The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-08-08
MORN|NGANDHUNTER
EMPLOYEES WALK0UT
Looks Like Scheme
to Curtail Lead
Production.
DEMANDS OF STRIKERS
The Council of Defense Con-
demns Action as Disloyal
and Un-American.
DEMANDS OF STRIKERS
Asst WEEK employees of the
Federal Mining q Smelling

Federal Mining & Smelling
company in the Morning min
made the following demands up
on the company:
An eight hour day from headhoust
to headhouse.
Two pay days per month.
Abolition of the short change.
Interpreted the first demand means
that the men shall go from the porta
of tunnel to places of work and return
en- company time, which with the half
hour for lunch means a reduction of
the actual working time to about six
what it says, the men receiving pay
once a month now. The third refers to
the change from night to day shift
once a month, when the night shift
goes to work again at or o'clock
after only a few hours for sleep. TIC
abolish this short change would mean
the loss of an entire Shift.
Strike on Short Notice.
Forty eight hours after this de-
mand was made, and after being in
formed that Mr.. Burbidge, the gen.
eral manager, was away and that Mr..
Hall, the assistant general manager,
would have to confer with him before
giving an answer, the night shift walk :
ed out. This was Sunday evening and
Monday morning the day shift fol-
lowed, thus closing the mine down
completely. About the same time
similar demands We're made upon the
Gold Hunter Mining & Smelling com
pany, adding also a demand for eight
hours for all surface men. Although
advised that Manager Herrick was
not authorized to pass upon the de-
mands, the employees of the Hunter
went out Monday evening and the
mine is closed down.
Council Of Defense Acts.
Monday the strike was brought to
the attention of the county council Of
defense, on the ground that the mines
were under contract directly or indi-
rectly to furnish a certain portion of
their lead product to the government
and that their steady operation was
essential to the successful prosecution
of the war; Further that lead min
ing being war industry, and that the
employment of labor in connection
with it is in the hands Of the govern
the loyalty committee of the council
of defense was therefore called Mon
day afternoon, when Mike Murray,
superintendent of the Morning mine,
was called to give his version of the
controversy. Then Mr.. Austin,
spokesman for committee of five of
the strikers who had come down from
Mullan in response to a request from
the committee, gave the employees side
of the case With these statements in
hand the committee went into execu-
tive session and formulated its con-
clusions which are embodied in the
following resolutions which were un-
animously adopted, a copy of which
was Immediately handed to COM
mittee OF employees:
The Resolutions.
Whereas, certain of the employees of
the Federal Mining & Smelling COM
pany, employed at the Morning mine
at Mullan, Idaho, have made demand
upon that company, wherein they de-
mand the following:
1. An eight hour day from head
house to headhouse.
2. Two pay days per month.
8. Abolition of the short change;
and in an effort to enforce said de-
mands, have walked out, thereby
closing down the said property and
stopping production therein and,
Whereas, the said company is under
contract with the United States gov
ernment to furnish considerable
portion of its products for munitions
of war, and its product is extremely
vital to the prosecution of the war;
and,
Whereas, it appears that the condi-
tons sought to be changed have al
ways obtained in the mining In
dustry in this district. and are not OF
sufficient Importance to justify the
drastic action taken in this time of
peril and,
Whereas, the action was taken as
aforesaid without consulting the rep
of the United States en-
ployment service or the federal board
Of mediation, despite the fact that said
United States employment service has