The copper era and Morenci leader., 1916-01-14
MEN EXPECTING SETTLEMENT
Send Guarantee to Managers of Pro- tction and No Disorder If They See Fit to Return to District For Conference.

At the expiration of four long months of industrial inactivity, as the result of a strike called by the Western Federation of Miners, on September 11th, 1915, the employees of the three large mining companies in this district on Monday and Tues day of this week, in mass meetings assembled at Metcalf, Morenci and Clifton, renounced their allegiance to the Western Federation of Miners, threw away their union cards, and in tn presence of witnesses turned over the three union charters in this or ganization to Sheriff James G. Cash, who in turn expressed them together with the union seals to Earnest Mills, Secretary of Western Federation of Miners, at Denver, Colorado. The charters and seals left Clifton for Denver on Wednesday morning.
 Simultaneous with this action Messrs. Norman Carmichael, J. w. Bennie, and Milton Mclean, managers of the three large producing copper companies in the district, were noti- fled by the sheriff and members Of the Citizens League of the action of their former employees regarding the Western Federation of Miners.
 Following the renunciation of the Western Federation of Miners by the former employees of the mining companies, by a unanimous vote of those present, the employees swore allegiance to the Arizona State Fed eration of Labor and listened to an address by John J Donnelly, of Mi ami, Vice-President of that organiza- ton, which is composed of various trades, unions throughout the, state.
 It is understood that the employees in the district will perfect a local organization in Metcalf, Morenci and Clifton and will affiliate with the State Federation of Labor and through the state organization become affili- ated with the American Federation of Labor, of which President Gompers is leader.
 It is reported in Clifton that the ac- tion taken by the miners and shelter men in the Clifton-Morenci district, renouncing allegiance to the Western Federation of Miners, will be follow ed by similar action by miners and smeltermen in other mining camps in the state
 Criticism of the action taken by the officials and members of the exc, cutive committee of the Western Fed
 
 and conduct of the strike in the Cliff ton-Morenci district, can be heard from several quarters It is charged that Western Federation officials in augurated the strike without proper authority and that no adequate provis- ion was made for financing the same. It is a well known fact that the strikers have ben sorely in need of funds for sustenance for severa: weeks and that the Western Fedora tion aid, through the Denver office has been practically nil.
 By renouncing the Western Fedora tion of Miners it does not necessarily follow that the employees are willing to return to work at the old scale of wages. In fact no such thought is being entertained. Smarting under the treatment they have received at the hands of the Western Federation officials and recognizing the well known antipathy of the mine mana gers to this organization, the employ ees have taken the present course in the hope that with the Western Federation feature eliminated, once and for all, the mine managers will now be willing to return to the dis trict and treat with their employees through selected committees for that purpose.
 During the past two days represen- tations have been made to the mine managers at Fl Paso guaranteeing them protection from any form of violence in the event they return to the district for the purpose of a con- ference. Whether such a conference, regarding wages and other grievances would lead to a settlement of the present disagreement is of course problematical but a feeling of opti- mism prevails that such a conference on the part of the managers with their employees, under the new conditions which prevail, will bring about a satisfactory settlement.
 DonneIy Makes Speech
 On the Library Plaza in Clifton on Tuesday afternoon, John J. Donelly, speaking to a mass meeting of em-