| Show CONVENTION OPENS Over One Thousand Delegates Are In Attendance Indianapolis tad Ind March na national national convention of the United Mine MineWorkers Wor Workers er of America opened at 10 with over 1000 delegates pres present present ent ent representing 1461 locals The con convention venton has been caled called by PresIdent Michel Mitchell to consider any questions that may arIse in an agreement wih with the coal operators that wi will prevent a gen general general eral strike on Apri AprIl 1 that would bring men from the mines The con conference conference ference wih with wl will begin here next next When the last con convention venton of the mine worker workers adjourned Feb 2 followIng a joInt conference with the operators which had failed to ar an arrive rive nyc at a agreement strike wage a was ordered on Apri April I 1 unless something should intervene At that convention which assemble assembled Jan an 16 the mIners had demanded an increase in wages of per cent cent the admission of the southwestern states a 7 per cent dif differential between machie machine and pick mining a 12 per Der cent advance for yardage ad and ded dead work prohibition of employment of boys under 16 years old oldan oldan an day a contract and a run of mIne basis he miners also adopted a resolution offered by Mr Ryan of Illinois that no distrct district should sign a wae wage agreement until al all the districts signed This ac action tion kown known as the Ryan resolution wl will come before the convention for consideration Unless it Is rescinded the bituminous miner miners cannot sig sign a wage agreement until the anthracite miner miners operator operators sig sign an agreement wih with their Demands of Operators The operators on the other hand demanded a reduction of from 10 to 15 per cent protection agins against sympathetic strikes and a better system of adjudicating lol local trouble troubles On Feb 2 the conference adjourned after the defeat of a moton motion that the present wage wag scale be continued This moton motion 18 was offered by Mr F L Rob Robbins bIn bins of Pitsburg Pittsburg who was the sp spokes spokesman es esma ma man for the operators Al All of the oper operator operators ator voted for th the moton motion except the Illinois operators who dId not vote ad and al all the miner miners voted against the moton motion except Patrick Dolan Dolan who as president of the distrct district voted te the western Pennsylvania mIners for the moton motion He has lIas since ben been deposed from office but has refused to resign At the forer former convention the miners vote voted to provide for a strike fund whIch would bring the amount in the several treasuries of the mines miners to ThIs mater matter wa was then left to te the national executive board Held Many Conferences Since the adjournment of the forer former convention and joint conference President President dent lItchel Mitchell has conferred wih with Mr F L Robbins and other leader leaders of the operator operators following the reception of a aletter leter letter from President Roosevelt ad addressed dressed to both Mr Robbins and lIr Mr Mitchel Mitchell I It wa was decIded by Mr Rob Robbins bins and oter other operators to make an ofer offer to restore the wae wage scale of two yer years ago whIch would be an Increase of 55 per cent over the thur present scle scale However the operators of IndIana II 11 Ohio and other states have op opposed opposed posed the granting of any Increase whatever I It has been the understand understandIng ing among the miners s of this distrct district that the organization would accept the restoration of the wage scale of two years ago When te the convention met today the differences that have appeared to exist between President Michel Mitchell and Vice President Lewis were apparently laId aside and wi will not be allowed to inter interfere interfere fere with the more important work of the convention that the miner miners might present a unie united front The first business of the convention was te the work of organization and the geter greater part of te the day wa was ta taken n up wih with credentials of the delegates When te the credentials committee had concluded Is Its report the reading of whIch occupied several hours President Mitchell formally called the convention to order and sad said Mitchels Mitchells Address Formally declaring this convention open for tor the transaction of business it may not be i It seems quie quite I should report the principal incident incidents and cause whIch prompted the cl call for this nary meetingS of the Ule United Mine ine ers ens of America and in addition tere there thereto to to make some suggestions for your guIdance which may facilitate the work of the convention and I hOle hope prove helpful in reestablishing our relations wih with the operator operators upon a basIs which wi will be just to them reasonably sat satis satisfactory factor factory to the gret great constituency we and at the same time represent prop properly erly consIderate of the welfare of te the entire count country whose Interests canot cannot be regarded with Impunity by ay any class of citizens regardless of is Its strength or Influence Wille In New York at tending of the anthracite corn com mite appointed by the Shamokin con venton held on Dee 1 14 I held several with Francis Robbins pros pre ident of the Pits Pittsburg burg Coal co company pany and subsequently with other operators at this e the question of our disagreement upon the wage scale wa was discussed in an informal way I also aso held conferences wih with several of the te movement leing leding and active workers in our own As a result of this meeting we came cameto cameto to believe that tere there had been such changes in the coal trade or at least in inthe inthe the method of many operators a as to justify that there wa was a possibility of reaching an agreement provIded the joint conventIons were reconvened Aide Aside however from my own im impressions impressions ad and te the impressions of those of my colleagues wIth whom I consult consulted ed te the following letter from the president president dent of te the United States addressed to Mr Robbins Bobbins and to me seemed suf cent dent justification to warrant ourselves and our employer employers in making an efort effort to rach reach an agreement Leter Letter From Roosevelt I Te The White House Washington Wahington Feb 24 I note wih with very great concer concern the fact that in your late convention or joint interstate confer conference conference ence ence the failure to come com to a basis of settlement of the bituminous mining scle scale of wages You in this business have enjoyed a geat great Industrial peace for many year years thanks to the joint trade agreement that has resulted from the aton action of your successive conven conventions tons A strike such as is threatened on AprI April 1 would be a menace to te the peace the business interests and the general welfare of the county country I urge you to make another efort effort to avert such a calamity You and Mr Robbins are joInt chairmen of the trade agee agree agreement ment committee of the National CivIc Federation I It seems to me that this imposes an additional duty upon you both and gives an additional reason wh why each of you should joIn In making this further efort effort Signed THEODORE ROOSEVELT Ot at er Meetings Caled Called I take this occasion to report of tat that the operators of both time the central competitive and the south southwester southwestern wester western fields have caned called meetings of their representatIves to be held in this city on Monday mornIng March 19 While of coure course te the many conflict conflicting Ing and inharmonious statements ema emanating from various sources purport purportIng Ing to reflect the views of operators seem to indicate an entre entire absence of unity and concord among them in re no gard to the question of advancing wages I am nevertheless hopeful if not fully convinced that the urgency and seriousness of the situation wI will prompt them to make such reas concessions in the matter of wages and a as wi will enable us to join them in the rehabilitation of our joint agreement and the perpetuation of the business rel relationship tons ip under which we have worked with mutual advantage durIng the pat past eIght years and to this end I feel i It Incumbent upon rue me to say that a ver very large de degree gee gree of responsibility wi will rest upon us if these proposed negotiations lead ad to success Plea for Harmony In the consideration and discussion of al all maters matters coming before the eon con convention venton i It is my earnest hope that acrimonious debate wi will be entirely eliminated ad and that we shall stand united in an earnet earnest efort effort to sere serve our people and to secure for them a larger measure of time the fruit fruits of their toi toIl that when we leave Indianapolis our organization may have hae regained any prestige lost a as the resul result of the internal dissension and that even those unfrIendly to labor may be satisfied that te the United Mine Workers or of America is a sane just business as association whose highest purpose is not notto notto to achieve vIctories by means of is its great strength but rather through the inherent justice that les lies in the cause It represent represents During the orning Patrick Dolan of Pitsburg entered the conven ot and was much observed but there was no disorder Following the appointment of the committee on rules the convention took tooka I a recess |
