Omaha daily bee., 1914-06-17
NO COMPROMISE FOR MINERS
Federation of Miners Official Throws
Down the Gauntlet.
WAR AGAINST INDEPENDENTS
Declares Outside Faction Cannot DO
Business In Butte and Asserts
Outsiders Responsible for
Property Destruction.

BUTTE, Mont, June 16.--Declsring there
was nothing to compromise and that Butte
Miners union, No. l. of the Western Fed
GRAFTON of Miners, was the only organisa-
ton that could do bushes in Butte, John
G. Lowney, member OF the executive
board of the Western Federation, in a
formal statement today threw down the
gauntlet to the disaffected faction and
declared war against any faction OF min
ers that attempted to set up an inde-
pendent organization.
Lowned dismissed all attempts at COM
promise by asserting that the federation
would have nothing TO do with outsiders.
He said that while efforts had been made
to obtain concessions from the federation
representative on the question of a vote
to surrender the charter from the parent
body, the officers OF the old union or
ganization would have no hand in such
procedure
Lowney said the union, holding contracts
with the mining companies. would insist
on carrying out every agreement in full
/ He insisted that lawless element from
the outside was primarily responsible for
the destruction of property and that the
men who Joined with the mob we're miners
who for months had not paid their union
dues.
The statement concludes with the
statement that the Western Federation
of Miners and the United Mine Workers
of America are about to merge into one
great miners organization.
situation Quiet hut Tense.
! With the regular meeting of the min
er's union scheduled for tonight the
! situation here was quiet but tense
today. Every effort was being made
to bring the opposing factions to-
gether. Committees of five men each
have been appointed by the leaders
| in the union and the secessionists
! for a conference, arranged through the
| efforts of NJ NJ Donohue, president of
the state Federation OF Labor. The propo-
sitions to be submitted to the conference
with a view to bringing back the Sc
ceders into the organization are:
The abandonment OF all the records Of
| the old union except the charter from the
| Western Federation of Miners and the
contract with the employing companies;
! the refitting of the union offices; an inn
mediate open election, at which all miners
! will be entitled to vote regardless of ar
| resrages in dues or assessments; immedi-
ate installation OF the officers 80 elected.
TO be followed by a full vote OF miners
on the question Of retaining the charter
of the Western Federation.
May Declare Independence.
II the membership votes to return the
charter to the federation. the miners are
to proceed alone as an independent union.
! In the meantime the secessionists will
| continue the program they have laid out
beginning with the taking of the referen-
dunn vote tomorrow on the question of
showing Western Federation cards at the
mines
! Governor Stewart reiterated today his
assertion that he had not asked that fed
/ eral troops be sent to Butte. He said his
message to Washington simply asked re-
garding the disposition OF federal troops
with a view to learning whether troops
were available II conditions here became
serious.
! Financial Irregularities Charged.
! Allegations of Irregularities on the part
of the officials Of the Butte Miners union
and OF the Western Federation officials
are to be made by leaders of the insur-
gents, in consequence of records which
the insurgents secured when the Miners
union safe was dynamited Saturday night.
| Three gunny sacks full OF documents were
I obtained ana q committee was enSdBtu
| all night in going through the mass.
A leader OF the insurgents said late last
| night that documentary evidence had
been secured of an alleged attempt on
the part of the union officials to arrange
an insurance system in which 5000 miners
were to be insured for life by paying
$3.50 monthly, the miner to receive a
number of sick and old age benefits. the
amount he was to receive upon his death
not being stated. For their services In
promoting the insurance plan one official
of the union was to receive monthly 500.
a second $3.50 and two others s125 as long
as the insurance plan survived. The
drawn up contracts, the insurgents say.
were found In the safe These contracts
were unsigned.
The books in the safe showed no bal
snces had been made for the last thirty
six years, according to the insurgents.
The committee expects to be able to
make formal statement late today OF
what has been found in the captured