Arizona republican., 1917-07-14
i Ii: ll.!fi:A[)v|LLE I
 |TUAT |0N TENSE
TRepubIican A. p. Leased wire1


 LEADVILLE, July 1.-The miners meeting wa sstill in session at l:4o this morning and while it was generally understood that postponement of the strike for at least seven days had been decided on no official statement was forthcoming, a group of Austrians holding out for an immediate strike.
 The crowd about the hall is rapidly thinning out, and it is taken for granted that there will be no strike for the pres ent at least.
 LEADVILLE. Colo July 14.-At 1 clock this morning d great crowd was congregated about the hall where the miners meeting was being held, and reports trickling out from behind the closed doors were that serious dis agreement had arisen, which threat oned to split the local organization. Some of the Austrians. came from the naii and tore up their cards. It was said that one vote was taken on the question of postponing a strike which carried, but that the Austrians were not satisfied. Lawson and Mover are still in the hall and there is much i wrangling.
 LEADVILLE. Colo. July 13.-At midnight the meeting of the miners union was still in session discussing
 the proposal made by Mediator Yer ner z. Reed and presented by C. H. Mover and John R. Lawson. that the strike called for Saturday morning be postponed for ten days. The session was a stormy one, and it was reported that the only ones blocking the post ponement were the Austrians, who seemed determined to carry out the strike program.
 The situation here is tense. Senti- ment among citizens of the town, in cluding older miners who have spent years and acquired property here, is bitterly opposed to a S trike. There have been many rumors afloat of this ] or that untoward event about to oc 1 cur, many of which mention that ! large number of the prospective strik- ] CTS are Austrians. There are some ev- , idences that not all the facts in con- i nection with certain events have been ! permitted to become public A ''citi- i zens' committee" has been organized i here.
 There is believed to be little likeli- ! hood that the tentative proposal of mine owners here that their properties be taken over by the government will I he accepted Whether all the mine i owners some of whom live elsewhere, . have agreed to this proposal is not
 known here Their agreement was one i of the conditions or which it was made. Nothing has reached here from
 Washington concerning the gover-
 ments attitude on the question:
 MT Mover, who is president of the 1 International Union of Mine, Mill and
 Shelter Workers, which has between 1. 800 and 900 members here, said that body would welcome the com
 mandeering of the mines by the gov
 errment.''
 1 Although the union men in the dis
 trict number less than a third of those l employed, it is asserted that many men not members of the organization will | strike with it. This applies particular ly to the younger miners.
 A formal statement of the miners, issued with their strike call. said they
 were not actuated by unpatriotic mo- tives, but must have more than a minimum wage of $3.50 a day to live on in view of the present high prices of commodities.
 # Government Acts
 DENVER, July 13.-The telegram received by MT Reed and Judge George w. Musser the other mediator. from Secretary Wilson of the depart
 ment of labor, follows:
 Your telegrams received. Govern | ment does not expect to take over mines at Leadville unless it develops that the product is necessary for the
 national defense and cannot be op- tained at reasonable prices from pri- ' vate producers If it is compelled to | take over the mines in order to obtain
 the product it will do so with the ex- pectation of operating the same at cost and without profit or loss to any one | The mine owners offer, MT. Reed said, was virtually 'on such of our mines as pay a profit, you pay us the | profit. on such of our mines as lose
 you stand the loss"
 The only basis on which the depart . ment of labor would take over the i. the mediator said and that did not in clude profits.
 Il MT. Reed also telegraphed the fol lowing to the secretary of the Lead , vile miners union:
 Please advise the meeting now ir , session that in addition to the matters I have already told you of, I will be
 glad to personally pay the expenses o1
 Charles H. Mover and John R. Law | son to go at once to Washington tC , present the cause in which you are in !. terested. You need have no fear bu that you will receive immediate aud , fences I repeat my request to you , members and associates to delay tht l strike for ten days"