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Show UNITED WORKERS NOT FOR WAR International President Declares De-clares Men of Labor Unalterably Unalt-erably Against Preparedness. Pre-paredness. COMMENDS WILSON Too Much Praise Cannot Be Given For Keeping United States at Peace. Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 18. John P. White, international president of the United Workers of America, declared in his bienna report, read to the delegates dele-gates of the union in convention here today, that he was "fully convinced that the men of labor are unalterably opposed to the whole scheme of preparedness." pre-paredness." Mr. White commended President Wilson for keeping the country at peace and said too much praise "cannot bo given to the president presi-dent for his great efforts in this direction." di-rection." The leader of the miners then referred to preparedness and asserted as-serted that "the munition manufacturers manufac-turers who are reaping enormous profits prof-its by reason of the European war no doubt have much to do with the general topic of preparedness." Considers Wage Agreement. Taking up organization matters, President White referred to the fact that wage agreements will expire April 1 In the anthracite field and in many central and western states later in the year, and in British Columbia in March, 1917. "I most earnestly urge that our scale committee carefully care-fully canvass the situation when formulating for-mulating our demands for the consideration con-sideration of this convention," he said. "Industrial conditions are greatly Improved Im-proved now, and from various authoritative author-itative sources we are advised that the country is entering upon an unprecedented un-precedented era of prosperity. We should demand such improvements in our wage scale as conditions will warrant." Mr. White said he thought the policy pol-icy of keeping the miners at work pending settlements Is essential to the well being of the organization and its membership and the welfare of the public. Continuing on this line he said. No Need of Being Idle. "There is no longer any need of remaining re-maining idle during negotiations and of destroying the markets of the organized or-ganized territory by permitting a few who speculate in stock coal to make money out of the misfortunes of the people. I can see no well defined reason why the miners cannot with Just as much safety to their welfare ind Interest, work pending negotiations negotia-tions as do other bodies of organized workmen under like circumstances. I therefore recommend that we re-affirm our policy to work pending negotiations." ne-gotiations." Mr. White argued that efforts 'be made to reduce the size of the international in-ternational conventions. The report noted the fact that a committee of the United Mine Workers had reported re-ported against the proposition of amalgamating with the Western Fed-9ration Fed-9ration of Miners. Mr. White reviewed re-viewed the history of the Colorado strike and reiterated his opposition to the Rockefeller plan 0f dealing with labor in the mining districts of Colorado. Colo-rado. Colorado Labor Troubles. Mr. White had this to say about the Colorado labor troubles: "Our federal government has been greatly excited about the welfare of its citizens in foreign lands and upon the high sea, which is commendable, but when Its attention is directed to these domestic outrages occuring in one of our own sovereign states, we are advised that it is powerless to protect pro-tect the citizens of our own country under such circumstances. This condition con-dition cannot long endure, and even handed justice must be meted out to the high priced anarchist the same as to any other who transgresses the law." |
