The Alaska daily empire., 1919-10-04

[ printed dC SpOkdue, IcNlGWl0S tHc 1 Occur d'Alene situation. among other things says:
 "A strike is on in the Occur
 d'Alene today, and has already been l in existence two weeks Indications
 are that it will continue some weeks
 longer It has stopped production at | a number of the most important
 mines of the district and already it's
 effect is felt in Wallace, Burke and Mullen business circles Its continu- operations at the Northport shelter and volume of mineral output af- fected is probably sufficient to have
 some slight influence on world lead prices.
 Entire District Not Affected "Nor does it represent by any
 means means a total eclipse of min ing activities in the Occur d'Alene. Ire Bunker Hill & Sullivan mine, mills and shelter are not affected. being the case. Bunker Hill is the largest employer of labor in the dis
 trict, employing almost as many as the others put together. Federal
 Mining and Smelling Co.,, Gold Hunt CT Consolidated Mining Co.,, Hecla
 Mining Co.,, Hercules Mining Co.,, Tamarac & Custer Mining Co.,, and the Consolidated Interstate-Callahan are the concerns hit. Smaller oper- ating concerns and le2sers are not affected. As a matter of fact, they ,re helped by reason of lessening of the lahor shortage through the forced inactivity of larger neighbors. Many of the strikers have found work at Bunker Hill, according to sinforma. tion furnished by union officials, but on the other hand Hecla or supply to Bunker Hill shelter has of necessity been cut off, forcing readjustment of smelling mixtures.
 No Strike at Bunker Hill
 Although there is no strike at Bunker Hill, this does not mean that some radicals have not attempted to bring about such condition there. But they failed and there is little pos sibility of a strike at the big Kol- logg property. The majority of mon own their own homes. Management has been firm in dealing with ein- ployees, but at the same time eX- tremely fair and has been generous on their behalf, not only as employ ees but as community. The indus try around Kellogg has been operated continuously without cessation of any kind for over 20 years and until war conditions affected such operations they were continually expanded and increased. At all times the work was carried to maximum capacity; at nc time were men laid off because of metal market conditions; and in sea
 son and out of season, without re- gard to profits, metal markets, stock | jobbing or any other motive, the properties have been worked with full crews to the advantage of it's employees and the community. Twenty wears improvement
 During these 20 years of opera tion there has been continuous and
 steady improvement, not only in
 working conditions and in wages and hours, but also in the community and homes of employees, largely because of steady employment under good conditions and a never-failing pay roll"
 Strike Ordered August IS "No final agreement or understand l ing being reached, the strike was de- cIared as from August 15,. on which
 date it became effective at all the large producing mines of the district with the exception of the Bunker
 Hill"
 Editor Richards Views. | The following interview concerning the Occur d'Alene situation gives
 the views of T. A. Rickard, editor of
 the Mining and Scientific Press, one
 of the greatest mining journals of
 the world, of San Francisco. It was
 published in the Spokane Spokesman.
 Review of September 21. MT. Rickard.
 who had spent ten days in the Coeur | d'Alene country said:
 Tt is my impression that the strike
 'n the Occur d'Alene region is sim
 mering out.
 Tt is simmering out largely be- | cause the men working at the Bunk
 CT Hill and Sullivan properties at Kellogg are showing the goodwill
 that has been built up by years of
 fair treatment and humane consider ation on the part of the management toward the men.
 l Commend company's Methods | Tt has become fashionable to talk about welfare work and to speak
 henevolently about tho relation Of
 the employer to his employees. but 8
 lot of 1t Is insincere and the men are | quick enough to detect the insincer- ity. therefore it proves ineffective a,
 q means of creating cordial relations between managers and men. | "At the Bunker Hill, however. all | experience of 20 years has convinced
 the men that the consideration | shown by the manager and his staff