The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-10-04
TheLabor Situation
in Northern Idaho
Continued from Page ~

Continued from Page ~
at lis p. m. on the 9th. | immedi-
ately got in touch with the Miners
District council and have held con-
ferences with various persons repre-
senting both the unions and the mine
managers during the week. On the
14th issued an invitation to ten min
ing managers representing the princi-
pal properties in this district to meet
in conference at 200 p. m. on the 10th.
am glad to report that everyone of
them was present and participated as
follows:
E. r. Day. Hercules, Wallace; James
F. Mccarthy, Hecla, Wallace; Fred
Burbidge, Federal company, Wallace;
I S. A. Easton, Bunker Hill, Kellogg;
C. L. Herrick, Gold Hunter, Mullan;
c. w. Newton, Interstate Callahan,
Wallace; Patrick Gearon, Success,
Fred l.. Bergen, Marsh. Burke.
In view of the fact that there has
been no miners union of any conse-
quence in this district since the great
riot and upheaval of IS years ago and
that the mines have been running on
an open shop basis, l found the man
ayers adverse to having any dealings
or doing any business with unions. l
issued for the conference and you will
notice l included w. J. A. McVety, who
was sent here at the instance of the
governor of Idaho to make an investi-
planned to you by the Miners union;
also c. o. Young, organizer of the AM
erican Federation of Labor who came
to Wallace in company with Mr.. w. j.
A McVety. The mine managers indi-
Gated their willingness to meet Mr.. W.
]. A. McVety and myself but did not
wish Mr.. c. o. Young in the confer
ence l and Mr.. McVety placed be-
ment, both national and state, witt
reference to labor conditions and Were
assured by the gentlemen present thai
they would meet at all times with theil
wage scale the rising cost of living
and see that fair and equitable condi.
tons were maintained in the mines In
this district regardless of any de-
mands on the part Of the local unions
Recommends No Demands.
There are four locals in this district
OF the International Mines, Milling anG
Smeltermen Workers, comprising five
or six hundred membership and there
. are six thousand men working in the
Occur dAAlenes.
The Hercules Mining company o.
which the complaint was made to yol
did discharge about 60 men, giving a.
their reason that they were of the VIC
lent radical l. w. w. type and they
were afraid they would create discort
, and trouble and had in fact some tive
weeks ago started a riot in the Burke
camp by running two former Butte
men out of the gulch, some so or 1O(
Of them participating in this trouble
On my investigation l believe that ar
account Of the kind of men these were
and of their radical and mpatriotit
utterances that the managers wer'
justified in wedding them out, al
though some few of them had JOINED
, the Burke Miners union.
Immediately after the conclusion O
, the conference l held another confer
ence with the men representing tn
: organization and comprising the dis
trict council. / recommended to then
that so long as the existing Standard
: were maintained that they make M
| demands at this time. Mr.. Young, tn
American Federation of Labor organ
izer and Mr. w. J. A. McVety repre-
senting the governor of Idaho, bot
participated in this conference and co
incided in the recommendations whicl
made The district council held
, meeting last night and I learned thi
, morning that they decided to recon-
, mend to the unions that they leav
, conditions rest as they are and max
, no further efforts to change them un
/ til next spring.
Council Acts.
leraned that the smelter whic
handles the ore for the Day interest
in this district is located at Northpor
Wash, Is about So per cent organize
and that they have made a deman
D for a change in the wage scale an
conditions and have asked the supper
of the district council here. The coun
Gil at last nights meeting also too
: this in consideration and will recon
mend that the union at Northpor
adopt the same plan as they hay
agreed to recommend here.
t leave at 200 p. m. today and wi
r arrive at Portland on Tuesday morn
b ing the 10th. believe that we ca