Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1919-11-13

Too much prosperity seems to be a
serious thing for the human race.
|
Last weeks league newspapers pull
led the coarsest play they have yet
made. The same dope was carried in
practically all of them.
We refer to the coal situation in
North Dakoto. The local league news
paper management spread themselves
handsomely on the front page in feat
uring this yarn. The only thing wrong
with the article is that it is untrue.
The actual facts of the situation in
North Dakota are as follows:
Operators and miners in North Da-
kota had an agreement extending un-
til Sept. /, 1920, which provides there
will be no strikes during that time,
and that should the bituminous min
ers secure higher wage scale at any
time, the North Dakota operators
would conform thereto.
Hence, there was no excuse for a
strike in North Dakota at this time.
The men were under contract not to
strike, and they had nothing to gain
by strike. If the eastern coal-min-
ers are finally successful, the North
Dakota miners would then automatic
cally secure the same conditions with
out a strike.
But Gov. Frazier couldn't resist the
temptation to NEEDLE, and from a po-
litical point Of view, it looked like a
swell chance to doubly cinch the labor
vote. So he wired the president Of
the national association asking per-
mission operate the mines, if such
action wouldn't interfere with the min
er's plans. Lewis wired back to take
it up with the president of the dist
riot, and any arrangement made with
him would be satisfactory to the ma
tional organization. In other words,
the national organization practically
washed its hands of the whole matter.
Why shouldn't they? If anything was
successfully pulled off in North Dako-
ia, it would simply be an unexpected
advantage.
So Frazier wired brennan, district
president. And that gentleman show
I'd his first sign then of interest in
he North Dakota situation. He "beat
t" to Bismarck, and has been using
Frazier to push his demands ever
since. When he found the governor
20 handy tool, he at once began pill
ing up his demands, and has apparent
ignored the existing contracts.
In the meantime, the bevy of league
newspapers have been prating about
the state taking over the mines. And
the whole business leads up to that
one situation. Interested parties are
trying to force a condition where Fra
zier will have n chance to take over
the mines to be run by the state.
But now the governor has finally
brought the situation to a point where
a sixty-per-cent increase must be made
in wages, with the added expense to
those of the public who buy the lig-
mite, or mines will be shut down and
the public go without the coal.
Is Their anything in this situation to
warrant the league newspapers in brag
cling about what the governor has
done? If it is the interests of the
public that are to be considered, then
Lynn j. Frazier has made sorry mess
of it. If he is chiefly concerned in
| fighting the battles of union labor in
order to buy their support for Town
'ey's schemes, then he has done his
job WELL
And all this has been made possible
by Townley's man Friday in spite of
the miners contract and in spite of a
national injunction prohibiting strike
orders or use Of funds for strike ben
efits.
And, if the public pays the added
burden, the miners themselves will not
receive the additional compensation.
The money will go into the treasury
of the locals to be used in financing
the fight in some other state.
Well done, Would Be- President Fra
zier. You have made a beautiful mess
OF it; but no greater than many of
your other failures while trying to
serve two masters-the people of
North Dakota on the one hand and
the bankrupt, Townley, on the other.
The league newspaper at Mayville,