United labor bulletin., 1914-08-29
Employment of Strike
breakers Must Cease
Only Colorado Citizens Can Be En-
gagged in Struck Mines and They
Must Appear There in Person

An awful lamentation is going up
from the Colorado coal operators over
a recent order from Washington against
employment of strikebreakers in the
struck coal fields of the state. Govern
ment control and operation of the mines
is indicated in the latest step taken by
President Wilson unless the mine own
ers agree to some method of adjusting
the industrial trouble which began on
September %, 1913. The administration
at Washington is growing weary of fur
nishing 1000 federal troops to do police
duty for the state, made necessary by
arbitrary tactics of the Rockefeller
mine managers.
Under the new government order it Is
provided that miners must seek work at
the mines; must not be gathered and
brought in by operators; must be citi-
zens OF the state of Colorado, and must
have complied with the laws OF Colo
RADIO which relate to miners.
The provision that miners must be
citizens of Colorado Is the one to which
the operators most strenuously object
Practically none of the strikebreakers
brought in since the last strike started
are citizens, and the mine owners face
the necessity OF discharging all of these.
Operators themselves admit that they
will lose rs per cent of all their work
ers if the order is enforced All aliens
employed since the Ludlow massacre on
April 20 last must be discharged. Any
new employe must have been resident
OF Colorado for at least one year.
Frantic appeals have been made this
week by the struck operators to Presi-
dent Wilson and Secretary of War Gar
rison TO rescind or at least modify the
lar hrrr IN so1=
ington are standing pat and declare
their intention OF forcing the operators
to grant living, humane conditions for
the miners and compliance with the min
ing laws of the state
President John McLennan and Secre-
tary Ed L. Doyle of the United Mine
Workers expressed themselves well
pleased with this new turn OF affairs
and see in its enforcement by the fed
eral troops a way to bring about
speedy settlement OF the strike. With
the states output of coal practically re-
duced to nothing, they claim the op-
orators will be forced to allow an ar
bitration board to decide the merits of
the strikers grievances.
''The coal operators have been vigor-
ously declaring their belief in law and
order" the union officials declare. 1T
is up to them TO show their sincerity by
obeyins the law as set forth by the
secretary of war. who undoubtedly has
the best of reasons for issuing the order
in question"
Refusal of the operators TO arbitrate
the strike issues and complaints that
the federal troops had been allowing
strikebreakers to go to work in the
mines were the reasons assigned by
Mine Workers officials for the order.
''If the operators don't obey the
presidents latest orders and show a
willingness to arbitrate the strike. look
for government operation of mines in
time to prevent coal famine or the
outrageously high prices which prevailed
last winter" said a federal official to
The Bulletin.
I know that the miners complained
that strikebreakers We're being forced
to enter the mines by the federal troops.
l and some Others complained to Wash
ington. The order resulted Then. too.
the president has been displeased with
the operators refusal TO arbitrate''
CONVENIENT LOSS OF MEMORY