Denver labor bulletin., 1915-12-18
Observed
From the
Mine Tiple
(BY ]. D. RAMSAY

The filing of direct information
against Attorney Horace Hawkins by
that poor tool of the worst elemest in
the trouble-making section Of the ePera-
tors Parasites, called West, would bo
very funny if it was not for the fscik
that it shows some very weak SPOT
our system of government 1t II noe -
all a reputable piece of business; the
whole plot was Matched up not . hum
dred miles from the Trinidad Club. The
man West hasn't any brains himseaf, but
is very ready to fall for anything that is
baited with sufficient taffy, anA tho
Northcutt faction has been feeding it to
him on a spoon and he has been serving
their turn all along, and the poor Amp
thinks that they really believe that he
is a great lawyer and he has pipe dreams
about being great corporation lawyer
and getting great fees when all tho time
every one is laughing at him
It's not many years ago since the sug
gestion that eight hours should be con-
sidered days work was looked upsn a.
rank anarchy, and il was no uncsAmon
thing to hear some employer speaking OF
this dreadful demand as the beginaing OF
the downfall of all government. Yet she
eight-ho day came and it is admitted
today to have been quite as much 70 the
benefit of the employer rs to the EN-
ploye; it is now recognized that Tic hu-
man being who has 10 labor With his
hands for the whercwithall to live is s;ili
human being and that his strength and
endurance has limit.
In the year 1924 the Justices Of Man
chester, England, drew up 4 was,. scale
for workmen. In the publication OF this
scale there was penalty which declared
that any working man Who conspirrs to
obtain more than the rate thereby fHrd
should for the third offeuse stand In the
piilory and lose an ear. II must b.
some OF tho 1924 brand Of JUSTICE"
that they peddle In the courts down 80
Hueriano and Las Animas counties.
The attitude OF tie companies piih
some few exceptions in the Northern
fields. is not calculated TO make fco.ing .
as IL ought to be. and II certain mine Of
fieials had started out with the fun Ia
ieniion of stirring up trouble they could
not have arranged things better than
they are today. They will do well u re.
member that ther- was 4 time wbcs M
district was closely organized and when
such practices a they are up to to-day
We're an impossibiiity, and to bear in
mind that the day Is coming vhes it
will again be as eloseiy organized ~ il
has ever been.
The merger business has not been vvry
much TO the front during the hast n
days but there is ample cvidcaso VI
point to the early starting Of tb.
scheme. The beginning OF the business
doesn't mean for one moment that all
the necessary money has been raised
They will start in and try To sell thcir
bonds and other securities (thcy ~iii cal,
them securities but it is only a name
and does not mean anything at ALL all
they can. One big company which i
part of the merger at one time sold IL
bonds for s2kc on the dollar and gave
away the ordinary stock as a premium
to purchasers OF the bonds much in the
same way as the soap dealers give pre-
would sooner have some Of the soap
premiums that the ordinary stock pre-
miums-f think they would be worth
more.
The public should he warned against
the stocks and bonds and when amy
bank il known to hold any of this paper
1t will be well to give IL wide berth.
This should especially apply TO all funds
belonging TO labor organizations. The
idea of allowing any of such funds To b.
used to finance these coal pirates Is
nauceous, apart from the fact that thoy
would not be safe, and we are fully jus
titled in looking with the gravcst suspi
eion upon any banking corporation that
is in such desperate straight for bust
ness that they would have any connee-
tion with a scheme of the type OF 9iis
coal merger.
Apart from the ''phornincsa" Of the
titles to the coal lands that arc to BE-
included, and the fact that the mcn at
the head OF the business are neither
competent from business standpoint,
or desirable from moral sense. there is
the imminent danger that their treat
ment of their employees will prccipitstc
labor trouble, in fact, it is pretty gen
erally Understood that this danger was
one of the reasons that the merger bc
pushed alongi these people know that
they are skating on thin ice in labor
matters, and they realize that they can
not stand another fight and they know
that one may come at any time, and
they want 10 get from under and leave
the other fellow to pay for their folly.
Why isSit the smelter trust had to paw
the Government for nn,l that fh.~ la