The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sunday Morning, December 13, 1936 (Vol. 134, No. 60)



Forty Hurt in Mine Strike — Rioting Flares After Attempt To Start Work.  

Two score persons were beaten and bruised in a riot involving more than 500 men at the foot of Park City’s Main street Saturday afternoon as volunteer workers from Heber City attempted to crash union picket lines, massed to prevent reopening of the district mines after a nine-week strike.

County Launches Quiz Into Officer’s Failure to Prevent Violence.  

After the battle the Summit county commission met in emergency session to inquire into the asserted failure of Sheriff Ephraim Adamson to prepare for and prevent violence. John P. Stevens of Henefer, chairman of the commission, reported after the meeting that the Wasatch county contingent planned to return Sunday and insisted that “we must bring them back at all costs to show that law can be enforced in Park City.”

Situation Tense.  

The situation was tense in Park City at dawn as members of the striking International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, who Friday had voted against an operator’s offer to settle the strike, formed picket lines to prevent rehiring of men. It became more taut with reports that Heber City members of the Park City District Mine Employes’ Welfare association were preparing to advance upon Park City and reenter the closed metal mines.

Shortly before 2 p. m. the Wasatch county contingent of 125 men, traveling in an automobile caravan, was sighted on the highway a quarter of a mile from Park City, Union pickets massed at the foot of Main street and Park avenue. Sheriff Adamson and his deputies met the caravan.

Stops Caravan.  

The sheriff assertedly stopped the caravan before it entered the city and searched the Heber City volunteers for weapons before allowing them to proceed. After determining there were no arms in the group, he allowed the machines to proceed.

The caravan proceeded up the hill leading to Main street, when it was abruptly confronted by some 400 union pickets, massed tightly in the narrow street. The first automobile was unable to pass. The caravan was stopped.

Fists Fly, Autos Overturn, as Women Spectators Urge Fighters.  

Immediately the mass of pickets closed in from both sides. Non-union men were snatched from the machines and the two first cars were overturned by the pickets. Other caravan members alighted from the cars, to be met with the flying fists of the union men, and to suffer bruised and bleeding heads and faces. The battle raged in the street for 10 or 15 minutes, then apparently ceased of it own volition.

By this time, Sheriff Adamson had arrived with his deputies, but attempts to stop the struggle were futile. The pitched battle renewed and women, lined along the outskirts, shouted encouragement to the fighting union men, imprecations at the Wasatch county contingent.

Battle Stops.  

Minor encounters were noted along the fringes of the pitched battle, which centered around the caravan. After 40 minutes of fighting, the volunteer workers were beaten and staggered down the hill.

A rumor then spread through the picket lines that the Wasatch county cordon had reorganized down the hill and planned to enter the Spiro tunnel, and entrance to the Silver King mine. Union men rushed to the tunnel portals, but the Wasatch county group had retired.

National Guardsmen.  

After the fight, the county commission went into session with Adjutant General W. G. Williams, Major H. A. Rich, judge advocate of the Utah national guard and Colonel Hamilton Gardner, commander of the 222nd field artillery, a unit of the national guard. County Commissioners Ed J. McPolin of Park City and E. A. Lemon of Marion also attended.

After the session, Commissioner Stevens stated:

“We must insist that these roads be kept open. More than likely the Heber City group will come back tomorrow. In fact, I know they are coming back. We must bring them back to show that law can be enforced in Park City. We are considering means to take care of the situation.

“More than ten days ago the comission instructed Sheriff Adamson to make ample preparations for an occurrence such as this. It appears they were not made.

“We are making an inquiry now as to why these preparations were not made. We have got to see that these men get through when they return to Park City.”

The national guard officers declined to comment upon the situation and Sheriff Adamson placed responsibility for the violence upon union pickets, who, he said, “promised me this noon there would be no violence and that I would be able to escort the men through the lines.”

Criticize Sheriff — New Fight Feared.  

Members of the Heber City contingent, however, reported the sheriff exerted slight effort as an escort, and a number of the group were heard to criticise him for following instead of leading the volunteers into the city. Orville Cummings, vice president of the Park City District Mine Employes’ Welfare association, who led the group, said after the battle:

“We had about 125 men with us today and we are coming back tomorrow if we can get adequate protection.”

To determine what protection can be obtained for those willing to work, J. L. Johnson, president of the welfare association, came to Salt Lake City to confer with Governor Henry H. Blood at a conference arranged by Gloyd M. Wiles, general manager of the Park City Consolidated mine. He was accompanied by three volunteers injured in the Park City riot.

Refuse Comment.  

Union leaders made no comment upon the outbreak of violence in the strike which had been conducted peacefully for nine weeks. But it was understood the union will maintain its picket lines.

Violence attending the strike followed on the heels of a union rejection of the strike-settlement offer made by mine operators. The offer resulted from mediation of Governor Blood between operators and international union officials. The proposal, accepted by the officials, was submitted to vote Friday and rejected by the local rank and file.

Violence attending the strike followed on the heels of a union rejection of the strike-settlement offer made by mine operators. The offer was made through the mediation of Governor Blood between operators and union leaders. The negotiations were made by Reid Robinson, president of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers; Ora Wilson, district representative, and Glen Gillespie, state representative of the union. The offer of the operators was submitted to vote Friday night and rejectied by the rank and file.

Meanwhile operators had posted notices that men would be reemployed Saturday at 10 a. m. Union pickets were posted at all approaches to thwart the reemployment, and union officials said no Park City workers applied.

At Keetley, however, Park Utah Consolidated Mines officials reported a full crew reported for work. Half a crew 40 men reentered the mine, in Wasatch county, at 8:30 a. m., said O. N. Friendly, general manager.

Although union officials reported the number of workers reporting to reopened mines in the Bingham-Lark area was dwindling daily, work proceeded Saturday without violence. Weekly ore reports from the district showed the following shipments from reopened mines:

Utah-Delaware, 800 tons; Utah Apex, 300 tons; U. S. mine, 1750 tons. Utah-Delaware shipment was said to be about normal, that of the Utah Apex half of normal and that of the U. S. mine about a fourth of average.

As the riot in Park City raged, union officials were conferring with Governor Blood in a last-minute effort to terminate the strike. Among them was Tom Costas, secretary of Park City local No. 99 the union which rejected the operators’ offer. He returned to Park City Saturday afternoon to report the outcome of the conference to union members.

W. M. Rogers, U. S. labor department conciliator, was at a Salt lake City hotel saturday, but declined to comment upon the disorders accompanying the strike.

[captions to two pictures] As Violence Flared in Labor Dispute
A crowd of Park City mine pickets awaiting the arrival of a caravan of would-be returning workers (above).

The same pickets are shown (below) putting the job seekers to rout after a furious riot on the main street of Park City.

Truce Offer As Rejected By Strikers  

Basis of Settlement Disapproved in Strike Ballot.  

The strike settlement offer of Park City mines operators, which was rejected Friday night, was made public Saturday. Simultaneously it was learned that another document had been signed by Reid Robinson, president of the International Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers’ union; Glen Gillespie, Utah union representative, and Ora Wilson, district representative of the international. It was not made public by Governor Henry H. Blood.

The settlement offer follows:

To His Excellency Henry H. Blood, governor.
Honorable Members of the Industrial Commission of Utah,
Mr. Scott Smith, president Park City Mine and Mill Workers’ union No. 99, International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, and members of negotiating committee, Local No. 99, Park City, Utah,
Employes of undersigned companies.

Sirs:

To eliminate all possibilities of misunderstanding respecting the attitude of the undersigned companies in this strike, be advised as follows:

Confirming our announcement of November 11, 1936, we will increase the daily wage twenty-five cents (25c) above the scale prevailing October 9, 1936.

In reemploying men, no discrimination will be shown against any employe because of participation in this strike or in union activities, nor will the managements impose medical examination for the purpose of using it against men on strike.

Further confirming our previous letter, we will continue our efforts to discover the possibilities of basing the wage scale of the future upon the price of metals, of using any other recognized index that may contribute to the solution of the problem.


Very truly yours,
Silver King Coalition Mines company, by James Ivers, general manager,
Park Utah Consolidated mines company, by O. N. Friendly, general manager,
Park City Consolidated Mines company, by G. W. Wiles, general manager.