The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1914-01-29
ORGANIZERS REPORT PRE-
SENT CONDITIONS IN
MICHIGAN
STRIKE WILL BE WON.
Especial to the commonwealth }

the ending of the strike, notwith-
standing the fact that he very en-
phatically stated to Meyer and other
representatives of organized labor be
fore coming here, that he was going
to try to get the two warning elements
together, or at least would let the pub
lie know the TRUTH, and place the
responsibility where it properly be-
longed.
The statement Gov. Ferris is credit
ed with issuing is to the effect that
he challenges anyone to say that he
ever said that he could end the
strike, that he is not God, and that
the thing could probably be settled if
left to the miners and operators di-
rectly affected"
AS soon as President Meyer was
made acquainted with this, he imme-
diately wired the governor while en-
route for Lansing. asking him to re-
commend that a conference be held
between the men actually on strike
and the mine owners here, and the
governor wired back that he believed
that if all outsiders were eliminated
the controversy could be settled"
(This telegram was sent to President
Meyer 40 cents collect.)
In short, the little bit of bravado
displayed by Governor Ferris at Lans-
ing while interviewing the represen-
tatives of Horny Handed Toll" was
effectually extinguished before he had
who own the Upper Peninsula, top,
bottom and side, and who by divine
right" of private ownership own so
much of Michigan are enabled to
throw considerable weight on the po-
litical atmosphere.
1t looks like another case of Gin
visible government" being both seen
and caught
The local miners here established
beyond the shadow of doubt that
the strike was called at the unanim-
GUS UeuSSI VI Ine HlHSlo ACTUALLY
working in the copper country; that
they are trying to increase their earn
ings so as to be able to cope with the
high cost of living, and most of all to
establish the right to belong to an or
ganization that will protect their
rights as American citizens so that
speech and free assembly, the right to
deal where they please and see that
state laws are lived up to and enforced
so that working conditions in the
mines may be such as to promote
health and safety for life and limb.
1900 Men Involved.
There are $4,000 men involved, a
majority of them with large families.
The mines have been closed all over
the copper range since the 23rd day
of July with the exception of one of
the large Calumet mines which was
in such condition that it could not
possibly stand an extended period of
idleness; here they gathered all their
pets" bosses, captains, ETC., at the
beginning of the strike, from the sur
rounding mines controlled by this
company
In addition to this they have i'm
ported strikebreakers so as to swell
the total number of men working to
the number of about 5000. These i'm
ported men are not good dividend"
payers on account of lack of expert
ence and physical inability.
Big Meetings Held.
We are addressing all the meetings
we can, and everywhere find over
flow meetings and the greatest en-
thusiasm. The strikers and their
wives and children are as determined
to win as they were the first day of
the strike, nearly six months ago.
This is a community with one in
dustry, the copper industry; a com
munity with two distinct classes:
those who work in the mine and those
who live off those who work in the
mines and when the copper miners
struck, those who live off the earnings
of the copper miners felt aggrieyed;
their incomes were seriously inter
fered with; hence THE CITIZENS
ALLIANCE"
These exhibitions from the butcher,
the baker, etc, of biting the hand
that feeds you" just added one more
link to the chain of compulsory edu-
cation the copper miners are under
going, and they quietly, intelligently,
started stores of their own in the To-
calities where they are most needed,
and they are doing great work with
them, while the long established en-
terprises of their fair weather"
friends are at this present time caught