The Parker post., 1917-06-23
TWO STRIKES
At SWANSEA
FIRST ONE RESULTED IN BIG IN
CREASE OF WAGE SCALE AND
SECOND ONE IN DISCHARGE
OF THE MINERS.

Two strikes within two weeks is
the record just made by Swansea
miners. The first resulted in an in
crease of wages equaling the Miami
scale-$5,40 per day. The second
walk-out resulted in every miner be-
ing fired, Superintendent Lane char
tering a special train to send the en-
tire bunch of miners to Bouse. The
| last strike occurred Monday, when
the miners insisted that the cook be
given his walking papers, and that
more ice water be furnished the men.
| The management decidedz-tha the
cook was good cook, and that there
was plenty of ice being imported in
| to camp every two days.
The first strike was unique, and
at the time Of it's. occurrence, it is
said, that not over twenty miners
out of about 130 knew that there
was a strike until after the demands
of the strikers had been granted.
According to information received
by this paper, it appears that about
twenty of the men formed themselves
into a strike committee, sworn to
secrecy, Last week Charles w.
Clark, general manager of the Swan
sea lease, was in camp aud the self
appointed committee decided to pull
Off the big thing and strike for the
Miami wage,
The men of the committee were
carefully selected by the leaders, and
it was arranged that only one or two
miners working in drift be selected,
thus scattering the members of the
committee throughout the mine
workings. At pre-arranged sig
nal, every miner was to be ordered
on top, and it was the work of the
members of the committee to see
| that their associate workers obeyed
the order.
When the signal was given that
| the men were wanted on top, there
| were 80 per cent or more of them
who did not know why they were
ordered out of the mine, many be-
| lieving that the camp was being de-
stroyed by fire, or that some horrible
mine disaster was imminent
Every miner on the job obeyed
the order, and it was not long be-
fore the entire working force was
assembled at the boarding house.
A committee Immediately waited on
Mr.. Clark and asked him to attend
the meeting, which he did. Leaders
then addressed him, and demanded
the Miami scale.
| Seeing that the entire force was
out, Mr.. Clark naturally supposed
it was a sure-enough strike, and
not wishing a repetition of the Je-
rome trouble he quickly acquiesced
While the leaders were addressing
Mr.. Clark the other miners were
slowly awakening to the situation,
and of course offered no objections
to an increase Of wages. 1t is under
stood that the strike was not called
by the union, but was just unique
plan of the leaders to get what they
wanted without unnecessary noise
or parleying
The first strike being successful.
1t was supposed that other griev-
ances could be as easily settled, but
when the men waited on Super1n-
tendent Lane early this week they
soon realized that nothing further
could be done and not particularly
wishing a strike on his hands, Lane
gave each man his time and told him
that his services were no longer
needed.
Work has just been started on a
big three-compartment working
shaft at the Swansea mine This
shaft is to be sunk 1000 feet. Each
level will be developed as soon as
reached. Just prior to the last strike
every available bunk house was oc-
I cupied by working miners, and the
| company was preparing to build ad-
ditional accommodations so it could
work more men