Arizona republican., 1922-06-09

WASI1INNIloN. L. u. JUNE j.
Such conflicting testimony has been
brought out in the West Virginia
treason trials. which have been drag
ging along at Charles Town for
weeks, that the general public is
more mystified than ever as to the
facts in this great labor conflict. To-
day the average man knows little
about the situation other than that
there has been prolonged controversy
between West Virginia miners and
mine operators. that there have been
disorder lawlessness and loss of life
and property, that conditions ap-
proximating civil war have existed,
and that it has been necessary to
send in Federal troops to restore and
to maintain order.
Growing out of all this have come
almost countless injunction proceed
ings and lawsuits in the courts. and
the indictment of several hundred
miners on treason and murder
charges. Viewed from any angle it
is an ugly mess.
Opinions as to which side is right
and which side is wrong are based
largely upon preiudices. Information
and evidence upon which to form a
conclusion are subject to the same
bias. 1t is possible, however. to pre-
sent a background for the current
news from West Virginia. Thanks TO
the investigation conducted by the
senate committee of which former
Senator Kenyon was chairman. we
can get at just what each side con-
tends for and seeks to establish as
the facts in the case.
The contentious of the operators
as shown by the record of this in
vestigation have been summarized as
follows: ",The operators have a con-
stitutional right to operate their
mines on a non-union basis. to sub
stitute the individual contract for
collective bargaining in their rela-
tions with their employees. to pre-
vent all efforts to unionize their en-
ployees. to bar union members from
the mining camps and properties and
even from the counties in which
those properties are situated, and to
refuse to deal directly or indirectly
with the union. Their employees are
contented and do not desire to join
the union, and therefore. there is no
controversy between them and their
employees.
"All the trouble in the non union
fields has been due to the efforts of
the union to organize the worker S
therein.
"Unionization means frequent costs
of production, less of efficiency and
higher prices for coal.
THE union has resorted to violence
and to the destruction of property in
an effort to intimidate the operators
and force their employees to join the
union.
Claim Union Is Unlawful
t'Tha Tinted Nina yVnrl.aCc nf
America is an unlawful organization
because it aims. as shown by its con-
stitution, to appropriate the proper
ties of the operators.
There is a conspiracy between the
union and the mine owners and OPP
orators of the. Central Competitive
Field to unionize the non-union fields
of West Virginia in order to handicap
or to destroy the non union operators
as competitors in the markets which
they now reach, and where by reason
of their lower production costs and
greater efficiency they now have ar
advantage over the unionized Gen.
trail Competitive Field"
Turning from these contentious oi
the operators we have the claims o1
the miners as epitomized by Vice
President Murray, of the union. as
1ptAOWc. 4 hS illiltIS nave ltt6 COii-
stitutional right of free speech and
free assemblage in which they should
be protected. They have also The
right to join the union and the right
to engage in legitimate trade unior
activities. Their rights, if not
specifically guaranteed by the orga-
niZed law of the nation. are contemp-
lated by the guarantees of the Con-
stitution, and have the highest sane
ton of all law, organic or statutory
namely, the approval of enlightened
public opinion and common practice
in all industries in all civilized coun.
tries
THE problem in West Virginia /:
not a question of unionism versu:
on-unionism. but is a question o.
the establishment, acceptance ant
observance of fundamental principles
and practices which are essential t
peace and orderly progress in all in
dustry.
''The trouble is due solely to th'
denial by the operators of the right O
their employees to join the union
and to the methods adopted by th'
operators to enforce that denial
methods that were coercive and in
timidating and resulted in the inva
sion of the constitutional and eco
nomic rights of the workers
Menace to Public Welfare
Conditions of the West Virgini;
non union fields and the controver
sy there are menace to the publi
uAIfarA, nravant tho sta Utilization ant