The labor argus. [volume], May 16, 1907, Image 1

About The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915

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CHA^isTON, WEST VIRGINIA, HAY 1^1907. -==?
T~ 51.00 a Year in Advance
PKhMlMUN 1
MITCHI
Which will Cause
Among the I
of West
THE ORGANIZES
miuers cannot bo secured outside
the union and also realize that
just as soon as West Virginia is
organized and placed on the same
basis of the other coal producing
states that thousands of practical
miners from other states, where
the supply of coal is being exhausted,
will move into our state, and it
will not be unnecssary for them to
spend good money to get the inexperienced
riff-raff of the old world
to work in the mines. The miners
are ready and anxious to join the
organization when they are shown
the advantages to be gained by
r allying themselves with "United
Mine Workers and the only thing
necessary for a thorough organization
is for the officers and organized
miuers of the District to
give their undivided support to the
representatives of the National organization.
Personal ambition
and enmity must be relegated to
the rear and every member of the
organegation should do everything
in his power to advance the cause
and build it up. There is no room
in West Viririnis*. for unllrpis anS
0 ?WW
knockers.
One of the strongest reasons why
the state should be organized is the
fact that where union conditions
prevail the disasters and loss of
life in the mines are steadily increasing.
Where union conditions
prevail the laws are enforced as
far as possible, but in "open shop"
mines the laws of the state are
utterly ignored.
* * *
Sub-District President Thos.
'aims and National Organizer
Charles Krollman, of Illinois, were
the chief speakers at a mass meeting
of the miners of Wacomah,
banner, Standard and Mucklow,
at Wacomah, on last Sunday afternoon.
A. large and' representative
crowd turned out, and would have
been much larger, but for the fact
of a misunderstanding on the part
of the men at Banner and Standard
who thought that the meeting had
been called off. The men at these
places are beginning to realize the
necessity of getting closer together
and strengthening up their locals,
and the workers at each place are
making a determined effort to accomplish
that end.
* * * *
The Labor Argus should go intc
the home of every "Union miner in
West Virginia. It is the only paper
published in the State that devotes
any space to the local organization,
and will continue to do sc
as long as it is published. 11
stands for the workingmen, and advocates
their cause in a free anc
fearless manner, and if given th<
support of the union men of th<
State would be twelve pages in
"* stead of four. Think it over
brothers, and send in your sub
scription now. It takes money b
run a paper, no matter how small
It will be a dollar well spent.
That there will be something
doing in the organizing line in the
West Virginia coai neias in the
near future is an absolute certainty.
There are already a large number
of National Organizers and field
i workers here prepartory to begining
active operations.
The work will be personally jcondueted
by President John Mitchell,
who would have been here before
hail he not been stricken with sick;<
ness, but reports from his home are
r very incouraging and he expects to
' be able to assume his official duties
at an early date, and as soon as he
can safely do so, he will come to
this district.
In many sections of the state the
operators are more than willing
for the men to organize, for they
have learned from experience that
(rand "nrnntvinul .nnd ovnnrionnorl
Local Union 2so. 2013, located
at Honda, is fast coining to the
front. From three to five members
are taken in every meeting night.
At the last meeting, in the absence
of Hist. President Thos. Cairns and
Sec'y B. S. Hastings, who could
not be present, 15. S. Crawford
made the boys a whole-souled
speech that did them much. good.
This local has come to Btay, and
will be heard from again in the near
future.
* * *
National Executive Board member
Harry Bousfield, of Kansas and
Organizer Krollman, of Illinois,
addressed a joint meeting of the
three locals on Briar Creek at
Olcott on Monday evening. It
was a great meeting and did much
toward solidifying the locals. The
organization is gaining ground
rapidly in that section and the
most harmonious relations prevail.
* * *
JOHN
ELL COMING
a Great Rejoicing
Wine Workers
Virginia.
5 ARE ACTIVE
The mass meeting at Powellton
on last Sunday afternoon was a
great success, and largely attended.
District President Ifugent and
National Board Member Bousfield,
of Kansas, and others, delivered
addresses which received the clos...f
4J? - ^ ?
vov auuciiblUU U1 tllU 3iUQ1CUCG? UllG
noticeable feature was the large attendance
of the ladies, which
speaks well for old Powell ton.
The meeting should result in a
large increase in membership of the
local and renewed energy by the
officers and members.
* * *
Acting District President Jas.
M. Craigo and Rational Organizer
Chappell, of Indiana, conducted a
splendid mass meeting at Raymond
City last Sunday afternoou. The
colored men turned out in large
numbers and gave the speakers an
enthusiastic reception. The fact
that President Mitchell is coming
to West Virginia has given new
life to men in that section and they
are working hard to build up their
local before he arrives.
* -* *
yuite an enthusiastic meeting of
the local union was held at Valletta,
on Tuesday night. Sub-District
President Thos. Cairns and
Secretary-Treasurer Bert S. Hastings
were present and addressed
the meeting. The following officers
were elected: President, C. M.
Bess; Financial Secretary, Phil.
Bess; Recording Secretary, Chas.
Coy; Treasurer, Wm. Campbell.
* * *
District President John Nugent
is off on a two months' vacation,
and Vice-President J. M. Craigo,
of Carbondale, is acting president,
conducting the business of the District
and directing the field work.
Mr. Craigo has been in the city for
the past several days attending to
affairs that demanded his immediate
attention.
* * * _
The new mining laws enacted at
the last session of the legislature
i will go iuto effect on the 22nd of j
i this month Information can be
secured from Chief Mine Inspector
Paul and every local union should
get copies of the law.
i
1 AN APPEAL THAT
DOES NOT APPEAL
>
5 To the Workingmen of the Country to
L Support the Pauper and Criminal
i Immigrants.
a
The Society for Italian Immi'
grants has sent out an appeal for
funds to help on its work. With
5 the enormous immigration of
" Italiars, it says, the problem of
directing and helping these people
is ot the gravest character. About
30,000 immigrants were cared for
by the society last year.
This appeal was spread broadcast
through the medium of the
newspapers. Thesociety, no doubt
wants to help take care of the -im
migrants after the steamship companies
have taken their money.
If the workingmen of the country
think it is right for them to go
down in their pockets to take care
of thousands of immigrants who
come here, practically public
charges, very good. That is a
privilege.
But while aiding immigration iu
a financial manner, it may be a
good idea to get busy with' the lawmakers
of the country, so that
some day they may be persuaded
to restaict immigration to a sensible
degree, thereby protecting the
American workiiigman. The do
si ruble immigrant seldom is broke1
when he comes here, and if he
does happen to be scant of purse
he manages to get along without an i
appeal to the American public for;
financial assistance.
THE MINERS' NEi
SAID H(
Was the Cause of the A
in an Interview i
Morning
The following is taken from The
Charleston News of May 9th,
which will be of especial interest
to the miners of West Virginia:
"A special dispatch to the News
late last night from Whipple, Fayette
county, states that Hon. John
.Nugent, Commissioner of Immigration
and District President of
the United Mine Workers, who
was taken to the ill-fated mine by
the legislative mining investigating
committee, had made a thorough
examination of the explosion
and last night fixed the blame for
the disaster that resulted in the
death of fourteen miners, upon the
criminal negligence of the two
miners who were working in the
head of the entry where the explosion
occurred, in firing a shot
off the solid.
"The investigating committee
were accompanied to the scene of
the explosion yesterday by Mr.
Nugent, chief mine inspector Paul
and deputy inspector Henry. They
left Charleston about 9 o'olock yes*
terday morning and arrived at the
Whipple mines on the White Oak
branch of Poop Creek about 4
o'clock yesterday afternoon. A
number of the officials of the
White Oak Fuel Company accom
panied the committee to the mine.
"Mr. Nugent entered the mine
and after making a thorough investigation
made his report to the
WIUUIIDICC tliau LUC CApiU^iUlI \>
due to the criminal negligence of
those two miners working in the
head of the entry where the explosion
occurred in firing a shot
from the solid. No testimony was
taken by the committee yesterday
and it is very likely that their reMANUFACTURES
WILL
FIGHT CONVICT LABOR.
Good Results Hay be Expected by the
fcnergeuc Movement Now
Being Waged
The manufacturing interests of
the country are aroused in opposition
to the sale of prison-made
goods in competion with those
manufactured by free labor, and it
is taking organized shape in the
combination of manufacturers to
combat a competition that in cer
tain lines of industries has a most
injurious effect. For many years
j organized labor has sought to preI
vent the manufacture of goods in
prisons and penitentiaries, owing
to its injury to free labor, bpt in
its efforts to restrict such manu|
facture it has been only partially
; successful. It is now hoped that,
a combination of the two interests,
| the evil may at least be mitigated
or entirely wiped out.
The prison contract system has
: been fostered by prison officials
who were enabled to reap a benefit
by its continuance, and hence
have been stubborn opponents of a
Machinists Convention.
The International Association of
Machinists will hold a convention
in St. Louis next September, and
promises to be one of the largest
ever held by that organization.
Arrangements have been under
way for some time past by the
convention committee, consisting
of representatives from the several
locals in and around St. Louis
under the direction of Eugene
Barber and A. O. Wharton, business
agent for the organization.
Headquarters for the Grand Lodge
will be at the Southern hotel during
the convention, which is ex
peeted to last two week. The
sessions will be held in Druid's
hall.
What is the matter with the
local machinists! There are quite
a number in the city. Get together
boys and organize.
The advertisers in The Labor
Argus merit the patronage of every
man who earns his bread by the
sweat of his brow.
jLIGENCE
)N. JOHN NUGENT
Vhipple Mine Explosion
til the Charleston
?T
; news*
port will bo the same as Mr.
Nugent's. It seems that these two
miners who were working in the
entry and by their negligence
caused the explosion were day men,
that is experienced miners who
knew how to "drive" an entry
and instead of being paid by yardage
and for the coal they sent
from the entry, were paid the
same as day laborers, the company
doing this because the coal
was low at this particular place,
there being a fault in the entry
and thus the miners were making
more while working by the day
than they could have made by the
regular rate. At the Bamc time
there was less reason in their firing
a shot off the solid while working
by the day than there would have
lieen othrwise.
"Besides fixing the responsibility
for the disaster. Mr. Nugent
reported to the committee
that the mine was in the best
I pnnr?if.inr? on/1 orv/?lr?> '** V.5?
UIIVI OpVAC 111 11X^11
terms of Mr. Clark, the superintendent.
The fixing of the responsibility
by Mr. Nugent on the
practice of shooting oif the solid,
is concurred in by the representative
of the company who in the
beginning ascribed the explosion to
to that practice.
"The investigating committee
will probably make an investigation
of several of the mines on the
White Oak branch today, probably
making a farther examination
of the Stuart mine, where the
former explosiou occurred. They
will also likely take some testimony
today. The committee will
probably return to Charleston Friday
morning."
reform demanded by workingmcn
r?i
ouu. wic uiduumaururM.
At a recent meeting in Indainapolis,
Ind., the manufacturers of
the state, decided to petition the
legislature for a law preventing
the manufacture of goods in its
penal institutions that would come
in competition with their products,
and in other states similar movements
are being made. Good results
may undoubtedly be expected
by the energetic move that is now
being made against a prison labor
condition that is a menace to industrial
interests.?Garment Workers'
Bulletin.
Jap Exclusion League.
Union labor in Seattle, Wash.,
does not see a remedy in presidential
approval of passports and will
organize a Jananese exclusion
league advocating the absolute
closing of the gates on the little
brown men.
Vote on Affiliation.
Bricklayers, Masons and Plasterers'
International union will
next month submit to the local
unions for another referendum
vote the question of affiliating with
the A. F. of L.
THE CARPE
GRA1
Get Everything Th<
Wages and Hour
Fellowship to
THE EIGHT-HOUI
As predicted in last week's issue
of the Aj-gus the carpenters won
out in their strike for nn eighthour
day and an increased wage.
The contractors' association asked
that a committee from the carpenters
wait on them Saturday, and
after a short conference the contractors
agreed to the demunds of
the carpenters as originally made,
with two additional clauses added,
one requiring that the men be on
hand and at the place that their
respective duties are to bo performed
when time is called, and the
other that all new men going on a
job have their tools in a first-class
condition?both of which have
practically been in effect for years.
There are still a few members of
the contractors' association who
refuse to abide by the decision of
the majority and live up to their
agreement in that organization,
who have not signed up the agreement,
but they are of little conse
queucc, as they employ but few
men atul have few pressing contracts
or none at all 011 hand, and
will come to terms and sign up
when they realize what a small
part they are playing in the industrial
Held.
Now that the strike is over and
the building boom of Greater
Charleston is again in full blast,
everyone is happy and it can be
well said that:
'tile is a foe worthy of one's
steel who can make a good light
and when the struggle is over
grasp his opponent by the hand
and bid him a hearty wish."
The greater majority of the contractors
and carpenters involved
in the strike are exactly in this
position. What a nice thing it is
to settle an industrial unpleasantness
with the kindliest of sentiments
existing in the end 011 each
side.
We think the contractors have
learned a mighty good lesson during
the past few days, and it is
uupuu mey wm prom, oy tlie experience.
The Labor Argus, in common
with other champions of labor, is
not an advocate of strikes. "We
had hoped against hope that the
contractors and the carpenters
would be able to meet at the
"round-table" long before the date
fixed for the strike and adjust all
differences, but they did not do it
and so the industrial peace of the
city was unhappily affected.
The strike was the first of importance
which has occurred jn this
city since the street car strike ol
several years ago. Think of it, a
city of over 1500 unionists, and
strikes occurring with surprising
infrequcncy. This establishes the
claim of the adherents of trade nn
ionism that organization tends to
prevent strikes.
There never was a time from
the filing of the schedules with the
contractors when union men did
not desire to enter into a conference
with that organization of contractors.
"When labor asks for more money
there are a certain class of our people,
many of them living upon the
sweat of labor, who raise their
hands in holy horror and cry:
"Labor wants too much."
When the members of the lumber
trust assemble about a banquet
table and drink a toast to increased
prices on lumber, arbitrarily
fixed by the barons, not a murmur
is heard from the press or the pulpit.
"When the material men sit in
conference and fix a price on brick
no one asks a differential in brick
yard conditions, for it harms but
little for the owner of a commodity
to say what he ought to have for
| it, except of course, the possessor
j of labor power.
1 We are not unmindful of the
MTERS
TO VICTORY
:y Ask Relating to
s?Extend Hand
Contractors.
t DAY PREVAILS
fact that the building contractor
has his troubles and grievances,
just as does the'workingman. Ho
is the victim of the combination of
corporations and manufacturers
on the one side, and the compotion
of his fellows on the other, while
labor, the tail end of the industrial
kite, is asked to work for less than
a living wage because of the greed
of others.
"We have been taught to believe
that capital and labor were partners
in industry; that 0110 should
receive a fair wage for its labor. Is
the laborer bound to ucccpt the
judgment of his employer without
a protest, U3 to what his share
should be in applying his efforts in
the promotion of the building industry!
Usually in strikes of this magni
tude thcie are hot heads on both
sides, but the worst of all is the
hot-headed and irresponsible sympathizer.
but this w?N conspicuous
by it's abseuco in the late unpleasantness,
so we are proud to
speak of the liigli character of the
men who were involved in the
strike. We are sure that the employers,
too, appreciate the men.
bike all true friends of labor we
are pleased that the "get together
policy" prevailed at last and that
the differences wore adjusted in an
amicable manner. There is no sat
ininvkivu 1U1 Jliuur 111 gaitllUg lt8
point by force methods, nor do we
licliuvo that the other side would
gloat over the complete annihilation
of the unionists. Then how
much better do both feel since their
differences have been adjusted by
concilatory methods.
The labor movement stands for
joint bargaining, the gentleman's
agreement if you please, and with
the manifestation of the proper
"get together" spirit, this strike
was settled satisfactorily.
We arc glad you got together,
gentlemen. It was folly to fight,
both must suffer from it. Yes, the
whole city felt its effect. We are
all patriotic citizens of Charleston,
and an unnecessary warcfare between
the men who hold the prosperity
of the city in the palms of
their hands should never occur
again.
HOW THE JAPS
TREAT AMERICANS.
There Is Quite a Difference Between
the Japan and American Plan.
In view of the fact that quite a
number of Americans share in the
opinion of Roosevelt that the
japanese are badly treated int this
country, we clip the following
from the New Kra, of Ixiuisville,
Ky., to show what courtesy is extended
to Americans in the
Mikado's realm:
Americans are not allowed to
own real estate or to have any mining
rights.
When, in order to do business,
Americans place certain properties
or securties in the name of a
Japanese and the Japanese absconds,
the courts will not even
consider his act a criminal one.
Americans are not allowed to
attend the Japanese schools.
Americans are not permitted to
reside in certain sections.
Americans are denied the priviledge
of sailing in a private pleasure
boat.
Americans are restricted from
going or coming to certain points,
but Japanese can go anywhere.
Americans must pay 200 sens for
! attending theatres, while Japanese
[ are admitted for 60 sens. The
: hotels are on a similar basis.
?
The babor Argus only one dollar
. per year.