Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-01-14
RDDPS TO QUIT
COPPER COUNTRY
Militia to Leave Strike Zone
January II.
PLOT TO KILL PROSECUTOR
nsamIts Found in Office at L'Anse-
cov.rnor Ferris Tells Labor Men
That Employers Must Rec
ognizs Unions.
vo1 TO KILL PROSECUTOR

Voughton. Mich, Jan. 9.-The strike
# copper miners called July % was
.Dnosed By the officials of the West
IN Federation of Miners. This was
.nrbasized before Governor Ferris on
Wednesday by representatives of the
niOn
While the hearing was in progress
IN Houghton Adjt. Gen. r. c. Wander
cook announced in Lansing that all
the state troops in the strike district
will be withdrawn January II.
Prior to this came the news that q
stick Of dynamite had been found at
LAnse in the building where the pros
scuting attorney of this county has his
Office
fuse and cap were found a few
feet from the dynamite. 1t was the
theory Of officers investigating the in
cdent that the persons responsible for
the plant" lost the fuse and cap and
thus were unable to blow up the build
hg or cause the death of Lucas, if
that was the object of the plot. Mr.
Lucas left the building a few minutes
before the discovery to keep an ap-
pointment with Governor Ferris.
Governor Ferris told the union men
that he expected to talk with the mine
managers, and asked them to give him
what they considered the crux OF the
situation. A reply came from James
R. Roach, personal representative of
Samuel G0mpers of the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor.
The companies are planning con-
tnuatiOn Of their fight against trades
BniOnism in concert" he said. Yet
they ask the men to deal singly with
q combination of corporations. 1t
strikes me that it is time for the CON-
panles to wake up"
No man is more anxious for q set
tlement than l." said the governor. 81
believe that corporations generally
must come to the point where they
will recognize organizations of their
employees. There is no question of the
right OF men to join such organiza-
tons
The only question confronting me
now is whether I, as governor, can
find settlement that will be of the
right sort and permanent"
The union men stood on their prop
Ositon 10 John B. Densmore OF the de-
psrtment Of labor, so far as settle
ment Of the strike was concerned 1t
was revealed at the hearing that the
federation had proposed that the
hours Of labor and rates of pay posted
by the mining companies December 1
De allowed to stand; that the one-man
drill grievance was not mentioned, and
that the question of union recognition
was to be obviated by a non-discrim-
nation clause.
In addition the union delegation en-
phasized that since the strike was
called only after a referendum vote
mad shown big majority Of the rank
and ME insistent on 1t. any proposal
Tor settlement must be passed on by
tne general membership.
0. n. Hilton, chief of counsel of the
federation. told the governor that
neither he nor President Charles H.
meyer nor any other official of the fed
Grafton had any authority to stop the
strike. He indicated however, that
the officers of the union were willing
10 recommend to the men any basis of
settlement that would carry an affirma-
uon OF some kind of the right of the
Men to Join any society, union. church
OF other organization that suited their
fancy
IN turtherance OF their contention
That the miners federation opposed
The calling of the strike the unions
representatives in the inquiry asked
GOVERNOR Ferris to listen to miners
and trammers who had worked under
ground for years. Ten of these men
men related the conditions under
which they had labored and told of
lie pay they had received.
Dan Sullivan. president of the dis
rlct council of the federation; Carl E.
aletala. secretary OF that body, and
William Richard and John Anttala,
resident and secretary of the Calu-
net local, went on record as having
'eeR opposed to the calling OF the
Itrike.