The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-05-27
NEW MEXICAN WAY
TQSETTLE STRIKES
Chester M. Wright Tells How
Progressive Governor of Sonora
Does It.
STATE TOOK MINE AWAY
FROM AMERICAN OWNERS
This Brought Them to Time and
Wage Raise Was Quickly
Granted.
BY CHESTER NJ. WRIGHT.


Shortly after the American troops
crossed the border into Mexico it was
reported in this paper that there had
been a strike at an .American-owner
copper mine in Sonora, Mexico.
The workers in that mine wanted
more wages Of course, strikes for
more wages are not unusual. but
there was something about this strike
that made it stand out from the ordi-
nary run Of disputes.
And this is what gave the story it's
unusual Importance. Governor: p.
Elias Gales was in charge of matters
in the State OF Sonora. He declared
that if the mine were permitted to
remain idle the State would have to
care for the. miners, else they would
starve.
Now, Gales is the. kind of man who
doesn't go digging through books a
century old to find precedent for his
acts. He uses his head, and when he
uses his head he figures out what the
result is going to be for the men who
work. That is what he did in the case
Of these strikers.
The result was that the govern
ment Of the State Of Sonora took the
mine away from its American owners
and operated it. The State paid the
miners and gave an accounting to the
owners.
So, while they were striking against
the profit-hungry owners the State
was helping them by giving them
regular jobs.
That action made this strike diff
ferent from any strike we have
known about. But it didn't stop
there.
1t develops now that the strikers
have won their strike. The owners
have their mine back, for a while, at
least, and: the workers have their
jobs; but what is much more import
ant, they have been given Is per
cent more than they struck for. '% ?
That is what happens in Mexico
now. Is it any wonder that Amer
lean profit hunters are doing their
best to stir up Intervention senti-
ment? Is it any wonder that they
don't want Mexico to build up the
kind Of government that thinks more
OF workers than it does of mine
owners?
When the capitalist press emits it's
next howl for Intervention, remember
the Sonora mine strike. And you
might remember another mine strike
in Sonora, too, back under the reign
Of Diaz. In that strike the American
mine owners marched American gum
men across the border to the mine
and Mexican miners were massacred,
things are changing in rIexico.
About a week ago a New York edi-
tor, Max Eastman, Of The Masses,
had an audience with President Will
son. Eastman suggested that if the
American troops would guard the
American side Of the border thor
oughly there would ,be, no more dan
ger. It seems that his suggestion
may be worked out in practice under
the new agreement with the Consti-
tutionalist government.
It is absolutely certain that if the
money powers will keep their hands
off there need be no Intervention.
The threat of the American workers
has been the great power in keeping
the interventionists down.
We must keep on guard. We must
not relax in our demands that there
be no intervention. We have done a
pretty good job Of it so far, and we
can win complete victory by just
keeping wide awake a little while
longer.