Show COAL MINERS MERS WANT CONTINUED PEACE IS IN RANKS i While S Unions Demands mands Will Try to toI I Avoid Strikes t f NO TROUBLE IN UTAH Wage ge Agreements to Expire r in in inMany Many States During DuringS f Current Years Year S INDIANAPOLIS Jan 18 18 About 1300 delegates faced aced ced John P. P White when he lie opened the he twenty-fifth twenty convention of the United Mine Workers of America here toda today Before the convention convention con con- adjourns it will have outlined a a. policy that will affect probably a half hul million miWon coal miners in the United S States and Canada Wage agreements will vill expire this year in all till the hard aritt soft sott coal districts of Pennsylvania Ohio Indiana Illinois West Virginia Kentucky Michigan 1 Iowa Kansas Oklahoma Arkansas Missouri Montana 1 Wyoming and Washington Wasl Favors Peace Policy In these states there will be new demands demands de de- de- de mands made and if the powers that now know now control the miners organization have their way coal mining will wilt conI continue continue con con- I without interruption so long as there is a possible chance of coming to toan toan toan an agreement President White favors such a policy and has stated that there thereS S should be no strikes so long as there are honest efforts made by each side to arrange new wage scales Tho The union anthracite mine workers bavi already formulated their de demands demands de- de mands mauds and the convention is expected to ratify them without much discus discus- sion slon This will leave the way open for wide discussion on the proposition o of adopting a basic wage scale for all the tho bit bituminous fields Then will come the adoption of a So policy polley that will wilt af affect affect affect af- af all districts anthracite and bi bi- bi Want 10 Per Pel Cent Raise I The Ohio miners have agreed to ask aska a a. 10 per cent increase in wages on the mine run basis and hope to have such sucha n n. demand inserted in the wage scale to tobe tobe tobe be adopted by the convention Other districts are expected to fall in line with Ohio Leaders of the union say that while industrial conditions are favorable for asking for higher wages and general improvement in working conditions the conservative members of the organization will try to prevent the convention from running wild and making radical demands The question of the country's pree preparedness pre- pre for r war is expected ec to ca cause bf Z considerable e discussion s among O g the delegates when resolutions bearing on that subject are presented during the sessions Womans Woman's suffrage is also expected to Come up The United Mine Workers Work Work- ers era ra are on record as in favor of ot equal suffrage t 1 Oppose Preparedness White declared in his biennial re report report report re- re port read to the delegates of the union uniOnS that he was fully convinced that the men of labor are unalterably opposed to the whole scheme of pre pre- White commended President President President Pres Pres- ident Wilson for keeping the country at peace and said that too much praise I cannot be given to the president fo his great efforts In this direction S The leader of the miners then referred to preparedness and asserted that the manufacturers who are re repeating re- re enormous profits by reason of tho the European n war no doubt have much to do o with the general topic of pT pro pre Taking up UI organization matters President White referred tot be he fact that tha W wage ge agreements will expire April 1 ir in iq the anthracite field and In many Cen ral and Western states later in th inthe inthe the year and in British Columbia In March 1917 I most earn earnestly urge that our scale committee carefully canvass canvass can can- vass ass the the- situation when form formulating la our d demands mands for the consideration of this convention he said Industrial conditions are greatly improved now and from various authoritative sources we are advised that the country is ent entering rIng upon an unprecedented era of I prosperity We should demand such improvements in our wale wage scale as conditions will warrant I Rockefeller Plan Denounced White said he thought the policy of keeping the miners at work pending settlements is essential to the welt well being of the organization and its membership mem mem- and the welfare of the public Continuing on this line he said There is no longer an any need of re remaining remaining re- re idle during negotiations and of ot destroying the markets markers of the or organized organized organized or- or territory by permitting a few who speculate In coal stock to make montY money out o of the misfortunes of the people I can see n no well welt defined reason reason rea rea- son on why the miners cannot with Just Justas as much safety to tt their welfare and interest work pending negotiations 1 as do other bodies o of organized work worl men under like circumstances I therefore recommend that we reaffirm reaffirm reaffirm reaf reaf- firm our policy to work pending ne ne- ne- ne White urged that efforts be made to reduce the size of the international conventions The report noted the fact that a committee of the United I ane Workers had reported against t the proposition of amalgamating with the Vest Western ern Federation of Miners White reviewed the history of the Colorado strike and reiterated his op opposition opposition opposition op- op position to the Rockefeller plan of dealing with labor In the mining districts districts districts dis dis- dis- dis of Colorado White had this this' to say about the Colorado labor troubles s Our federal government has been greatly exercised about the welfare of its citizens in foreign lands and upon the high seas which is commendable but When Its attention is directed to these domestic outrages occurring ill t one of our our own sovereign states we weare weare weare I are advised that it is powerless to protect the citizens of our own country country country coun coun- i try under such circumstances This I condition cannot long endure and evenhanded justice must be meted outto out outto outto to the high priced anarchist the same as to any other who transgresses the law S S |