Federal investigations into alleged strike-breaking activities at Park city, Bingham and Lark was asked by local mine union officials today in a letter sent to Robert LaFollette, chairman of a Senate Investigating Committee dealing with labor problems. Professional strike-breakers have been hired by the operating companies according to the letter, which was signed by H. L. Miles, secretary of District Union No. 2 of the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. The Utah miners are capable of conducting the strike without interference, the letter stated.
Senator LaFollette was asked to send an investigator to Utah to look into the charges made by the mine unions.
Operators of the mines today verbally denied the allegations brought by the miners.
“I don’t know anything about it. It’s news to me,” said E. A. Hamilton, general manager of the United States Smelting and Refining company, operator of the mines.
A spokesman for the Park Utah Consolidated operators said, “We haven’t heard a thing about it.”
The letter, sent via airmail to Senator LaFollette, read in part as follows:
“There is a strike in Utah in the metal mines at Lark, Bingham Canyon and Park City. This strike has been in effect since October 9, 1936, and everything has been peaceful until 10 days ago when there appeared on the scene a man supposed to be from Kansas, Oklahoma and other points.
“He is going among the men stirring up disension. He is an outsider and it is our opinion that he was induced to come here by the operators as a strike breaker. He is trying to organize company unions at this time, only he calls them athletic associations. This man claims to have settled strikes in various parts of the country.
“We would like to have a federal investigator sent to Utah by you to investigate this strike-breaker.
“We feel that the men in these camps are capable of conducting the strike without interference from professional strike-breakers.”
The following is from this morning’s Salt Lake Tribune:
The Park Utah club, welfare organization of Wasatch county miners Wednesday night announced its intention of redrafting its organization for the purpose of closing the metal mines strike in the Park City district.
At a mass meeting of miners in the South Summit high school in Kamas, at which Lee Johnson of Heber, club president, presided, the constitution was read and the proposal made that it be revised to include all workers of the Park City district and to authorize negotiations with operators.
Reports from the meeting said that several hundred miners form both Summit and Wasatch counties expressed willingness to accept operators’ terms under the club organization and return to work.
Mr. Hunt said his company had never recognized the local of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, which is sponsoring the seven-weeks old walkout, and though not recognizing the new club as representing their employes, would be willing to talk with “any group” ready to return to the mines.
Principal speaker at the Kamas meeting was W. A. Godwin, “labor evangelist” who said he came to Utah to attempt to settle the strike “in the interests of the workers.”
Mr. Johnson, president of the newly active club, said “we’re hoping that the constitution will be revised and hoping that through the club we can negotiate to close the strike.“ He said that a meeting of the club officers would be held either Thursday or Friday night to redraft the constitution.
Leaders of Park City local No. 99 of the International union though declining any official comment, said they were certain that the mine operators of the …