Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-01-08
Western Federation Officials
Say They Discouraged Such
Action When Proposed by
Union Miners,
EMPLOYERS SIDE TO BE
BROUGHT OUT TODAY
Prominent Socialists Arrive on
Ground and Attempt to
Make Capital Out of Con-
ditionS in Michigan.
10y soss,na JOURNAL SPECIAL ls.sro ~,asl


Houghton, Mich, Jan. THE
strike Of copper miners which was
called her ON July a3, was opposed by
the officials Of the Western Fedora
ton Of Miners, Gov. Woodbridge y.
Ferris was told today by representa-
tives of the union In furtherance OF
this idea the governor was asked 20
listen 70 the stories OF miners ana
trammers who had worked under
ground for years and half a score "
these men related conditions under
which they had lebored and pay they
had received. Tne eviction cases
which have been cropping UP were
called TO his attention and he was ir-
formed Of the experiences Of some
Of the men with special police and
other officers.
As was expected the union men
stood on their proposition 20 John
b. Densmore. of the department ot
labor, 50 far as a settlement Of the
strike was concerned II was revealed
Al the hearing that the federation had
proposed that the hours Of labor ana
rates ef pay posted by the mining
companies on December l. would ha
allowed 70 stand; that the one man
drill glieyance was not mentioned and
that the question of recognition was
to Dc obylated by ! non-diseriminative
clause.
In addition the union delegation
emphasized that since the strike was
called only after a referendum vote
had shown biz majority Of the rank
and file iusistent on H. that any OPP
position for settlement must be
passed upon BY the general member
ship @. y. Hilton, chief Of counsel
of the federation, told the governor
that neither he nor President Charles
H. Meyer nor any other strike off,
cial Of the federation had any author
ity TO stop the strike. He indicated,
however that the Officers pf the
union were willing TO reeomhend to
the men any basis OF settlement that
would carry with II an affirmation
OF some kind of the right Of the men
to any society. union. church or other
organization that suited them.
Throughout the hearing the part
that local men had taken In the az
fair was kept Wen to the front. Prac-
tically all witnesses testified they
started TO labor when less than flf-
teen years old and have been under
ground from fifteen To twenty-five
years. Their pay had ranged from
SIS 20 SEQ month FOR eight years
and from $50 20 500 month as min
ers. The men emphasized that the
rich months were few and contract
work had brought them generally
lower returns than the day rates
Dan sullivan. president of the dis
trict council Of the federation. Carl
+. Hietala. secretary of that body and
William Riokard and John Antaia,
president and secretary Of the Calu
met 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
panles. Hietala said that "a lot OF
fellows had So accused him and An
tala said that one hundred union
members had befated him for his
attitude
Hetala told the governor that the
ballot boxes had been open four days
for vote on the strike question and
that Il count on July 6 showed APP
proMmately $3.50 votes for the
strike and about 125 against III
proposition. He said the member
ship of the various lorals was ;hrn
about nine thousand. approximately
1000 having fdiled to vote because
Of absence or indifferencs
These figures led the governor to
inquire about the present strength.
lie was given figures taken from the
district council records showing
total of 9,sf5 men now IN the district,
of whom 7,7i0 were on the relief
rolls. lIietala estimated that some
3 ,000 union men had left the district
He explained the difference between
the total membership and the relief
roll as representing the men who had
been able to support themselves with
out aid from the union and instanced
the cases Of twenty-five men who h.
said had made their first applications
for strike benefits only last week.
Then the governor again plunged
into the situation IN the union before
the strike ana asked Mr.. Hilton why
the national officers Of the union had
opposed the action.
Because they felt that a strike
would entail great expense and con-
siderable suffering and because it WIS
felt that conditions all over the eoun-
try were such thai the time was in
opporlune for the inauguration Of any
such Industrial disturbance" was the
reply.
The uovernar told the union men