Evening star., 1922-10-06
MINE OWNERS AID
MEN TO ORGANIZE
Montana Employers and
Workers Join Fight Against
Radical Leaders.
REGIONAL UNION FORMED
Members Will Refuse to Pay Cost
of Strikes in Other
Fields.
REGIONAL UNION FORMED
RY DAVID LAWRENCE.


BUTTE. Mont. October 6.-And the
Hon and the lamb shall lie down To-
Sether. That is happening in the
Butte mining district. and thereby
hangs a tale so significant ana 1ar
reaching in its Importance that it may
we'll command attention from coast to
coast.
capital and labor have often agreed
after a period CT warfare. but "hae
makes the story here SO full or mean
ing is the reason which has driven
them into each others arms
For, did YOU ever hear of capital
actually asking labor to organize
union? Or did you ever hear of
union organizing to protect Itself
against those who would squeeze bur
densome monthly dues out OF work
ing men to support 4 strike thou-
sand miles away with which these
same workers have had nothing in
common"
Well. listen to the tale of Butte. IT
will be interesting alike TO those VINO
mistakenly believe America VIII pe
emancipated when the unions are
crushed" and it viii! he equally an
admonition to those labor leaoers
who think the rank and file can be
manipulated by means OF the SSm-
pathetic strike.
Union Broken by strike.
For years Butte's miners were or
ganized They We're allied with the
Western Federation of Miners. OF
which Mover was the chieftain En-
ployers hereabouts were hostile 10
the unions and We're not displeased
when in 1914. dug 10 differences with
tire aforesaid Meyer. who was con-
,Iuctins a strike in another mining
region and extracting several tnou-
sands of dollars d month--in fact as
sessments as high as $40 month
per man--from Butte nay envelopes.
tine workers looked askance at tins
drain and gradually revolted.
Naturally there was glee when the
miners union went to pieces Ine
companies quietly encouraged II all.
But what has happened since 1917
ON the heels of other leaders came
something worse-;he l. W VS. ana
they found this fertile district Tor
their exploitation. With the l. W
VS. came a socialist mayor. and for
time Butte was in the hands of the
iuest radical elements in America.
They preyed on the worklngmen.
They called strikes 70 suit their
whims Compared TO the l. w. VS.
the old union was tame affair.
But gradually in the last two years
the |. W. VS. have been driven out !
The miners have developed leaders !;
who are conservative and far-seeinS. |
They have conferred with representa- !
,ives of the mining companies. and !
both sides have agreed that state |
of diSorganiZation is fraught with
danger. not only to the employers. |
but more particularly to the miners, |
who become victimized and terror !;
lied. !
Even that is not all The companies i,
are running their mines a. only 60 /;
per cent of capacity. They are offer ,
ing $4.15 per day. but can get no !!
response from other parts OF the
country They have heard. however. |
that many miners who drifted away !
and took their families with them !
when the !. W. W. troubles began .
would be glad to come back if they !
could be assured of protection against
the radicals. ,
An Independent Union.
What they have learned in Butte !;
IL that If you crush all form OF or !
ganization or if you attempt to con- |
troll a labor organization. you open |
a field for worse trouble with the !!
radical agitators. The new union !
here is to be called the Butte District |
Independent Miners Union. The |
leaders say they will not affiliate /!
with Meyers Western Federation of ,
Miners because that means outside !
diCtation. 1t is true that there are ,
various other crafts well organized !
here and affiliated directly with the !
American Federation of Labor so j
the opposition is not aimed at the /.
American Federation of Labor SO ,
much as it is against the Western Fed ,
OF their experience with the latter ,
that the miners prefer to function as
an Independent unit Naturally. the |
operators are not displeascd ever this
development and Will do all they
can to encourage il.
The two viewpoints-that of en- |;
rioyer and miner-are best illustrated !
hy the speeches made at the joint !
conference this week between the COM
mittees representing miners and oper-
ators.
You say you want the operators to !,
take you in good faith said James
Hobbins. assistant to the president of |;
the Anaconda Copper Mining Com |;
rany. we want to do that. We, as |
we'll as you men, need and want an
honest. clean labor organization.
Either you must have a union for !
honest cooperation or else you will |
have a union that makes for trouble,
strikes and all its attending ills. The |
sooner we know your objects the
sooner we can arrive at definite |
understanding"
In reply to this. J. T. Martin, spokes- !;
man Of the miners, said
Most of the men In this new union !
are property owners. We own our
own homes, and one of the reasons
for this organization is that we hope
to stabilize conditions. We do not !
want to work for q month and then
have gang of foaters call a strike
and have men yell 'Scab" at us when
our way home.
We contend We have the right to [
organize. We have demands to make |
of the companies, but I believe I am
voicing the sentiments of our MEM
bers when I say that We expect to
give and take. We want to get away
from conditions where our little home
Ia worth face value today and nearly |
worthless the next day. I have been
working in the Butte mines twenty
seven years and I am striving for an
organization that will crush wabbly-
ism (term used here to designate !!
!. w. W.'s doctrine), also the high |;
handed methods Of the business ,
profiteer." !
A Regional Unit.
The new Independent union, which |
Is drawing up a constitution and by |
laws, to be submitted to a mass
meeting of all the miners in a week |
or two, differs materially from the |
so-called company unions" in that
the members do not work for one ,
company. but for all the companies !
to - s~k Ik t.