The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-30
A COAL MINERS Meeting
DELEGATES WILL ASSEMBLE AT
HUNTINGTON, W. "a, TOMORROW.
The Purpose Is 10 Br ~ Miners and
Operators Togetasr tn Adjust
Wage scales.

In response to a call sent out from the
headquarters Of the United Mine Workers
of America, in the Stevenson building,
delegates from the coal mines Of Virginia
and West Virginia will meet in convention
at Huntington, W. Va, tomorrow, TO
adopt a plan, il possible. that will be the
means of bringing the miners and opera
tors Of these two States into a joint con-
vention to adjust wage scales and other
differences. The official call sets out no
other purpose Of the convention and the
national officers say the meeting will only
bring about conciliatory measures. The
invitation is extended TO both union and
nonunion miners and asks them to send
delegates. The degree of pressure TO be
brought upon the operators to meet the
miners in joint convention depends upon
the reports of the delegates to the conven-
ton.
The organization of the miners in Vir-
ginia and West Virginia, in particular. has
been a hard task for the United Mine
Workers and for nearly a year. a special
corps of organizers has been at work
trying to induce the men TO join the union.
Chris Evans, one of the oldest organizers
of the mine workers, established headquar-
ters at Charleston at the beginning of this
renewed effort, and has been in consulta-
ton with the national officers and district
organizers since the work began. Thomas
Haserty, organizer of District II, has had
his headquarters at Clarksburg. and has
been assisted by John II. Walker and
Thomas Burk, of Illinois. n William
vorro ~1.fuoo1 1Tba -;tbArou mel of Nvor-
ner from the field caused much comment.
it being stated that he had been dismissed.
At national headquarters it is denied that
Warner was dismissed. but it is said that
he resigned TO accept the SUPPLEMENTARY
of a mine in Ohio. He still retains his mem
bership in the United Mine Workers and
is a member in good standing.
THE ORGANIZERS.
The work of organizing in the Kanawha
and New River vicinities has been done by
l.. n. Coleman and w. II. Crawford. of
Illinois. and John Taylor, a local miner.
George w. Purcell, of Terre Haute, one of
the national organizers and member Of the
executive board, has also spent consider
able time assisting these men. and has
addressed miners in other parts of the
State. Other assistants who worked in
various parts of the State are John Had
dow, of Iowa; w. II. Weber, of Illinois,
and Mother Jones. who is now an au-
thorized organizer for the United Mine
Workers. Since the first OF October Vice
President Lewis, of the national organiZa-
ton, has made a canvass of the State and
several mass meetings have been held
recently in the interest of the organization.
One of these held at Clarksburg, Oct. 4,
was addressed by Eugene Y. Debs and
Secretary Wilson, and another at Parkers-
hIrO nv Vice President IaUlG Secretary
Wilson and several other organizers. These
meetings were to ascertain the attitude of
the miners as we'll as increase the MEM
bership of the organization.
There are fifty local unions in West Vir-
ginia and all of these Will send delegates
to the convention. The men of prominence
in the mine workers organization who will
attend the convention are President John
Mitchell. Secretary-treasurer w. b. Wilson
Vice President 7. III. Lewis, National Or
ganiZer James Boston, OF Illinois; National
Organizer w. r. Farley. of Alabama. and
President w. r. Russell, of the Illinois
district.
tremely difficult in West Virginia, due TO
the Indifference of the miners themselves
and the opposition OF the operators. The
recent action OF some operators IN adopt
ing an ''ironclad' agreement, whereby
miners forfeit their lease on a home if IL
is broken. has done more to excite interest
among the miners than any other objective
feature. The agreement provides that a
miner is TO continue work through any trou-
BILE. shall not strike or quit work without
the consent of the company that employs
him. The 'irOnclad" has aroused the ire
of the mine workers officials and they
term it's Introduction as nothing short of
slavery. This will he one of the important
matters brought before the convention and
decisive action may be taken on the meas
WORK OF CONVENTION.
While it is said the convention will not
adopt a scale to present to the operators it
-.Y, Is--.-- .--1:.so-. 81 H. -.z1.s,-
may be the primary movement in making d
demand should the operators refuse to
meet the miners in joint convention. The
United Mine Workers are demanding a
scale based on the scale of Kentucky,
Maryland and Tennessee. With the ex-
! ception Of the miners in West Virginia that
| are unionized the scale paid ranges ali the
way from is to 30 cents a ton. The mini
mum scale i'm Kentucky is 81 cents a ton,
and in MARYLAND 30 cents. The company
stores and company doctors are evils the
union wishes to eliminate. II is charged
that the company stores charge 10 to 30 per
cent. more for their goods than independ-
ent stores. In some places miners are
charged for water. the officers say, and
this will be considered. They also COM
plain that rents are eXorbitant, miners be-
ing charged from 81 to 81 a month for
houses that are put up for $50 to $50. 1t
is also charged that some of the com
/ DADleS nave NlOthdutS III WHICH litN hctD
negroes imported from Southern States.
These are the important grievances the
miners hold against the operators. and
with the smaller ones, is placed under the
head affirmation. but no questions
The ultimate end i'm view is to place West
Virginia on a uniform basis with Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio. Indiana and Illinois and other
States governed by the miners and opera
tors in the interstate agreement. Thus. the
organization movement is two-fold-to
unionize the mines and 10 place West Vir-
ginia on a uniform basis with other States
to hold intact the interstate agreement.
The operators in the agreement have en-
tered vigorous complaint against the
United Mine Workers for not unionizlng
the mines of West Virginia.
A STRONG COMPETITOR.
1t is said that that State is now a strong
competitor in the market and the low
wages paid enables the operators to UNI
dersell those in the agreement. There was
much talk in the last joint convention of
the Operators Association and the United
Mine Workers regarding West Virginia and
certain operators threatened to withdraw
unless that State was organized. Threat
.-od Nth tb;c disaster tho officers Of tho