The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-08-16
Told to Quit August 20 I'm
less "Class War Pris-
Oners' Are Freed.
FIVE DEMANDS PUT
BY HEADS OF UNION
Ten-Hour Day in Fields, Bet
ter Conditions and Free
Hand Are Asked.

Circulars calling for a general strike
Of the Industrial Workers of the World
August 20 unless "all union men now
held as class war prisoners arc re.
leased from the jails before that date
were received yesterday by Arthur W.
Smith, local secretary for the l. w. w.
Similar circulars were mailed to each
local union OF the organization In
Montana, Washington. oregon and Ida
no. James Rowan. district secretary
of the organization at Spokane. an
nounCcd last night that the governors
of the four states had been notified
that the strike would take effect un-
less the men were released. No. |. w.
W. men have been jailed here for
strike activities.
Two circulars were mailed, one to
construction workers and the other To
agricultural workers. The construction
workers were advised 10 "iay down
their tools In protest agains tthc sys-
tcma,lc persecution that has been carr
rtcd on against our members
LET Harvest Go to Waste"
Tho agricultural workers arc told TO
"lct the harvest go to waste and tho
| fruit rot on the ground. ff the laws
of the country arc set aside and tho
| constitution overrulod in tho interests
| of Il gang of profit hungry pirates then
We will have recourse to the court of
I the working class. BY tho use of our
| organized economic power we will
| force the ruling class to give justice to
| our members or else tho crops Of the
| northwest territory shall be left un-
harvested"
Five Demands in Order
Five demands are Incorporated in
! the strike order. They follow:
Il. All class war prisoners must be
| released
80. A ton hour day In the harvest
fields.
-, BETTER sanitary conditions,
y, No discrimination against un.
ion men for being SUCH
-. Union halls must be allowed 10
| conduct the legitimate business of or
ganizing the workers without interfcr-
encc by commercial clubs. "vigilantes."
ar corporation controlled public Off
GERS OF the law"
will Keep Striking" Says Smith.
we nrc going to strike and keep on
striking until we are given Justice"
said Smith last night. "Maybc we will
starvc. but it IL better to starvc now
than next winter. The state govern
monts know that they are falling our
| men unjustly, for. every time VIC start
habcas corpus proceedings for men,
Der we find that he Is released. but
We can't hire lawyers to release every
man that way"
"lf we do not get our demands. I
expect to see the agricultural strike
| spread to North Dakota where they
will be needing thousands of men very
| soon to harvest their crops" said
Smith.
Grievances Stated in Call.
The strike order enumcrates the va
rious phases of persecution" which
| the organization declares II has been
| submitting to for the last few weeks
| The order states that halls have beer
closed up. members arrested by the
hundreds and held without trial, and
that viEilante committees have been
formed to break up the organizations.
The order goes on to say that the
state and national councils Of defense
have been formed to suppress the I. w.
w. with "the hypocritioal prctcnsc that
they are safeguarding the interests of
the nation"
Stewart Is Notified.
Associated Press dispatches Tuesday
| night said that the strike threat had
| hccn made to Governor Stewart Of
Montana and Governor Alexander = OF
Idaho. News last might indicated tha'
| tlr circular had been spread gencrall,
| through four states.
The effect of the strike here cannot
bc guessed, but since most of the crop
| In western Montana have been gath
| cred the farmers probably will not feet
| the walkout. Many I. w. w. men are
| said to be employed In construction
work, in this section. however. ths
most important single job being ths
sugar refinery of the Great Western
Sugar company west of the city.