Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-28
UNION ORGANIZERS BLAMED.
Situation at Bordortown Grew Out of
Efforts to Organize Labor.
BY Associated Press.


Situation at Bordertown Grew Out of
Efforts to Organize Labor.
BY Associated Press.
Williamson. w. Va. July 2S.-The
campaign Of the United Mine Work.
ers to organize the 5000 miners In the
Mingo county bituminous coal field
has precipitated q situation which
each side declares can only end when
1t has won complete victory. In the
conflicts growing out of this move IL
or more persons have lost their
lives. Wages apparently. form a sec
ondary consideration, the battle be-
Ing waged around recognition of the
union and the right of mine owners
to employ private detectives in and
around the mines.
The men and the operators could
get together and settle this thing
were II not for the question Of the
mine guards said Charles f. Kee-
ney, president of District No. II,
United Mine Workers. who is in
command Of the union forces. But
IN their present temper these men are
not to be fooled with. Right now this
situation Is powder MILL"
There is not a mine guard in Min
go county. and there has not been for
years" said George Bausewine. Sec
rotary of the Coal Operators Asso-
citation. Of Williamson. Private de-
tcctives are employed as other corpo-
rations employ detectives for intelli-
gence work in and around their pro-
perties. They are not used for guard
ing the Mines
The question Of wages hinges on
the scale paid in the kanawha field.
The union leaders declare that adop-
ton OF this scale would increase the
earnings OF the miners in Mingo,
while the operators insist that their
miners. under the scale now in force,
are being paid more than it is pos
sible for the Kanawha miners to earn.
However little attention is being
paid to that phase Of the controversy
Recognition of the union is the big
Tissue.
The Mingo field includes all Of
Mingo county and the mines along
tho Kentucky side of Tug river a
shallow narrow stream which for
miles in this region forms the boun-
Diary between Kentucky and West Vir-
ginia. High mountains rise abruptly
on each side Of the river. their sides
covered with a heavy growth OF
bushes. Along the mountain sides are
the drift mines from which comes
the coal, and nesting in the narrow
valley are the little towns where live
the miners and their families.
Fully Is per cent of the miners in
the region are native born, many of
| them the descendants of pioneers
who entered the county more than
! 100 years ago, and who are proud OF
their lineage. Some foreign-born
while numbers of negroes are en-
ployed. Often the miner owns a small
acreage. for which in the planting
and harvesting, he will abandon the
mines.
| In some places the miners live in
brick cottages. each having its gar.
den plot and front porch. Such viii
4
month miners were fired upon from
the mountain side while going to
work. In other villages the houses
are of frame construction. each set in
it's own garden plot, and for which
the miners pay at the rate of two
lollars per month pev room.
Williamson. the center Of the re-
gion. is pleasantly placed in the val
ley, with substantial buildings and
good stores. The Mingo county court
| house is one of the best structures.
but the city hall also is a complete
| office building, while there is in
course of construction theater
which will cost s25O.O00. The 5000
residents of the town very generally
enjoy the prosperity which has come
to the coal trade in the past rev
| ears.
Early in the year the movement to
organize the United Mine Workers
was inaugurated by President kee-
! ley from district headquarters at
Charleston. and organizers were sent
nto Mingo county. They met with
made upon the operators for the en-
forcement of the kanawha scale and
recognition of the union. This de-
mand the operators refused, and the
union called a strike. The order,
mine operators say, was answered. by
from 1900 to 1900 miners, but the
union officials put the figure higher.
The companies, thru their lawyers,
cook the position that the houses
| quilt for the miners who had gone on
strike reverted at once to the own
ers.
The miners. in some instances. hold
chat II the companies wanted the
possession of it by due process OF
Jaw.
Numbers Of miners were evicted
from company houses, and It. was for
that purpose private detectives,
mine guards the miners term them,
were sent to Matewan, June 10, and
where in the fight which followed the
eviction of five families, 10 persons
were killed.
Many miners. however. moved from
company houses without protest and
The United Mine Workers established
Tor such persons tent colonies along
Tug river near the places of their
former employment. There the strik-
ers and their families live in army
tents, and there they declare they
will stay until the. strike has been