El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-08
MOYER TO
GO BEFORE
GRANDJURY
Western Federation Presi-
dent May Return to Chi
cago After Testifying.
GOVERNOR HOLDS
SECRET CONFERENCE
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ground for years and half a score Of
these men related conditions under
which they labored and pay they re-
ceived.
The eviction cases which have been
cropping up were called to his atten-
ton and he was informed of the eX-
periences of some Of the men with
special police and other officers.
AS was expected, the union men
stood on their proposition to John b
Densmore, of the department Of labor,
so far as a settlement Of the strike
was concerned 1t was revealed az
the hearing that the federation mad
proposed that the hours Of labor and
rates Of pay posted by the mining com
panies December 1 would be allowed
to stand; that the Oneman drill gr1eV-
ance was not mentioned and that the
question of recognition was to be OBJ
Waited by a nOndiscrimination clause
Miners Make $50 to $50.
Practically all witnesses stated that
they started to labor when less than
Is years Of age and have Eeen under
ground from Is to rs years.
Their pay had ranged from $1S 70
$50 a month for boys and from $50
to $50 a month as miners. The men
emphasized that the rich months were
few and contract Work mad brought
them generally lower returns than the
Daniel Sullivan, president OF the dis
triCt council OF the federation; Carl
William Rickard and John Anttala,
president and secretary Of the Calumet
local, went on record as having been
opposed TO the calling OF the strike
All four said that when they tried
to staYe off the strike they had been
accused OF selling out to the com
panies. Hietala said that q lot OF
fellows" had accused him and Anrtala
said that 100 union members had be-
rated him for his attitude.
Strength OF Unions
The governor was given figures
taken from the district council records
showing a total Of s815 men now in
the district, Of whom ITO were on the
relief rolls. Hietala estimated that
some 5000 union men had left the dis
trict. He explained the difference be-
tween the total membership and the
relief roll IS representing the men who
had been able to support themselves
without aid from the union and in
stauced the cases OF % men, who, he
said, had made their first applications
for strike benefits only last week
The governor told the union men
that he expected to talk with the mine
give him what they considered the
cruX of the situation
A typical reply came from James
Roach, personal representative OF sam
uel GOmpers Of the American Fedora
''The companies are today planning
continuation OF their fight AGAINST
trades uniouism in concert" he said
Yet they ask the men TO deal singly
with a combination OF corporations
1t strikes me that It is time for the
companies to wake Up
NO man is more anxious for a set
Element than I am" said the cover
nor. Il believe that corporations gen
orally must come 70 the point where
they will recognize organizations of
their employees There is no question
Of the right OF men TO join such or
ganlZauOns and the only question con-
fronting s. T.
ernor. can find a settlement here that
viii be OF the right sort and perma-
nent."
Challenge for Count Accepted.
Acceptance Of what union labor re-
garded as a challenge marked the
close OF the hearing which Gov. Wood
bridge n. Ferris gave to representa-
tives Of the mining companies involved
in the copper strike.
A. L Peterman, a representative OF
the Calumet and Hecla- called the gov
errors attention to discrepancies be-
tween the cOupany's and the unions
statistics on the strike situation
He pointed out that the figures re-
garding the number OF men employed
were at variance and added that the
companies were willing to submit to
an actual count OF employees and would
throw open their books as a source Of
information If the union would do the
same.
Claude o. Taylor. president OF the
4---AAA7e-AA CLdL1 II ElCLd-AuA o. +la0D4r
promptly said that the unions would
DO the same thing.
Gov. Ferris gave no indication as to
whether any such. procedure would be
adopted 1t has been known, how
ever, that he has investigators under
James Cunningham, state commissioner
of labor, and presumably these men
have already gone into that phase OF
the situation
They cOmbatted several OF thu ss-
sertions made by the union represent
tatiYes
Attorney Reese, chief counsel for the
Calumet and Hecls, answering the point
that officials Of the union were forced
to call the strike by insistence OF the
rank and file, said that the constftu-
ton Of the Western Federation pro-
vided that any strike proposition must
first be considered by the executive
board OF the organization before il is
submitted to a referendum vote He
said that companies were not hostile
to union labor but that they would
not deal with unions which preached
class hatred.