The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-09-06
MISS RANK|N'S VIEWS
ON TROUBLES At BUTTE.
MONTANA CONGRESSIONAL
SAYS I. w. w. DEMANDS
FAIR AND JUST.
Engineering and Mining Journal.)

copper industry, took it upon herself
to champion the cause of the strik-
ing miners of Butte and said, among
other things:
1.-The conditions of the mines (of
Butte) have grown more and more
unsafe. / have had heart breaking
letters from the wives of some of the
miners. saying that when their hus-
bands went to work in the morning
they never knew whether they would
ever return, and that they lived in
constant anxiety. On June s, 100 men
were burned in fire in one mine.
This was the climax. The men
stopped work. The workers knew
that they would never be safe as long
as the rustling card system existed,
for under that system every man who
complained of conditions or reported
dangers or endeavored to form an Or
ganization was laid off for one reason
or another. and it would be impossible
for him to obtain work again in any
mine in Montana or elsewhere"
When she said those things, Miss
Rankin doubtless supposed that she
was voicing genuine grievances of the
miners of Butte. But before she said
them it was her duty as member of
congress to ascertain If they were
correct, although we grant that 1t Is
the fashion among members of con-
gress to make allegations based only
on gossip, hearsay and idle expression
of opinion that would not obtain Gre
dence in any respectable business Of
flee. If Miss Rankin had taken the
trouble to inquire she could easily
have learned these facts
l. That the accident rate in the
mines of Butte has been diminishing,
wholly through the efforts of the op-
Grating companies, which have a sell
fish interest Gf no other) in reducing
1t in order to save expense under the
Workmen's compensation law.
2. That the terrible disaster of
June 8, in the North Butte mine, was
due to the criminal carelessness of
workman, for which the North Butte
company was in no way morally re-
sponsible.
g. That the "rustling card" system
has nothing to do with the dangers in
the mines. On the contrary the COM
panies welcome any reporting of haz-
ardous conditions for the reasons
stated under article II if no other).
The much criticised "rustling card"
system is simply the establishment OF
credentials of good character, work.
ing record, ETC., for applicants for
work to foremen of operations that
are scattered over a large district,
who are individually unable to inves-
tgate the standing of the applicant.
The rustling card is equivalent to the
letter of recommendation that may be
given to chauffeur or gardener and.
takes the place of the inquiry that
anybody makes before taking some
body into his employment.
T. That if the miners of Butte are
not satisfied with the safety meas
ures that the companies have taken,
all they need to do is to elect legis-
lature that will amend the rather de-
fective mining law of Montana; and
the u. S. bureau of mines issued sew
eral years ago report on this sub
ject comprising specific draft OF
what an adequate state law ought to
be.
All of these things could have been
ascertained by Miss Rankin, but she
preferred to accept the disingenuous
mouthings of the I. w. w. agitators,
whose avowed purpose is to destroy
industry, produce anarchy, repudiate
all claims of country, and who boast
of their employment of dynamiting
and assassination in order to accom-
plish their evil ends. The alliance
between Miss Rankin and William D.
Haywood would be humorous If 1t
were not so pitiful, and we may add
so unpatriotic in the present juncture.
All this Is quite apart from Miss
Rankin's main proposition that the
copper mines be taken over by the
government. This was simply an
emotional and sensational appeal that
exhibited an absolute ignorance OF
government and economies, or such
perverted conception thereof as might
be entertained by the I. w. w. TO
Miss Rankin the owners of the cop
per mines are rich men. She seems
to think that John d. Ryan Is the
owner of the Anaconda, disregarding
the fact that the owners are 10000
persons, many of them poor men and
many of them women, widows and Or
phans. To Miss Rankin the miners are
the only poor men and some Of them
are disconnected Therefore let the
government take the mines and see II
it won't make the miners happier. IL
the government will not do that-and
heaven knows it has got enough on
it's .hands-let's see what more may
be got out of the 10000 persons who
comprise the company.
Is 1t to be wondered that when Miss
Rankin makes her sensational visit TO
Butte and offers her services as medi-
ator, the companies knowing her
views refuse to accept her offer? Is