Great Falls tribune., 1921-11-17

Itions and finding that the agreements
made with the company's employees last
August we're valid and binding
1t was stated at the company's Of
fices this morning that no arrangement
had been made for filling the places of
strikers i'll case a strike is called
Official Statement
An official statement issued at the
executive Offices here, signed by J. F..
Welborn, president of the company,
says in part:
] after November II. the Colorado
Fuel & Iron company will put into eff
feet reduction in wages Of coal mine
workmen at eight of its mines in Las
Animas county and five in Huerfano
county, Colorado.
/ This reduction is made at those
mines only where negotiations during
last August with the employees resulted
in agreements which have been passed
upon and found to be both legal and
reasonable by the industrial commits
sion Of Colorado. At mines where no
agreement was reached no agreement
has been made to reduce wages.
This reduction will restore the
| scale of wages in effect during the
years 1913 and 1919"
"In the reasons actuating the com
pany in making this reduction are i'm
perative need for cheaper fuel for the
steel mills at Pueblo, in order to en-
able the company to compete with east
ern steel mills and the need of lower
prices of coal on the part of the public
and the railroads and other cousum-
ers'
Mr.. McLennan. after reading copy
Of the wage reduction ordered BY the
Colorado Fuel company Monday, made
the following statement, which reads,
in part:
Expected Strike
THE Colorado Fuel and Iron COM
pany knew that when this order was
posted it would mean q strike, The
men will refuse 70 report for work
Thursday morning The company claims
that the wage reduction is made as a
result Of petitions circulated last Au-
gust, and signed by the men. asking for
cut in pay in order that their work
ing time might be increased That is
absolutely not true and We have proved
that it is not true.
Last August such petitions were cir
culated ID the mines operated by the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company, Tut
we brought before the Colorado State
Industrial commission several wit
nesses who testified that the petitions
were not bona fide; that they were not
initiated by the men and that the men
who signed them did so under threats.
coercion and intimidation The wit
nesses told the industrial commission
that on the lists appeared names of
men who had never signed them and
they also testified that in some cases
as many as II signatures were affixed
by one man.
Eve deny that there has ever been
a voluntary agreement between the men
and the company in regard to the cut
in wages.
Denies Companys Claim
I'm regard to the company's claim
that the reduction in wages will tend to
reduce the price of coal to the con-
sumer, that is ridiculous statement.
This cut means that the miners pay
will be cut third, but even if the
reduction in production cost is passed
on to the consumer, it will mean low
eTing Of the price Of coal Of not more
than about 3S cents ton.
The United Mine Workers have no |
wage agreement with the Colorado |
Fuel and Iron company. We never |
claimed that we had such an agreement. |
But. despite the claims of the company |
the Colorado Fuel and Iron |
company. has an agreement with the |
United States government and we con
tend that the present wage cut is d |
breach Of that agreement"