The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-08-08
LOOKS LIKE CONSPIRACY TO
CLOSE THE MINES.

Claiming that they are affiliated
with no organization and that they
have no purpose other than improv-
ing their working conditions, the en-
ployes of two mines demanded two or |
three comparatively unimportant con-
cessions from the companies and, with |
out waiting for a reply from their |
employers and without referring their
alleged grievance to the federal au-
thorities, have walked out and refuse |
to return to their work until their de-
mands are granted. AS to the merits
of their demands, the Miner has moth
ing to say at this time for the reason |
that at best they are insignificant and
immaterial compared with the disas-
trous consequences which follows the
attempt to enforce them. Even in
normal times the manner in which
the walkout took place would be who'll
ly unjustifiable, for the reason that
no opportunity was given the COM
panies to consider and confer with the
employees. How, then can these men
justify their act when the country is
at war; when the product of the mines
is just as essential to the success Of
the war as the farmers wheat or the
lumberman's spruce? To force cur
tailment of the production of lead at
this time is direct blow at the gov
eminent and cannot be justified ex-
cept by admission that it is done in
the interest of the enemy and for the
purpose of weakening our government
in the prosecution of the war. Besides
In walking out at this time the en-
ployes have deliberately violated
war measure of the government which
forbids men leaying employment in
war Industries without the consent of
the government employment agent. We
say they acted deliberately, because
If they did not know this regulation
when they walked out, they knew it
very soon thereafter and refused to
return to work.
These circumstances lead up the most
significant feature in connection with
the strike and force the conclusion
that 1t was the result of a conspiracy
to tie up the mines. The conditions
of which the employees complain pre-
vail at every mine in the district and
have prevailed for thirty years, or
from the beginning of mining in the
Occur d'Alenes. 1t is not for this
paper to say whether those conditions
are right or wrong. But 1t Is per-
tinent to ask why, if these conditions
We're so grevious and unjust to the
employee demand was not made long
ago for relief? Why did these men
wait until our country was in the
crisis of war. until the product of the
mines was absolutely essential to the
government, before making their de-
mands, and then walking out before
their demands could be considered by
any one empowered to pass upon
them?
There is some sinister influence
working back of this strike that does
not appear on the surface. 1t is not
merely a manifestation of dissatisfac-
ton by individual employees II is in
credible that they would choose the
time when they were making more
money than they ever did before to
demand trivial concessions in work
ing conditions to which they had UNI
compainingly submitted for years, and
go to the extent of leaving their Jobs
to enforce them, unless there was some
deeper purpose controlling their ac-
ton. Evidence is not lacking that
the strike was planned and carried
out by emissaries of the I. w. W. for
the purpose Of curtailing the produc-
ton of lead, being part of the pro-
German propaganda in which that or
ganization has been VIGOROUSLY active.
The loyalty committee of the council
OF defense has taken prompt and
commendable action in pointing out to
the strikers the disloyalty of their act
and warning them to return to their
work. II they fail to do so tine local
draft board will be called upon to place
every one of draft age into immediate
military service, and those outside the
draft age must be subjected to strict
enforcement of the work or fight"
war measure.