Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-09-23
Big Coal Strike Inaugurated
Without Disorder, Effecting
Practically Complete Tieup
Of Industry.
SIX THOUSAND IDLE IN
TRINIDAD DISTRICT
United Mine Workers Off,
cials Pleased; Operators Say
Over Half of Men Stick to
Jobs.
bob, I.cn.cd WIrc % IavenIng IIeraId. J

Denver, Colo.. sept. 23.--The coal
minsrh strike la Colorado. called hy
the United Mine Workers OF America
10 secure recognition OF the union.
wage and other concessions. became
effective at s o'clock this morning
Except In e. few small mines. opor-
ated hy independent companics. the
tic-up was more or less complete and
was accomplished without disorder.
the day shift merely refusing 20 go
into tho mines at the usual hour
or the "a, 900 20 1900 men usual
ly employed in the mines Of Las AMI
mas. Huerfano. Fremont. El paso.
Boulder and Routt counties. figures
based on incomplete reports placed
the number OF idle at between 1000
and 5000. How many of these
previously had left the various camps
could not be determined.
Apparently the fight centcred in
the Trinidad district. comprising las
Anmns and Huerfauo counties,
where most Of the mines are oper-
ated by the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company. the Victor-Amcrican Fuel
company and tho Rocky Mountain
Fuel company. Normally moro than
5000 men are employed IN these
counties aud impartial estimates to-
day place the number or idle men "a
about 5000.
In Fremont county. whort about
l,fbO men usually are employed. Il
was said that 1900 are idle. In this
county two sman mines employing
about 100 men continued in opera
ton. From Houtt county reports
were that 400 OF the 600 miners
were on strike. Comparatively little
effect OF the strike order was seem
In tho mines OF BOULDER county.
whore strike has been m progroas
iur several months. Tho only SER
ious detection was reported at Loy's-
VILE where goo men quit. In La
fayette, Marshall ana Superior con-
ditiOns we're normal.
United Mine Workers officials ex-
press qualification over conditions
based on early reports. and predicted
that The tie-up would be practically
complete by night. Some OF the
large operators stated that their pri-
vnte reports showed as high 40 81
per cent OF the men were at work Ia
SOME mines with practically total
etoppago of work in few cases
They expressed the bolief that many
Of the men would go back Ca work In
few days.
Union pickcts were stationed
around some of the mines. notably at
Louisville. In northern Colorado. The
union officials continued preparation
to care tor strikers ana ;hcir fnmi
lies IN the zen colonies cstnblishcd in
rtf M
counties.
The chief points at issue are. Rec
Ognition OF The union. check weigh
men chosen py the minors. wage
scale based on tonnage rates, eight
hour day for an classes OF labor,
pay FOR dead work, and abolition OF
the guard system.
}. r. Welborn, president of the
g, +. a. L. Co. today expressed grau-
fcation over the situation. with nO
dofections in his company proper
ties La the Gunnison and Crested
Butte districts. Hc declared that $50
far as his company is concerned more
men continued at work than had
becn expected. In 70 signed statc-
ment he charged that many of those
who stayed oui OF tho mines "did 80
because they had been lntimldatcd,
and predicted that when they sec
they viii hc projected many VIII rec
turn" he declared THAI the conn
pany would take steps necessary TO
protect its men at work"
lie expressed confidence that there
Is no danger of a coal shortage for
domestic consumption and announced
that he did not anticipate having Co
close the steel plant nt Pueblo. tie
added that u might become neces-
sary 10 curiaii production In some
departments, but that II this WIS
found necessary those departments
which use the least amount nf coal
would he continued ln operation.
-. w Brown, president of the
Rocky Mountain Fuel company. de-
niod the report that 200 men had
gone on strike at Louisville, la north
ern Colorado.
Ethelhcrt Stewart. federal modi-
ator sent 20 Colorado hy the depart
mont OF labor IN an effort 10 avert
cor settle the strike, arrived Ia Den-
yer last night This afternoon he
WIS In conference with Governor
Ammons. Before calling ON thn gov