Montana labor news., 1934-08-02
WAITING WORD FROM WASHINGTON BE-
FORE FINAL ACTION TAKEN; MINERS
ONLY ORGANIZATION TO TAKE ACTION

1t has not been definitely decided by
the Butte Unions to send a committee
to Washington to discuss terms OF set
Element of the Strike. So far, the
Butte Miners Union is the only or
ganization that has formally taken ac-
ton to send a committee to Washing
ton and the Miners action is to be
carried out only when the other I'm
ions take a like action. The Engin-
GERS will probably discuss the matter
at their meeting Wednesday night and
returns from the organization will not
be in by the time the paper goes to
press.
The Strike Committee has refused
to send a committee to Washington un-
less it is given the assurance that the
Company is willing to meet and discuss
terms of arbitration. The Committee
will not go under any circumstances I'M
less it is given some assurance that
the Dan Kelley threat Of an open shop
in Butte is revoked by the Company.
The men on strike are willing to do
all in their power to settle the present
trouble but have met nothing but a
stone wall when meeting the company.
The Anaconda officials have refused
to discuss terms with the men since
the inception of the strike and there
is nothing to indicate that they will
discuss terms even though a commit
tee does go to Washington. If the
strike committee is given some assur-
ance that the Company will discuss
points of arbitration a committee will
no doubt go to meet with them. IF
THE PRESENT PLANS FALL THR-
OUCH 1T WILL BE BECAUSE OF
THE ANACONDA COMPANY AND
NOT THROUGH A LACK OF CO.
OPERATION ON THE PART OF
MEN.
The settlement of the strike is en-
tirely in the hands of the Anaconda
Company officials in New York. The
men on strike have been willing to CO.
operate in bringing about an honor
able settlement of the situation. The
Company has shown no willingness to
cooperate. 1t holds its muddle brain
ed, stubborn attitude Of trying to starve
out the men in Butte and force them
into submission. 1t tries its vicious
methods of trying to put Butte under
martial law. In short it is trying every
thing except meet with the men and
take steps toward arbitration.
1t is high time the Anaconda Com
pany realizes that we are in a more civil
lized era than we were 40 years ago
and hat brutality and force are no
longer the most profitable methods
of operating business. If the heads Of
this corporation fail to keep pace with
changing conditions they should be re-
moved from office. The government
has no power to force them to arbi-
trate but the government has the pow
er to confiscate their property as an
emergency measure and bring the Of
ficials to trial for melting violence and
revolution. Much talk has been made
of deporting communists who are stir
ring up violence in strike areas. Moth
ing has been said Of deporting corpora
ton heads who use the same tactics
in these same areas. The Kelleys,
Days, Carrigans and all their cohorts
should be deported first Of all. If
these elements in our industrial order
were deported to Siberia or the Sahara
there would be no strikes, no violence
and no revolution. These men are a
bigger menace to American Democracy
and idealism than all the Communists,
Socialists, Fascists and Nazis combin-
ed. If the Butte strike is not settled
in a month the deportation of these
officials should be asked for by every
believer in the Constitution of the
Unitel States and every exponent Of
Democracy in Government.