for the purpose b
asking aid in getting men to OBJ
crate his mine, for the union mine
where wages are. comparativel,
speaking, reasonably good, are al
, ways crowded as result Of the in
fiux of miners from the non-unioi
> mines in the State.
q "If the State Free Labor En-
!. ployment Bureau is instruments
: In procuring, say 100 men for
n company and all of the 100 mel
q happen to be industrious, intelli
8 gent, ambitious and self-respectinI
r men, within a very short time TO-
8 more men will find their way int
q the mines of Muhlenberg and Obi
r counties. where the mines are al
!, ready crowded to such an extern
e that the union miners can hardl
4 keep the wolf from the door, henc
: the State Free Labor Employment
: Bureau will be adding to the mis-
d cry and suffering already caused b
n the car shortage. for the influx Q
|. miners is always from the non
i union to the union, never from tn
union to the non-union.
There is never-ending wal
o fare going on between the Wei
i Kentucky Coal Company and tn
y, United Nine Workers OF Amertcs
q beginning with the strike at III
Q sturgis mines several years age
. and although. the men who cam
q out on strike are not being fed b