The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-08-07
Representative From Montana
Says the Uprisings In That State
Were Caused by President Of
Amaigamated Copper Co.
'RUsTLING CARD PLAN
is SEVERELY cENsURED
Abolition of This System Would
Restore Peace, She Says; Has
Prevented Enforcement of Laws
and the Men Organizing.

Washington Aug. 7--Reeponsihll-
ity for the iabnr troubles amcng the
metaliiferous men workers in Mon
tana. which has curtailed the output
of copper ah1 contributed to rioting
and other Disturbances, was charged
to John II. Ryan. of Se~ York, presI-
dent Of the AamAlgamated Copper
Company. today by Representative
jeanette Rankin, in an address TO the
house OF representatives,.
Abolition OF the "rustling card
system. plan by which the AmaJsa-
mated Company decides what miners
shall be permitted TO seek work In
It's properties would restore peace,
Miss Rankin asserted and added that
II was within the power Of Mr.. Ryan
10 take this step II he desired. Her
efforts to convince him Of this fact
hy telegram had produced no results.
she said
Miss Rankin was speaking on a
resolution to give the president pow
er to take over aud operate metallif-
erous mines. which she offered today.
II was referred to a committee.
Miss Rankin declared she had
made many futiie efforts 10 Interest
federal officials in the Montana sItu-
| alton. AFTER the Rlsbee hepOrtatiOns.
she said, Butte people appealed tn her
for help aud on the night before
Frank Little WAS lynched In Hutte she
received a particularly urgent appeal
| which caused her 10 can the secretary
Of labor by telephone after midnight.
J lie asked her To see him the follow
ing day.
II tried all the next day until late
| IN the evening and was still trying TO
see the secretary on the following day
when | received word that RAN had
been lynched." she declared
This rustlng card system" she
said, has effectively discouraged the
men from organizing. II has prevent
ed them from obtaining the enforce
menis Of laws requiring safety deyic-
81 In the mines. ~ has caused them
tu hesitate to discuss their grievances
on the outside"
Conditions In the mines have grown
more ANA moro uEFafe. She had re-
ceiyed h-arthreaking letters from the
wives of some of the miners aying
| that when their husbands went to
work in the morning they never knew
whether they would ever return. and
that they lived IN constant anxiety
ON Jun. iG0 men We're burned "a
death in a Ire In one miae. This was
The climax. The men stopped work
The workers knew that they
would never he safe as long as the
rustlng card system existed" she
continued For under that system
every man who complained of condl'
tions or reported dangers or endeay-
orcd to form an Organization was laid
or for one reason ar another aud i
would he impossible Tor him tO oh
tain work aEnin in any mine ln Mon
tnnn oT elsewhere II Is easy Ia ae'
the necessity of ubolishing the ear,
system"
Miss Rankin also declared that tn
Amalgamated Copper Company re-
fused To accept the 1867 cents
pouuA for copper at which the gov
crument has been purchasing and 1
waiting action by the committee ol
war purchases.
Representative Johnson. of Wash
: ingtou interrupted Miss Rankin 60 re
mark that members of the |. W. W
should not "squear when one OF thei
members j. hanged "hy decent citi
n 1ens now and then" lnasmuch a
y they had murdered governor cf Ida
n no and planned the murder of tn
governor of Utah.
q