Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-02-11
GAVE CONFISCATED ARMS To
Mine GUARDS, SAYS LABOR LEADER;
Will INVESTIGATE HOUGHTON HORROR

-AN4t'N oAAC SOAnAH4IJcC WOulQ dbk J1t
postmaster why theN4stters we're no
i delivered.
Lawson then was asked regarding
illegal imprisonments.
4 think the most fragrant case il
that Of Mother, Jones, woman 81
years old, who has devoted her life
to improving conditions Of the labor
ing men Governor Ammons states
to me that they will permit her tc
leave the hospital If she will leave
that part Of the country
do you know why she is held?'
asked Representative Byrnes.
mo charge has been preferred
against her"
"Is she held because they consider
her an agitator?"
Eyes, that's what they claim"
Have you any evidence of illegal
combination
I'VE have instances in which we
believe coal companies actually have
been closed down on that account" !"
Judge Nothcutt interrupted to sug-
gest that representatives of the COM
panies in question could testify, and
the subject was dropped.
Lawson then told of the alleged i'm
portation Of strikebreakers. He de-
clared that there had been less dis
turbance in the northern than in the
southern Colorado district, although
state troops had not been sent to the
mines in the north
Membership Kept Secret
The witness was questioned regard
ing the district convention at which
the strike was called.
THE operators have been eonsid-
erably puzzled over how the delegates
from all the camps got to that conven-
ton" was the reply. Since 1902.
when about 5000 of our men were dis
charged in southern Colorado for be-
B;nging to the union. we have become
cautious. We kept our membership
secret and the operators never have
found out how the delegates were Sc
lected."
do you object to telling Us, now
that these men are all on striker"
"Only that this strike is not over
yet and we do not care to give away
cui hand"
The witness said. however, that
local unions had been organized Sc
cretly, and that all the members were
allowed to vote for delegates. He
said that the convention was compos-
ed Of about 200 delegates. and that
the strike vote was unanimous.
The witness then told of the efforts
to secure a conference between oper-
ators and miners. He sasi that the
operators had refused to enter a rom
with any officers Of the United Mine
Workers of America.
I'm that case" asked Representative
Evans, don't you think some good
may come Of this investigation since
we have got you all into the sarle
room?" iia
well, it will do Nc harm, replied
the witness
Lawson then told Of effosts II Her
bert Stewart of the department of
lalor and Secretary Wilson y settle
the strike. Then the wituess describ-
ed the negotiations for peace at which
from miners and opera
tors met in adjoining rooms, with Coz
ernor Ammons as mediator. This CON
ference failed to settle the strike.
Lawson told of the submission of
two propositions by secretarv Wilson
and Governor Ammons. one Of which
later was Withdrawn, the otaer re-
jected by the men.
operators Refused Own Terms
Lawson declared the nen rejected
the peace proposal because it dill not
provide for Increased wages or recog
milton Of the union. The operators lie
said, accepted the proposal. which he
declared was identical with the terms
the employers themselves had sub
mitted to the governor several weeks
before The witness told OF ths meet
Ing Of editors Of Colorado papers at
which the resolutions were adopted
regarding the settlement of the strike.
Representative Austin asked Law
son how many men had been killed in
the strike. He mentioned that Gerald
Ilippiat was killed n August preced-