The daily progressive-miner., 1916-05-12
THE OTHER SIDE
 OF THE STORY
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT GIVES OUT DETAILS ABOUT
 LATE DISTURBANCES.


 patches of the last few days nc doubt have told your readers of the progress of negotiations and iinal settlement of the strike which tied up all operations on the govern ment railway project here: but there are many incidents connected with this unique labor disturbance uhsch have not been printed, yet are of worldwide interest. 1t was not $
 fight between labor and the govern. nent, as some of those interested would have the public believe, On the contrary the many ineompetentS and a few crooks who misrepresent the government here were lined up against the ~roughnecks," which is Alaskanese for common laborers and others who soil, and the @high- brows@ were ignoainiously defeated, II was victory for justice and honesty as much as one for labor. The lesson 1t taught will prove beneficial not only to the parties directly interested. but also to em- ployers and employees everywhere. as it established new precedents cf far-reaching importance
 You can't fight the government and expect to win.r said apologists for the Alaskan Engineering Com mission and the sO-called Federal Board of Arbitration and Concilia- ton The answer of those who had the audaeity to protest against fur ther impositions and injustice was: We are not fighting the govern ment, but those here who are mis- representing it-r Even a federal judge sent here to aid in bringing order out of chaos, after the strike went into effect automatically be eause the arbitrators and conciIia- tors from Washington had been ~loafng on the job" for a month. advised the union that the first report and wage schedule submit ted by this commission must be accepted in it's entirety;s that athe only possible relief was by seek ing review before the Secretary of Labor which might require further delay of weeks and per- haps months The judge was wrong. as subsequent events proved. The grievance and strike committee be lieved immediate action could ha obtained sThe first report of the labor commission. granting raise of only $ If cents an hour to common laborers- who comprise at least 30 per cent of the force. was rejected by the union without an opposing vote In the revised scale sent back to the commission, prae- tieaily the. only differences between that body and the union was in the items involving common laborers and longshoremen- The conlmis- sion, offered 43 3-4 and 46 7-8 cents for different classes of laborers and 50 fl cents for longshoremen. while the union asked 8 and 75 cents- While real arbitration was in progress Thursday for the first time, the wires between here and Washington were busy. Both sides made concessions and late this af- ternoon the amended scale-whicE, the judge and "neutrals" said couldn't be amended. was accepted by the union by the customery vote of abort 1000 10 half a dozen. the minority being "stoOlpigeons" and nalcontsnts-
 The strike was so effective that within three days after the hour set the Alaskan Engineering Com mission announced indefinite gus- pension of all work and laid of the few strfke-breakers who had been working in the yards and construct ion camps Station gang contractor and employees Of the city were not affected or interfered with. The steamship Aroline arriving from Sc attle Tuesday, was stopped fourteen miles down the arm and met bv government tugs and lighters, with the expectation that steerage pas senpevz and <ro rrery ro,,1d he fn.