The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-08
CAN'T END COLORADO
WAR, BOTH SIDES SAY
Miners Insist on Recognition OF
Union, but Operators Re.
fuse to Give In.
NO MIDDLE COURSE OPEN
Federal Investigator Asserts
Companies Could Settle
Advantageously.

DENVER, June 7.-The Colorado e5,i
strike can never be settled under pres.
ent conditions. according to statements
made to-day by John r. Lawson. inter.
national director OF the United MIN,
Workers Of America. and j. f. welborn.
president OF the Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company The reasons given By the,e
two are widely at variance.
The strike can be settled and peae,
can be restored TO the industrial cen.
tres OF Colorado, said J. 3. Densmore,
solicitor of the Department of Labor, who
has Just completed an investigation OF tha
situation.
Lawson puts the entire blame for con.
dltions here on the operators. lie says
that the operators are "shying at a mouse
which they think Is a mountain" IN retus-
ing to reach an agreement with organized
labor and sign contracts for the settle
mept OF the strike.
There Ia nothing whatever portentous
about the contract We submitted to the
operators" said Lawson. at is, indeed. {.
contract In name only. We could no.
sue on II II II were broken.
There are 100000 men IN the United
Mine Workers. There are $4,000 OF them
In Illinois alone. OF all our $4,000 mem.
bers. only about 10000 to-day are rec
ceiving strike pay.
80 II seems to me that II mines em-
ploying 100000 members OF the United
Mine Workers can operate at a profit. ana
they do so operate, the operators OF Col.
orado In refusing to work with us ara
deferred by the fear of something which
does not and could not exist.
n~uNss n~ssr-cstx. po,srv
The members OF the United Minis
Workers do not desire to ruin any mine.
They do not want to see Mr.. Rockefeller
reduced to penury in his old age. They
are asking only for recognition in Col.
orado. and IL the operators OF this State
would accept our contract next Monday
I am sure that in a year from then they
would admit that II was one Of the most
profitable and satisfactory things they
had ever done.
'Of course we cannot compromise on
this Issue OF the recognition OF our union.
Without such recognition our organization
would be a nullity."
IF the strike OF miners In the southern
coal fields OF Colorado can be settled only
by what Is called the recognition of the
union, then am afraid It never can be
settled" WAS the declaration made b.
Welborn.
ut would be suicidal were we 20 'recos.
nize' the United Mine Workers under the
conditions which this term recognition
implies. Recognition of the kind ii, e
manded would create for us an Impossible
situation in the operation OF our mines
Don't Oppose Organized Labor.
TT occurs to me that many people do
not realize Just what is meant by this
term recognition of the union. My COM
panies are not In any way opposed 10
organized labor. We have no objection 20
men associating for common purposes.
We do not refuse to employ men who be-
long to unions. We have no blacklist
against the United Mine Workers.
I'm order to recognize the union In tho
way the unions want II recognized VI
would have to enter into a binding con.
tract with the United Mine Workers
either for a term of years or terminals
at will. under which we on our part would
guarantee to employ only members OF tho
United Mine Workers In our mines and
under which they would guarantee to sup.
ply US with workmen on certain stipulated
terms as TO wages and conditions OF labor.
'ln other words the United Mine Work g..
ers are demanding that we enter into n
compulsory partnership with them for thu
operation OF our mines. and such a part
nership is an absolute impossiblity."
Mr.. Densmore. who arrived to-day from
the strike zone. said the strike can be SET
tied by recognition OF the union and IN
no other way. This, he predicted. will 10
done. although he fears II will take long
time.