OCR Text |
Show Strike Of 5000 Colorada Coal Miners Is Looming Up Denver Colo., July 28Tho conference confer-ence between delegates representing the coal minors employed by tho Colorado Fuel & Iron company and officials of tho company seeking to avert astrlko called for August 1 broke abruptly tonight when tho iuen rojected a counter-proposal submitted sub-mitted by J. F. Welborn, president of tho company. When tho miners left tho meeting they said a strllco appeared certain, but later Hiram E. Hilts, chairman of tho stato Industrial workers commission, com-mission, said tho situation was not hopeless and ho expected another ' conference would bo held tomorrow. "Ttio situation Is serious" said James F. Moran prosldent of district I No. ID, United Mlno Workers of America. "No' strlko has yet been callod nnd I havo no means of determining deter-mining Just what tho noxt movo will bo, but It Is moro than likely that tho men will wulk out at an oarly dato unless somo development chang-s chang-s tho situation. Thero Is nothing further for mo to do with tho present pres-ent conference out to notify Mr. Welborn Wel-born thnt his proposition has been rejected." Calls for Another Conference. Chairman Hilts of tho stato Industrial Indus-trial commission said that ho hoped to nrrangO' nnothor conforenco for tomorrow, but whon tho miners left tho meeting they said they had voted ) 40 to return to tholr homes. Whether they would ngreo to another conference confer-ence tomorrow, as suggested by Mr. Hilts, wasuncortaln tonight. Tho proposition which tho union dolegatos rejected was submitted by J. F. Wolbom, presldont of tho Colo. Fuel & Iron company as a counterproposal counter-proposal to tho mon3 suggestion that an arbitration commlttoo bo appointed. appoint-ed. Mr. Wolborn said tho company positively would not roeognlzo tho union and ouggosted a commltteo of four miners, ono from each mining I .dUtrlct.- four men representatives of I tho stato Industrial commission a3 I ft conciliation body. Mr. Wolborn In a statement given out tonight said: "I agreo that ovory grlveance, with tho exception of tho request for union recognition, should bo Investigated Investi-gated and adjusted satisfactorily or referred to tho stato industrial clm-mlsslon. clm-mlsslon. In tho midst of tho proceedings, pro-ceedings, however, Mr. Moran proposed pro-posed that all complaints bo referred to a commltteo composed of ono man named by the union and ono by myself, my-self, this committee, If necessary, to agreo upon a third member. "I declined to agreo to this pro-pobal, pro-pobal, tho acceptance of which would havo Involved tho abandonment, for tho tlmo being, of tho methods of settling set-tling disputes provided In our Industrial Indus-trial representation plan." Strike Xotlco Already Filed. Although formal notlco of Intension Inten-sion 'to strlko August 1 was filed thirty days ago with tho stato industrial in-dustrial commission In conformity with tho stato law, tho actual Issuance Issu-ance of tho call was doferred ponding pond-ing tho outcome of tho conferences which broko up tonight and tho oxact dato when tho men will walk out, if tho notlco to strlko is carried out, is uncertain aa yet. Tho Colorado Fuel & Iron company com-pany omploys between 5000 and C000 men In its coal mines. Tho list of grievances submitted to tho company contained 'nlntoen, tho first being recognition of tho United Mlno Workers of America. Most of tho others related to working conditions, including tho telght-hour day. Ono domanded removal of gunmen gun-men from all eamps who aro lsot thero to intimidate- tho miners and provent them from getting or asking for fair play or Justlco. Another grlovauco complained that tho company has refused to check off 1 per cont of tho miners' wages "at their ronuost, same to bo paid to tho rod cross during tho war ihrough tho secretary chosen by tho miners." |