Denver labor bulletin., 1915-07-31
MOYER GOES TO JOPLIN DISTRICT
CALL OF AWAKENED ZINC MINERS
Having Been Buncoed Into Joining an Independent
Union Fathered By Mine Owners Men Are Now
Anxious to Become Part of the Bonafde Union
Labor Movement; Singing Statement Issued

Miners and discard the employers un-
ion" The men in the Joplin district are
anxious to organize and want the as
sistance OF men who will lead them in
the right direction.
Statement of President Wood.
Robert T. Wood. president OF the
Missouri State Federation of Labor. went
to Joplin and investigated the situa ton
He has issued a statement as follows:
Il arrived in Joplin several DAYS ago,
IN response to an urgent request from
the Joplin Trades Council and the West
ern Federation of Miners. Upon my
arrival l was informed that a so-called
independent Miners Union had been
formed by Charles w Fear and num-
Der OF renegades from the United Mine
Workers and the Western Federation OF
Miners. From all accounts number of
mine operators have been fostering this
so-called union.
About 5000 miners have been misled
into this organization. Thier first off
cial act was to go from mine to mine.
forcing the men out OF the works and
compelling them TO strike. knowing full
well that they had no funds to finance a
strike OF any duration
Calls Fear a Traitor
Repeated attempts have been made
by the Joplin labor movement to lead
the men in the right direction. into the
Western Federation. but Charles w Fear
and other traitors to the labor movement
have 50 basely misrepresented the true
situation and have 80 blackened and
assassinated the character OF the West
ern Federation and the delegates of the
Joplin Trades Council, that for a week
on faES wa. 70
man to express his opinion
The strikers paraded thruout the dis
triet, carrying American flags When
they approached Joplin they were met
by two city commissioners, one being
Mayor McIndoe. and as they filed down
the streets OF Joplin some one brought
in a banner from no one knows where.
bearing the inscription: 5000 votes for
McIndoe. mayor
$50 jubilant were the misguided min
ers in having the honor ~ OF being led
by the mayor OF the city that it was
almost equal to suicide for anvone to
say word against the city administra-
ton, which. by the way, has not been
in very good standing with great many
hberty-loving citizens because. among
other things, of its refusal to allow
street speaking.
Misled Unfortunate Miners
Several citizens were compelled to
leave the city on account of having ex-
pressed their disapproval OF the action
OF the mayor in cooperating with those
who were misleading the unfortunate
miners.
lit seems that the formation of this
so-called union had a two-fold purpose:
feeling sure that by their hellish scheme
they would forestall any possibility of
the men ever going into the Western
Federation and. secondly. pulling them
out on strike, knowing that they would
soon be compelled TO return to work.
broken in spirit and making it impossible
to get To them with the true gospel of
unionism for the next ten wears.
And the honorable Mr.. Fear. know
ing that he has been dead one in the
Joplin labor movement for some time
past on aeeouut OF his underhand tao
tics. calculated that he would BE- enabled
to sell the unfortunate miners several
thousand copies of the miserable sheet
that be has the nerve to call labor
paper and at the same time create n
boom for a professional politician who
has felt himself slipping.
Ask Help of Real Unions.
For the last few DAYS. however the
miners have been rapidly awakening to
the true situation. They came to the
Joplin Central Labor Body for some in
Continued on Page Sixl