The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-01-30
Minnesota NeWs and
Comment
BY r.. w. HITCHCOCK

and obtained state troops, but instead
of keeping his promise to afford pro-
lection for the reopening of the plant,
he used the troops to close down all
preparations for recpening, and it was
announced that mo machines can be
operated, nothing can be taken in or
out of the plant and no one can enter
the plant without pass obtained upon
the approval of the mayor" It was
further given out that there would be
no reopening of the plant until the
company had made its peace with the
picketerS.
Evidence abounds that picketers and
rioters and strange mobsters We're sup
piled in these and other Mill City dis
orders by General Drivers Union Local
STA, which is dominated by we'll known
communists and extreme radicals. It
was this union which conducted the
truck drivers strike in the summer of
1884 and which was rendered holder
and more aggressive by the assistance
given by state troops during the time
that Minneapolis was placed under
martial law at cost of some 100000
to the taxpayers of Minnesota.
1t was the action of this union, also,
which caused the American Federation
of Labor to send an official investigator
to Minneapolis to check up on the
charges of communistic activities on the
part of union labor in the city. The
first result of that investigation was the
revocation Of the charter of General
Drivers Union Local STA by the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor.
Immediately preceding the Strutwear
disorders and after the Strutwear plant
had been closed, other similar riots and
disorders took place in Minneapolis,
with the police of the city making no
effective effort to control them.
Rioting took place at the plant of
the Flour City Ornamental Iron Com
pany and the plant was forcibly closed
by outside mobsters. Between July IL
and September % ten ornamental plants
were closed down, because of mob vio-
lence on the part of outsiders. Several
hundred employees, who had made no
complaint as to wages, hours, working
conditions or other matters were thrown
out of work. On September 9th, 10th,
and 18th riots took place, after in each
case meetings of picketerS had been
held at which inflamatory speeches had
been made, and after inflamatory liter
ature had been circulated.
Taking advantage of a strike in GER
tain candy companies, outside mobsters
descended upon other candy companies,
in no wise concerned and whose en-
ployees had made no complaints. Riot
ing and threats compelled these candy
companies to close, also and some $50
men were thrown out of work.
Mass picket.ng and violence were di-
rected against certain Minneapolis fur
riers. Employees were threatened, as
suited and even abducted. Because of
these disorders, one concern, the D.
LenSky Fur Company, employing %
people, closed by picketing, moved its
out of the city.
The ineffectivenesS of the Mime
apolis police and the action of the state
in calling out troops and actually using
them to prevent men from working, may
be pleasing to thoughtless friends of
labor, and it certainly stirred the COM
munistic and radical elements which
have moved into the city for the ex-
press purpose of causing trouble to re-
new and increase their mobster &C
tivitieS.
Today at the Strutwear Knitting
plant in Minneapolis with no employee
whatever, but with LOO
of those employees hoping and even
petitioning to be allowed to work, we
have the shameful spectacle of the
Minnesota National Guard standing on
guard to prevent the citizens of Mime
sofa from accepting urgently needed
All this has embolden General Drivers
Union Local STA, which has been active
in all these disorders, to point where
it has actually been soliciting business
men of Minneapolis for funds with
which to carry on its activities. The
demands-they are demands, not re-
quests-are for substantial sums, and
whether or not they are accompanied
with threats, it is probably difficult for
those upon whom the demands are made
not to feel that active unfriendlineSS
will probably follow refusals to con-
tribute. They are well aware of the
reprisals which have resulted from re-
fuSals elsewhere to submit to rackets of
this kind
All this, here but mildly pictured, is
knee to mobs and mobsters.
The American Federation of Labor
is the champion of peaceful and orderly
progress for labor. 1t has always fought
communism and the works of commun-
ism. Its action in sending an official
to Minneapolis to in
vestigate the labor disorder there is
strictly in line with its traditional
policy.
Thoughtful men and women in the
labor ranks are beginning to realize
that those who speak labor the most
fair are not necessarily labor's best
friends.
The Farmer-Labor party constantly
processes itself the friend of labor and
upon every possible occasion commits
itself to the most extravagant promises
on behalf of labor. But what did the
party do for labor when
it had the chance? The farmer-labor
party controlled the lower House of
the Legislature in 1888. 1t then boasted
itself as liberal" and friend of labor,