The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-11
MANAGERS TALK OF
THE PALMER REPORT

CALUMET, Mich. Jan. 10.-Mine
managers Of the copper strike district
were tonight disinclined to discuss the
department of labor g recommendations
on the strike situation in any great de.
tail. because of the fact that only press
reports OF its contents had reached
them. Some Of the principal points
had, however, come to their attention,
and these were taken up by A, +. Pc
termann Of counsel for the Calumet 6
Hecla Mining company, F. W Denton
of the Copper Range Consolidated, in
dorsing his statement.
We take it that the charges relat-
Ing to imported men, alleged shooting
OF workmen and Excessive profits came
from Walter b. Palmer, as he was the
only one of the three department Of
labor men who visited us who came as
an investigator. Neither John A. Mof-
fit nor John B. Densmore asked us for
data. 1t might be pertinent to call
attention, also, to the fact that Mr.,
Palmer left here last August, when
only one Of the mines had imported
any workmen, and that one. the Quin-
cy had brought in only fifty.
Can Be Disproved.
"The charge that outside workmen
were induced to come to the district
through misrepresentation can be dis
proved. The Calumet & Hecla, for In
stance, has in its file signed applica-
tion for work from every imported
man.. this sheet stating that a strike
was in progress; that the men were to
work underground; that certain wage
would be paid, and that board was not
to cost them over a certain amount
each month. | think this latter figure
was $22, but I believe that rs a matter
of fact the deductions have been less
than that Furthermore, the word
strike was printed in letters half an
inch high, what the printers call
thirty type, so that this one
word was bound to catch the eye the
first thing. Each workman retained a
copy of this agreement
Guards Necessary.
"The charges that men were taken
to the mines at the point of pistols is
not true, and is, in fact, arrant non
sense. Guards accompanied the men
from the trains, but this was neces-
sary TO protect them from the strikers,
and was not done with any idea of for
cling the men to work. Mr.. Palmer could
scarcely have misunderstood this con-
dltion. Trains have been fired on, at
tempts MADE to wreck them, at least
once by dynamite, and another train
was smashed with rocks right at the
station in Hancock. Even the Pullman
cars were stoned on that occasion, and
one stone, weighing sixteen pounds, was
taken from one Of the cars.
81 would refer Mr.. Palmer, further,
TO the fact that about seventeen con-
victions Of strikers have been obtained
in the circuit court at Lansing within
the last week. The greater portion of
these trials have ended with pleas of
guilty to such otfenses as intinidating,
resisting officers and carrying con-
cealed weapons. This court record sim
ply wipes out Mr.. Palmer s charges
Not Worth Answer.
ANY argument in favor Of the
strikers from the standpoint of the
profits Of the Calumet &c Hecla is not
worthy an answer; The fact that the
federation itself has expressed itself
as satisfied with wage conditions proves
it IS silly. The profits of the Calumet
& Hecla have been due simply TO the
fact that the Creator put such rich cop
per deposits in the ground. Further
more, the immense profits came when
the company was working on the de-
posits near the surface, where it cost
less to raise the rock and when other
production costs were less than at pres
ent. Those rich days have gone, and
recollection OF them has no apple alton
to present conditions.
81 wonder if Mr.. Palmer took into
consideration the fact that many mines
in the district never have made a
profit and that some of them probably
never viii.
Mr.. Palmer asked ITO questions of
each company, and each company kept
duplicates of its answers. We shall
take great interest In seeing if facts
favorable 10 the companis have been
suppressed or CLOSED over