The Washington herald., 1914-01-11
CALUMEIINQUIRY
REPORT IS MADE
Department Of Labor Gives
Out Summary Of Find
ings Of Officials.
ARBITRATION FAv0RED
Proposition. Made. 1t Is Said, We're
Acceptable to Miners. but Re
jected by Companies.

The Department Of Labor yesterday
gave out a summary of the report OF the
Investigation of the Calumet strike, pre-
pared by Walter B. Palmer. who. with
other representatives of the Department.
of Labor, visited the strike region, ana
also summary Of reports made oy sonn
A. Moffat and John B. Densmore, also
of the Department Of Labor. VINO acted
as commissioners OF Cancellation. This
ia the Summary of the investigation:
First: That suggestions were made
that the managers of the companies meet
the representatives of the miners with
view to erecting mutual settlement
second: That the whole question IN
dispute be submitted to arbitration.
saThird: That the questions be sub
mitted to arbitration and no member OF
the Western Federation OF Miners oe Sc
lected upon the board.
Fourth: That the companies agree to
reinstate, all of the workmen without dis
elimination relative to their being mem
beers or non-members of q union
Fifth: That the companies post no.
tees that they will re-employ all the
strikers without discrimination relative
to their being members or non-members
of a union"
Rejected by Companies.
The report says that each of these
propositions as made was accepted by
the representatives Of the miners as a
basis of settlement, but were rejected
by the representatives of the companies on
the ground that they would not deal
with the Western Federation OF Miners.
or have any of its members in their en-
pIoy. 1t also is stated that the com
'panies on December ] posted notices to
the effect that thereafter the minimum
wage rate would be s., and the hours OF
labor per day eight and three-quarters
The report traces the history Of the
strike and states that representatives OF
the Western Federation of Miners pub
licly announced their demands to be
recognition of the union. an eight-hour
day. a minimum wage of 50 for all un-
derground workers and engineers. and
an Increase of IS cents a day for sur
face men; also that two men shall be
engaged in the operation Of all mining
machines The summary continues:
The report shows that the hours OF
labor of underground workers IN the
Michigan copper district prior to the
strike were from ten to eleven hours per
day. which included the time required
for going to and from the working
places to the surface and the time for
luncheon.
In some of the mines the miners are
paid as low as S235 per shift, while
trammers are paid as low as " Inc
earnings of miners employed during the
six Isonths ending June 30, 1913. by the
CalI1met-Hecla Company and subsi-
diary companies from SIS to S-62 per
shift and averaged $3.2S. The earnings
of men employed during the same period
by the other companies varied from
s. 2. to $3.50 per shift, an average OF
s2A The general average Of all COM
.panies during the year was s2%
EARNINGS of Trnmmers.
THE earnings of trammers employed
during the year b. the Calumet-Hecla
and subsidiary companies varied from
$3.50 to s29l per shift, and average va
The earnings of trammers employed by
other companies during the year were
from $3.50 to se.d, an average Of $24o
The general average OF all companies
during the year was S5s.
Some of the smaller companies have.
been operating at loss, but the largest
company in the region, the Calumet
Hecla company. which employs upward
Of 30 per cent of the total number of mine
workers engaged in that region. has had
extremely large profits
Arrests in Meyer Case.
New York. Jan. 1.-two private detec-
tives-william Martin and Charles Smith
were arrested here today in connection
with matters developing from the recent
deportation of Charles II. Meyer, presi-
dent of the Western Federation of
Miners, from the Michigan copper coun-
try. The arrests were based on charges
that the men posed as private detectives
without being licensed, and had bought
affidavits for Meyer, in which it was
alleged that mine owners had hired New
York gunner to war on the strikers
The men were arraigned in the Tombs
Court and paroled in the custody Of coun-
sci for further examination Wednesday.