South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-08
COAL STRIKE MAY
NEVER Be ENDED
SAYS OPERATOR
Companies He Contends Could
Not Afford to Grant ReCog-
milton to UniOn-NOt 0ppOS-
ed to Organization.

DENVER, Colo. June S.-Why the
Colorado coal strike can never be set
tied under present conditions was told
Sunday in statements 10y John Law
son. international director Of the Unit
ed Mine Workers of America, and by
J. F. WeIbourn, president of the Col
orado Fuel and Iron company. The
reasons given by these two are widely
at variance.
That the strike can be settled and
the manner in which peace can be re-
stored TO the industrial centers of
Colorado. was the subject OF a public
statement made by J. 3. Densmore.
solicitor Of the department of labor,
who has just completed an investiga-
tion OF the situation for the govern
ment
Lawson puts the entire blame for
conditions here on the operators. He
declares the operators are "shying at
a mouse which they think is a noun
tain" in refusing 10 reach an agree
ment with organized labor and sign
contracts for the settlement of the
strike
There Is nothing whatever perten-
tious about the contract we submitted
10 the operators" said Lawson. 1T
is indeed a contract III name only; we
could not sue on 1t il il were broken.
Tells of Conditions.
There are today 450, 600 men in
the United Mine Workers There are
$4,000 men in Illinois alone. Out of
all our $50. 1000 members only about
10000 today are receiving strike pay.
So IL seems 20 me that If mines en-
pioying 44O, 600 members of the Unit
ed Mine Workers can operate at a
profit, and they do so operate, the OPP
orators OF Colorado in refusing to
work with us are deferred by the
fear OF something does not and could
not exist
The members Of the United Mine
Workers do not desire the ruin OF
any mine. They are asking only for
recognition In Colorado And if the
operators OF this state would accept
our contract next Monday, I am sure
that. in a year from then they would
admit that IL 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 a recognition
our organization would be nullity.
Would BE Suicidal
IF the existing strike OF miners in
the southern coal fields OF Colorado
can only be settled by what is called
the recognition OF the union, then /
am afraid IL never can be settled,
was the declaration made by We'll
bOurn. 1T would be suicidal were we
10 recognize the United Nine Workers
under the conditions which this term
recognition implies. Recognition of
the kind demanded Will create for US
an impossible situation IL the opera
ton OF our mines.
Many people do not realize just
what is meant by this term recoSnl-
ton of the union. My companies are
not IN any way opposed 10 organized
labor. We have no objection to men
aSsOciating for common purposes. w
do not refuse 10 employ men who be-
long 10 unions. We have no black
list against the United Mine Workers.
~ln order 10 recognize the union in
the way the unions want il recognized
we would have 20 enter into a bind
ing contract with the United Nine
Workers. either for a term OF years or
terminable at Will under which We.
on our part would guarantee TO en-
ploy only members OF the United Mine
Workers in our mines and under
which they would agree 10 supply US
with workmen on certain stipulated
terms as 10 wages and conditions Of
labor. In other words. the United
Mine Workers are demanding that we
enter into "a compulsory partnership
with them for the operation OF our
mines and such "a partnership is an
absolute impossibility."
Same Old Conditions.
AR. Dcnsmore. who arrived Sunday
from the strike district. declared: