The Benson signal. [volume] (Benson, Cochise County, Ariz.) 1915-1921, 1915-10-30

was to GUST the Mexican employees
from the district. During the ensu.
Ing two weeks the Federation organ
izers adopted bolder methods and by
i1nportuning, harrassing and persecut-
ing the men, succeeded In forming q
local organization of considerable
strength. Not until then did the COM
panies take active measures by dis
charging certain ringleaders who
were guilty of fragrant breaches Of dis
cipline.
On September 18th two letters with
demands from the agitators for a con-
ference with the Western Federation
of Miners were dispatched to each
Of the three mine company managers.
The old employees OF the com
panies had submitted detailed
grievances to the managers.
The trouble was precipltated on
September 18th through the sole die
tation OF the Western Federation OF
Miners, which, acting under the lead
ership of Guy E. Miller, called
general strike in the district. AT IL
o. m. the employees in the mines, con
centrators and smelters OF the Arl-
IONA Copper company were called out
or forced to leave. On the following
morning the employees Of the Arizona
and Shannon companies at Clifton
were ordered to cease work, and In
the afternoon the smelters of the
two companies at Clifton were
closed down Each and every order
came from the Western Federation
of Miners, Such procedure as &C
companies outlawry attended the
closing Of the plants. Opportunity
was not accorded to tap matte out
If the furnaces; to finish blowing the
charges then in the converters. OBJ
stacles were raised by the Fedora
lion against efforts Of the companies
either to protect their properties or
to save them from destruction.
The Federation stationed pickets
In and around the plants. These
pickets denied entrance even to Of
ficers of the companies and watch
men regularly employed by the COM
panies were run eff. The companies
we're thus forced to accept the sit
uation created by the Western Fed
GRAFTON, and in order to meet it in
the only way left open, the plants
were surrendered into the care OF
the sheriff
j The companies managers deter
mined to appeal to their old en-
ployes and agreed to meet on Sept.
II a committee representing the en-
ployes of the Arizona Copper COM
pany. The committee which re-
Sponded admitted that majority of
it's members was chosen at meetings
OF the Western Federation. 1t was
therefore a Western Federation com
mittee acting under explicit instruc-
tions from Federation organizers.
Manager Carmichael, of the Arizona
company, told the committee that be-
fore a conference could be held, the
employees would have to send a rep
resentattve body of men selected
fairly from the ranks Of former trust
cd employees. Thereafter meetings
organized and conducted by the West
ern Federation were held and COM
mittee made up in many instances of
officers and leaders Of the Western
Federation we're chosen.
The mining company managers
previously had made it clear that
they were eager to confer with COM
raittees which were not hand picked
by the Western Federation. Word
was received on Sept. 20 that COM
mittees had been named and joint
conference was agreed upon In spite
Of the fact that the mine managers
were convinced that they were being
deceived and the Western Fedora
ton was indeed in complete control
President Meyer of the Western Fed
Grafton arrived in camp from Den
yer on Sept. "a, thus finally and
effectually putting the Western Fed
Grafton brand upon the acts and
d0ings of the strikers and their com
mittees. Meyer arranged so-called
mass meetings at which resolutions
were adopted. At one of these meet
lngs a Federation leader publicly
announced that the mass meeting
movement was merely little orange
5ulce in the castor oil to be admin
lstered to the companies by the
Western Federation of Miners. -
a Joint meeting was arranged on
Sept. 20, at which the resolutions
accepted at the Federation mass meet
ings were read. These resolutions
called for, among ether things, the
adoption or wage scale which would
put the Detroit Copper Company and
the Shannon Copper company out of
business permanently, and reduce the
lie OF the Arizona Copper company
possibly fifty per. cent, The Joint