The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-03-09

the company would have it to col
lect. Such Is the hostility existing
between them now, that no such ar
rangement is being entertained.
1t is said that the union leaders
live by agitation, and by creating
discomfort, and that wherever wage
and working conditions have been
satisfactorily settled and the men
were contented, the union leaders
have sent in representatives or done
something to again create serious
discomfort. 1t is the theory OF the
union leaders that the remedy for
hard times is to boost the price OF
labor and shorten the hours of work,
and it is on this theory that the
present crisis has been brought
about. While the union miners are
receiving more than 81 a day, nom
union miners nearby and living and
working under similar economic con-
ditions get less than IS day and
yet make more money than do the
union men, because they get steadier
employment.
Coal is sold largely by bids to fill
contracts, and when mine operators
bid on those things, they have to
base their bids on the wages and
other costs of delivering coal. Those
paying the highest wages are, getting
the fewest contracts or orders for
coal these days, and the union
miners have been working five or
ten days a month and the non-union
miners are employed many more
days because they accept the lower
rate of wages and thus enable their
employers to bid lower and success
fully in seeking orders for coal. The
experience of the miners is that they
would rather work twenty days q
month for $50 than to work eight
days q month for $50.
The policy of the union Is to
shorten the hours and boost the
wages, as a remedy for the trouble,
while the non-union men advise re-
ducing wages in proportion to the
prices Of other things and lengthen
the hours Of work or. increase the
number Of days to be worked.
The unions have, established what
they call the "check-of" system,
which means that the union hands q
| list Of the names Of men working
for an operator and tells him whom
| to discharge If any are not In good
standing with the union, and on pay
day it tells the employer how much
Of the wages of each man to hold
out to pay to the union as dues and
assessments, and the employer has
to do it under the agreement. The
| union does not trust its own mem
bers to pay their dues and assess
ments; or, taking the other view OF
| it., what is actually paid to the
miners is their wages, and what is
turned over to the union Is just so
much tribute forced from the en-
ployers by the combination, but In
either event, it is added to the price
of coal, and the consumers pay 1t.
It amounts to about 5 cents a ton
on each ton Of coal consumed, and
in the total, is said to have totaled
$40, 900, 900 last year.
| Where the non-union miners CO.
operate with their employers in Sc
curing orders and contracts for coal
and take 1t away from the union
miners, it disturbs the union. Last
summer the unions in western Vir-
ginia became so incensed at the sue
| cess of the non-union miners near
by in West Virginia, that they armed
to the number of 1000 men and
went over there to make them all
join the union and work under con-
ditions named by the union, but the
employers and the federal govern
ment also placed armed men In the
district to protect the non-union
miners so they might exercise their
choice in the matter. The soldiers
presence said in effect, Miners may
join the union or not join 1t as they
please, but we are here to shoot
any one that interferes with the man
who wants to work and exercise his
right to manage his own affairs
The employers claim the condi-
tions under which they are placed
have become intolerable, and many
union men say the same thing. Large
numbers of union men are quitting
the union, and in some places they
have simply met and disbanded and
forfeited all their rights in the union
and notified the local employers that
they are now free to deal with them
direct, and to cut out the tribute
which the unions have been exacting
from them.
Industry, as at present consti-
tuted, cannot operate without coal;
non-union miners do not exist in SUI
ficient numbers to increase the out
put enough to keep industry going.
But individual consumers may get
along with less coal and more of
other kinds of fuel and in that way
help industry to maintain itself thru
the strike. Thousands of families
who have access to wood will use
wood to help tide them over the
strike. Other thousands who have
some trees about their homes will
trim the trees or thin them out, in
the effort to get along without coal.
Coal is much higher now than 1t
was at the close of the war, and high
wages being paid to miners and rail-
-oad men account for most of the
raise.
One thing which the public do not
forget and will not forget this year
IS that when the nations existence
vas at stake in the war, the leaders
these two classes of unions, set
heir foot down, SO to speak, and
to1d Tho 0ovorn m ont whorn IN got Off