The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-07
'BENEVOLENCE
IS REVEALED
Governor Continues His Inquiry
Into Local Conditions
Continued From First Page.

month his wages were out the nel
: anG this he added was one of n
! grievances Of the men. He was asko
IL miner was compelled To take
contract He said the only right
miner had, il he refused TO accept
contract. was To get time checl
There was no other resort. he addoC
lie asserted that he worked In the Os
ceola mines and for 70 days was pai
$3.50. He said another man who work
ed the same number of days obtaine
80 cents Richard declared that tn
miners did not object to working undo
contract # a living wage was guaran
teed. He also said that they did no
object To the one man machine eXcep
that they did not want to be working
| by themselves.
Richard made the assertion that af.
ter he and the secretary of the Calu-
met union were called before the citi-
2ens' committee in Calumet, in regard
to che relief of afflicted families be-
reaved Jy the Italian Hall disaster, and
| had rejected such assistance. he was
told that he aud the secretary would
be dcported.
The governor asked him if he had
received any letter or any threat, lie
replied friend OF his told him ten
men were picked out to deport each of
them
Citizens Opposed to Strikers.
William Gogsin, . miner formerly
employed 10y the Hancock Mining COM
pany, said he was a member of the
Western Federation of Miners and
that the organization was perfected
to bring about better mining condi-
lions. lie declared lhat they were not
only lighting the mining companies but
that they were being fought by the
citizens of the district. He added some
of the men were being used pretty
rough He referred TO the Meyer in
cident and declared 1t seems to me he
should have been protected" An hour
after | heard the riot call | called
sheriff Cruise about Meyer The sheriff
told me he had just heard OF the in
cident. Il was strange he did not know
Of it before
Continuing he declared: These citi-
zens We're born and raised here and
they should not be against us. We are
striking for higher wages and better
conditions. We nave tried everything
in our power to prevent trouble. We
have tried every peaceful means and
everything has failed. All you can
hear from the citizens is drive them
cut, drive them out. 1 was born here?
Why must get OUT"
Quincy Striker on Stand.
George O'Ncil, a former miner in
Quincy told the governor nc lived all
the days of his life here and that he
began 10 work in the Quincy mine
when lie was l. years old when h"
received fl.OO day for carrying water
underground. At the age OF lG he
started working on "A machine and he
had been doing that work since. He
spoke Uf his wages being gradually
increase to $1,000 up to the time he
went on strike. He said he went a.
contract AMI received $jA for each Of
two months and the third month If
ter the measurements were made. h.
and his two partners received SIS be-
tween them.
The governor asked him to explain
what contracts were. O'NeiI added that
on u contract, miners were paid 81
per foot aud if they made good they
were cut down. Tie declared no man
working i'm a drift was receiving 50
a day. Continuing he said that rs soon
.,S miner encountered Il good strip Of
ground his wages wore reduced.
Attorney General Fellows asked
O'Ncil to define the term stoping.
mining, etc. which he roughly out.
lined. He declared that under the
three months contract system miners
were paid from $50 to $50 for two
months IN advance Of their settlement.
and the third month they were given
what they made. lie said unless they
had earned more money they went
home payday with an empty envelope.
w SpN'l HpI tShtu nun Widl MS dN-
lrage wages were for the preceding
T. months He replied $40 per day
lnd for three months before the strike
$40.
Charges Are Disproved.
Governor Ferris interviews lasl
night with circuit Judge O'Brien and
Prosecuting Attorney Lucas satisfied
him that the conduct Of the Michigan
National Guard during the strike was
above reproach, not only that but
highly creditable to the members
themselves and to the state; and that
The Houghton county grand jury,
lgainst whom charges general and
specific were made in Lansing last
by labor leaders, is composed
pf honest, upright, intelligent men.
drawn legally for this service and
drawn at a time and in manner that
cannot in any way connect their choice
with the strike.
Mr. Lucas" said the governor. this
is a question | should not put