The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-10-23
REPORT OF CONDITIONS IN
THE MICHIGAN STRIKE
REGION.
Practical Slavery Exists.

Recognition of the union
Eight hour workday.
Minimum wage of $500 per day
under ground.
Thirty-rive cents fiat Increase for
surface workers.
Two men to all machines
The conditions prevalent In the
mines of the copper country are those
of abioct slavery, and greater disre
gard for human lives Is not conceiv.
able. lily ventilated. the mines are a
menace to the health of the workers
II is conceded that the span of tarm.
mer's usefulness is about five years
Improperly timbered, accidents are
numerous. Statistics are not avail
able, as the companies conduct hos.
pitfalls of their own presided over by
the company doctor.
The miners spend from 10 to II
hours under ground in the mines,
which are as much as 1000 feet deep.
That far below the surface the air is
hot and foul. The air pumped into the
shafts is wholly insufficient and can
not reach into the drifts and up the
slopes, the only air reaching from the
outside being the exhaust from the
drills.
The compensation for work i'm these
mines varies, but approximates S2.25
per day. 1t is of course contended
that the wage is more nearly $2.75
and some times $500, but it must be
remembered that deductions are made
for supplies, rent, fuel, doctor and hos
ptal fees
How the Miners Are Robbed.
The most abominable condition of
all is the contract system" which re-
duces the miners to industrial serfs
and gives the companies the most alb
solute power to discipline" the men.
BY this system a certain piece of work
is allotted the miners which may, or
may not contain ore in paying guam
titles. The miner receives no pay for
rock mined which does not contain
paying ore and according to the terms
of tn contract the miner has no claim
against the company until the con-
tract is completed. By reason of this
it often happens that at the end of
the month the miner has no pay com
ing, but is indebted for supplies, etc,
instead, which debt is taken from his
next months pay. Because of these
conditions, the miner never knows
what he has coming; it may be any
where from $1.5O to $3.50, or nothing
at all.
"The WidoWmaker."
The mines being unsafe, and acct
dents from falling "loose" and leaves"
frequent, the miners when working in
pairs very often were able to assist
each other at such time. But as hui
man lives are of no consequence in
these underground infernoes, and
every pore of the masters of the mines
cries greedily for profits, the two-man
plan had to be abandoned as too eX-
travagant when a one-man machine
was invented. This machine, which is
called the "widowmaker," has done
more to awaken the miners than all
the agitation Of union organizers and
Socialist agitators.
From the foregoing, the inhumanity
and abiect slavery to which the min
ers had to submit is apparent. But in
order that we may have thorough
understanding of the situation, COM
parison with the copper districts in
the West may be useful.
Low Wages Paid.
Wages in Michigan are about 1925;
in the West, $3.50 to $500,
Workday in Michigan is 10 to IL
hours; in the West, s hours.
The cost of production outside of
wages is 8 cents per lb. in Michigan.
In the West it is 10 to II cents per
pound.
While the Michigan mines are
among the richest in the country, the
Michigan miners are the poorest paid.
1t will be observed that the Michigan
mine operators are in position to
pay at least the same, if not better
wages than are the operators in the
West.
The Present Status of the Strike.
All the men are out and remaining
steadfast in their refusal to go back
without some concessions being made.
The capitalist press has since the in
ceptlon of the strike daily informed
the public that the strike has been
settled, and ore is being mined and
shipped. Cars of ore are shipped from
some of the mines daily, as has been
in the capitalist press, but
what they failed to report is that these
same cars with the identical ore were
speaked back in the night to be sent