The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-11-04
Jacks STRIKE
Continued from Page One)


feels that the small farmer in the state
is identified with the timber industry
inasmuch as considerable cash revenue
is derived by the local farmer from
timber products.
The farmer has been sorely hit by
the activities of the Timber Workers
who have picketed his market base
and the roads leading to the mills;
driving trucks hauling pulp and match
wood off the roads and in many cases
damaging the truck and inflicting in
juries on the driver.
Mr. Ronkainen, in his radio address,
did not mince matters. A few ex-
cerpts from his talk are given to show
that he spoke straight from the
shoulder. Among other things he said:
Last year I. w. WIS and Commun-
lists organized a union. This union
started out belonging to the American
Federation of Labor, but left it and
joined the CLIO. The president of the
union was Communist organizer.
"a strike was called of this Timber
Workers Union last winter. The first
thing these law-breaking strikers did
was to picket the roads and, when
farmers tried to deliver timber products
from their own farms, in their own
trucks, they were driven off the roads.
Ten or fifteen of these strikers and
pickets would gang up on each farmer
and what they did to the farmers was
sin and a shame. They drove their
trucks into bitches, they tipped over
and dumped their loads, destroyed their
racks, and, if the farmer offered the
least resistance, they proceeded to beat
him up.
"The farmers appealed to Governor
Benson for protection. Did he give
them any help? He did not. You
know there Is closed season on deer
and game. Well, the Governor let the
strikers have an open season on far
mers. A gang of strikers would chase
a poor farmer off the road like a pack
of dogs would chase rabbit. While
these strikers were destroying property
violating the law and abusing the
farmers, the Governor never raised a
hand. He did not even answer the
farmers appeal for help. Instead he
telegraphed these Communists a
promise of his support. just think, he
furnished these strikers with board and
room at the expense of the state, SC
they could live in idleness and abuse the
farmers.
"The international Lumber Company
at International Falls, had for many
years been hiring farmers in it's logging
operations. This spring the Timber
Workers Union forced the international
Lumber Company to fire every farmer
in its camps.
ct may interest you to know that
these timber workers, possibly in graft
Itude to Governor Benson for per-
hitting them to beat up farmers, are
helping to build fine cabin for Gov.
Iernor Benson on the North Shore Of
Lake Superior. Should governor &C.
lcept such gifts?
"AS surely as the sun rises in the
East and just as the policy of Governor
Benson is now driving factories out o.
the State of Minnesota, so will it keel
new ones from coming in, so will il
Icause unemployment and force homes
labor to go on relief, so also will thu
farmer be left to support Governor
iBenson's extravagant, big political ma.
chine and carry the relief load besides
These timber workers are on strike
lagain. Northern Minnesota is alive
with outside racketeers and agitators
who are making threats of violence
The union has been offered scale O.
wages, commencing at the bottom a
$1,000 month for common labor ane
running up as high as $165.00 a month
for a cook in large camp. The men
however, refuse to work.
These men can get work at once OF
a basis of from 5000 month up, bu
they refuse to work. Why should they
Governor Benson is giving them you
money for their support. 1t is an out
rage to load up the taxpayers of Mime
sofa with the support of a bunch O.
floaters and transcients. Many hun,
dreds are non-residents, who have com,
into Minnesota and are taking TIT
bread out of the mouths of Minnesota
people. Why should Minnesota sup.
lport them?
"It seems to be the policy of Governo
Benson to make Minnesota a desirable
home for racketeers and Communists
If Governor Benson is in such sym
lpathy with Communism that he want.
to donate his own salary to the sup.
lport of these men, it wouldn't be so bad
but why should he take the none,
which belongs to the homecoming, tax
lpaying, church-going people of Min.
nesota and give it to men who want tt
destroy all churches and overthrow thu
government.
do we want these men coming init
Minnesota to beat up Minnesota far.
mers and business men and levy black.
mail? Do you people approve The
methods used by the Timber Worker.
Union? Do you believe that it wa.
right for them to beat up farmers ane
destroy property? Do you believe il
was right for Governor Benson to give
them his support? Do you want gang.
Ster methods in Minnesota? Word ha:
been sent to me that 1 would bt
bumped off" if didn't quit fighting
I'm my small camp, for example
there were twenty-eight men. Twenty
six Of them voted against striking; two
voted in favor of a strike. In another
camp the vote was three for a strike
land seventy-one against. Just the
lsame, the Union officials came in anc
forced the men, against their will, te
quit work. Some of the men came to
me and told me that they didn't want tc
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