Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-12-12
Citizens Committee Is
Waiting for Word to
Permit Cessation Of
Operation Of Pits.
Amateurs Produce 400
Tons Thursday; Bring
Back $50; Prepare to
Open Brown Colliery.

just when the change will be made
from volunteer forces to the miners US
ually employed in operating the coal
mines of the Cascade field is not clear.
That is apparent from the statement
issued by the citizens committee in
charge of securing a coal supply for
Great Falls and vicinity. following q
meeting Thursday evening at which
every member was present. 1t is clear,
however, that the time of the change
depends wholly and absolutely on the
miners who have been on strike and the
operators acting Jointly. The burden.
it would seem. from the statement. falls
first on the miners, who must furnish
the assurance they are ready TO return
to their work. so that the operators can
be certain Of their ability to produce
coal, for that is the requirement Of the
citizens committee-'to produce adc-
quate coal Immediately"
TWO Meetings at Sand CouIee.
rp to Thursday night, there had been
no formal and definite information COM
ing from the miners as to what is their
intention in the premises. From Belt
comes the word there has been no con-
ference OF miners and operators looking
to return of the miners TO their duty.
No intimatlon from the miners has been
Forthcoming as to what their intention IL.
There were, it is reported, two meetings
at Sand Coulee on Thursday afternoon.
one at and one at o'clock, but no
announcement of the action of those
meetings has come to the citizens COM
mittee. In other words, no information
has been made public from the ranks of
the miners as to what they propose to
do. either at Sand Coulee or Tracy. Fur
thermore, the same lack of information
exists on the part of the citizens com
mittee as to the intent of the miners
throughout the Cascade county field.
Will CntInue Long as Needed
With this situation. the citizens com
mttee decided to take the only alter
native and continue its operation Of the
mines in accordance with the agreement
Of the operators, who turned over their
mines when the crisis arose. and it will
continue to send forces to the mines
from day to day, until advised By the
operators and the miners that the mines
! will once more be operated on the basis
= of quantity production and, thereby,
make certain that there may be no re-
turn of the crisis which confronted the
city and this section one week ago
Two Mines Operated.
The volunteer forces operated No. 4
mine and the Latham mine on Thurs
day and opened and prepared the Brown
mine for operation today. Two hundred
and fifty tons of coal were brought to
the city by the special train which car
ried the volunteers to the mines Thurs
day morning. There were 400 tons mined
and much of the additional 100 tons
were placed on the ears, but the added
cars had not been fully loaded Thurs
day night. The volunteers will go to the
mines again this. Friday. morning. There
will be 130 in the party on the special
going out today. The work will again be
in No. 4, the Latham and the Brown
mine.
Unless the guarantee Of production
through the usual channels is forthcom
ing. tho citizens committee will carry
forward its work and other mines viii
perhaps. be added from day to day. until
the various mines in the Cascade county
district are operated
Getting Hands In Finely.
r. b. Noble. foreman for the citizens
committee in charge of output, said on
return from the mines Thursday night
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