Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-09
MARITIME TOPUSH
MINE PROBEPLAN
Jersey Senator Is Worked Up
Over Private Reports from
Michigan.

WASHINGTON, Jan. Ex-senator
MARITIME Is worked up over private re-
ports he has received from the Michi-
gan copper regions in and around
Calumet, and he will probably de-
mand a thorough investigation of the
conditions as soon as the Senate con-
venes.
The senior senator from New Jersey
is known for his generous streak of
human sympathy and his attitude in
the West Virginia troubles brought to
. him deal of inside information about
the depressing conditions which pre-
vail in the Michigan copper regions.
The senator declares that appalling
as were the miners conditions in
West Virginia they were as elysium
fields compared to the horrors that
have reached his ears of the copper
regions.
From the private reports which
have reached the New Jersey senator
1t would appear that men, women and
children have been subjected to treat
ment of the most inhuman kind. 1t is
even said that gunner" as they are
called out there, have shot down
miners without provocation. Starva-
ton and want is rampant. The men
and their families are completely at
the mercy of the corporations con-
trolling the territory and are appeal
ing to the world, through the senior
senator of New Jersey for relief.
The big copper corporations control
absolutely all the region and it is i'm
possible for the1moneyless miners to
leave, and equally impossible to get
any sustenance other than the meager
bits given by few to keep the many
from actually starving to death.
The strike has been on since July
%. The mining force of the region,
numbering about $1,000 men, went out
on strike A state of local terrorism
has prevailed since then. Stories of
some of the doings of the corporation
representatives are almost incredible
in this twentieth century. 1t is to
bring out the truth or falsity of these
terrible accusations that Senator Mar
tine will demand an official investiga-
ton on the part of the government.
The miners and their families who
are enduring the greatest of privations
and hardships are foreigners for the
most part. Italians, Slavs, Firms and
Croatians.. These men know little
about the laws and customs of this
country What they do know is that
there is a powerful corporate interest
that controls everything in sight The
corporation owns not only the mines,
but also the town sites, the streets
and visible The corporation controls
the township of Calumet; there is no
city-proper, 1t Is merely a postoff1ce
named Calumet. The churches,
schools and most of the other build
ings stand on land controlled by the
copper magnates, and they have it in
their power not only to close the
schools and churches, but can even
close the streets and highways If they
so desire The offices of the mining
+. companies are situated between the
towns of Laurium and Red Jacket.
THE road is private highway, con-
trolled by the copper corporations, and
1t is within their legal rights to close
these roads il they see fit and prose-
cute any persons for trespass who
NAV use them after a notice to that
effect is posted.
The Western Federation of Miners
is in charge of the strike situation,
and its officers are making some eff
forts to relieve some of the most dis
tressing cases of restitution The
local businessmen, and even some OF
the preachers are out of sympathy
with the strike. The miners explain
this attitude by saying that these men
are in fear of the representatives OF
the copper corporations. That most
of them dwell in buildings owned by
the companies and could be elected
as undesirable tenants without any
chance of appeal These are only the
superficial wrongs, it is intimated, and
the true state of affairs cen only be
revealed under such Federal protec-
ton that will be given during an
official governmental investigation.