OCR Text |
Show STRIKE NEARING END. After a struggle that has lasted since July 23 of last year, the miners in the Michigan copper district will tako a referendum vote on tho question of call-incr call-incr off tho strike. From all indications it is probable that tho men will decide to return to work in the mines if places can bo found for them, nnd tlniB ro-lieve ro-lieve union labor of a great burden. Conditions as to the miners have been materially changed since the striko was inaugurated nearly a year ago. Tho companies have inaugurated an eight-hour day, and havo arranged to hear grievance once a week. With two of their chief demands practically concoded, tho mon will waive recognition recogni-tion of the Western Federation of Miners, Min-ers, which tho operators havo all alous doclnred they will never agreo to. Tho striko in the Calumot copper i country has been long and cottly. Sov. j oral lives have been sacrificed and the I families of the strikors havo undorgoaej great hardships, althongh the union all over tho United States have liber- j ally responded to tho appeals for aid: the state has been put to considerable; expense in calling out the national guard to pTovont riots and tho destruction destruc-tion of lifo and property; tho mining companies have had to pay tho ox-penses ox-penses of men imported into the district to work in the mines, and alio pay armed guards to watch over them; finally tho national houeo of rcproEoa- tatives has had to send a committee to investigate aftor several other fruitless inquiries had beou made. Ono of the most unfortunate occurrences occur-rences during tho striko waa tho Christmas Christ-mas ovo tragody in Italian hall, whou a false alarm of firo was raised and many women and children trnmpled to death in tho ensuing panic Tho trng-ody trng-ody was doubly unfortunate owing to tho fact that in the heat of passion members of tho Citizens' Allianco woro accused of having raised the cry of firo in order to interfere with the Christmas celebration of tho children of the striking miners, so many of whom met death in tho choked stairway. stair-way. This charge inflamed tho business busi-ness mon and others not connected with tho miners' union to the highest do-gree. do-gree. and when it was ropoatod by President Pres-ident Charles H. Moyor of tho Western West-ern Fcdoration, ho was doportcd from tho district under guard. So bitter did the feeling becomo that tho fathers of llttlo ones who had boon killed Tefusod to accept help from tho citizens in burying their dead, although al-though thousands of dollars had been choerfully contributed for tho purpose. This aotion was the groatest mistake made during the whole strike, and the mon who succeeded in kooping tho two classes of citizens apart in the presence pres-ence of death, have much to answer for when their earthly accounts aro mado up. After passing through this fiory furnace, fur-nace, tho minors will celebrate Easter by -taking a referendum vote which the citizens of tho wholo country hopo will result in bringing peace to tho Michigan Michi-gan copper camp. Such a celebration is far moro Important than the parade on Fifth avenuo in Now York on Eastor morn, upon which all eyes are usually focused. |