Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-09-23
STRIKE BEGINS
/. IN COLORADO
TODAY
ESTIMATES SHOW THAT 1000 TO
9,0,1O MEN QUIT OUT OF A FIELD
emp l0yING AS HIGH AS $4,000
MEN.-=TIE UP IS NOT As YET
COMPLETE.
OPERATORS and union
STORIES CONFLICTING

Denver, Colo Sept. 23.--The coal
miners strike in Colorado, called by
The United Mine W. rkers of America
To secure recognition of the union
wage and other concessions, became
effective at o'clock this morning
Except in a few small mines, operated
by independent companies, the tie UP
was more or less complete and was
accomplished without disorder, the
day shift merely refusing to go into
The mines at the usual hour.
OF the 10000 to $4,000 men usually
EMPLOYED in Las Animas, Hurfano
Fremont, Ell Paso, Boulder and Rout'
counties. figures based on neon
1lete reports based the number of idle
al between 1000 and 5000. How many
Of these previously had left the var
ious camps could not be determined
Apparently the fight centered IN the
Trinidad district, comprising Las
Animas and Huerfano counties, Wherc
1,ost of the mines are operated by the
Colorado Fuel & Iron company, the
Victor American Fuel company anc
the Rocky Mountain Fuel company
Normally more than 5000 miners arc
employed in the counties, and impair
tial estimates today place the mum
al l., of q
In Fremont county where abou'
1OoO men usually are employed, 1T was
said that 1000 are idle. In this coun
" two small mines employing aoou'
100 men continued in operation. From
Routt county reports were that 4o'
of the 600 miners were on strike. Com
raratiyely little effect of the STRIKE
prder was seen in the mines OF Bould
or county, where strike has been II
progress for several months. The only
serious detection was reported a
Louisville where 200 men quit. II
Lafayette. Marshall and Superior con
ditions were normal.
United Nine Workers of1clals eA
rress qualification over conditions
based on early reports and predlcteo
that the tie-up would be practlcall'
complete by night. Some OF the large
operators stated that their private re
ports showed as high as 55 per cent o.
n,en at work in some mines with prac
tically a total stoppage OF work IN ]
few cases. They expressed the De
lief that many of the men would &C
back to work in a few days
Union pickets We're stationed arouho
scme of the mines. notably at Louis
vile, in northern Colorado, The
union officials continued preparations
to care for strikers and their families
in the ten colonies established IN Las
Animas, Huerfano and Fremont coun
ties.
The chief points at issue are:
Recognition of the union, check
weighman chosen by the miners, wage
scale based on tonnage rates, eight
hour day for all classes of labor, pay
for dead work and abolition OF the
guard system.
JF. Welborn, president of the Colo
RADIO Fuel and Iron company, today
expressed qualification over the sltua
tion, stating that his reports showed
SO per cent of the miners at work
with no defections in his company
properties in the Gunnison and Crest
ed Butte districts. He declared that
so far as his company is concerned
more men continued at work than had
been expected. In signed statement
he charged that many of those who
STAYED out of the mines today did sc
because they had been intimidated
and predicted that "when they see
they will be protected, many will re-
turn"
He declared the company would
take steps necessary to protect its
men at work.
He expressed confidence that there
is no danger of coal shortage for do
mestic consumption and announced
that he did not anticipate having tc
close the steel plant at Pueblo. He
added that it might become necessary
to curtail production in some depart
ments. but that if this was found nee
essary those departments which use
the least amount of coal would be con
tinued in operations.
d. w. Brown. president of the Rocky
Mountain Fuel company, denied the
report that 200 men had gone on strike
al Louisville in northern Colorado.
Late reports today indicate that the
strike situation here is more serious
than at first supposed and that 1t ma!
also lead to the partial paralysis al
least of mining operations in the Grip
pie Creek district which secures mos1
of it's fuel from this point.
An investigation shows that the
Colorado Springs, and interurban rail
way company, operating the stree
car lines of the region, has only Goa
enough on hand to run it's plant fo
ten days at half service.
Other public utilities companies ar,
said to be short of fuel and some O
the mills and smelters, such as tn,
Golden Cycle mill at Colorado Cit!
have but a four days supply of fuel
The operators are having more trou