The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
Mine Owners Offer Pay
Raise, But With Joker
Continued from PAGE One)
By WINIFRED r. MOOERS.

DENVER, Colo, Dec. 30.-If' any
proof were lacking that the operators
witnesses before the Industrial Com
mission lied about conditions in the
mines, it was furnished this morning
when Merle D. Vincent, general coun-
sci of the Rocky Mountain Fuel Com
pany, completed the break between
his company and the other northern
operators by confirming the state
ments of the strikers regarding the
inhuman working conditions and
gross violations and gross violations
of the state laws.
Ignore Human Rights.
In a statement submitted to the
commission, Vincent declares that it
is matter of common knowledge
that the mine laws regarding check
weighmen, safety provisions and in
spection committees, are not enforced.
He also charges the necessity for the
present strike largely due to the oper-
ators' refusal to recognize the human
rights Of the strikers.
Workers Keep Ranks.
The workers are keeping their
ranks solid while the bosses fight
among themselves.
The reign of terror continues. The
Colorado Fuel & Iron controlled po-
lice are now centering attention on an
attempt to demoralize the strikers by
cutting off relief. James Dobreff,
chairman of the relief committee, was
arrested yesterday and the rest of the
committee was jailed today.
Sensational charges were made yes
terday by the boarding house keeper
Of the Monarch mine against the op-
orators, She stated that the company
took II per cent of her profits in
stead of seven as agreed and threat
ened eviction if she complained. She
also told of unbelievably filthy con-
ditions endured by the men and the
refusal Of the company to correct
them.
DENVER, Colorado, Dec. 80 (FP).
- Inc next move for settlement
OF the Colorado coal strike is
definitely up to the operators, who
consistently refuse to meet the miners
With any peace attempt.
Friday the northern strikers Of
fered the operators through the In
dustrial Commission conditions for
returning to work pending final set
tlement. Yesterday a group of north
eln operators through an attorney de-
MED they were parties to the Indus
trial Commission hearing which has
been continuing ten days, and refused
to recognize the strikers executive
committee as representing the min
ers. Today the attorney for the
Rocky Mountain Fuel Company,
large northern operators, said his
company is a pa -ty to the hearing but
that it is impossible for them to ac-
cept the strikers terms unless other
operators would also.
Responsibility for continuing the
strike is therefore definitely on the
shoulders of the operators. Mean
while the operators are bringing wit
nosses in an attempt to disprove the
miners grievances, such witnesses
being merely for the information OF
the commission, operators say, and
not for the purpose of arriving at
basis of settlement.
Not one miner has been brought to
the stand as operators witness, but
superintendent, company managers
and other bosses with no knowledge
of conditions. The superintendent of
the Baum Mine testified that nine
men in his mine averaged $500 to
4,400 during the last SIX years but
none of the men appeared. Some of
them are known to be on strike and
miners are asking why men receiv-
ing such wages strike for the Jack
sonville scale.