The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-19
ITS PASSAGE IS PROBABLE
Danger of Strike of Bitumi-
 nous Workers Past.
President of the Union Declares $500, ,ooo a Week is Necessary to Support the Anthracite
 Workers.

Indianapolis, Ind, July 1S-At the con- clusion of a secret session which lasted the entire afternoon the recommendations of President Mitchell for the management of the anthracite strike were referred to a special committee which is to report back to the convention when it meets to- morrow. This committee consists of President Mitchell, Vice-President Lewis, Secretary Wilson and the president of each district which is taking part in the convention.
 The Committee remained in session un- til midnight when it adjourned without completing it's work. It will reconvene at o'clock tomorrow morning While it's task is unfinished. 1t is practically cer tain that the Committee will urge the adoption of the recommendations of President Mitchell and the levying upon the members of the union of an arbitrary assessment of $1 per week, where there is no check office and of 10 per cent per week in localities where there is check office. It was also decided to use all the funds to be raised for the strikers in the anthracite district.
 At the opening of the executive session Vice President Lewis took the floor and delivered an energetic speech on the amendment offered by Delegate Haskins in the morning to the effect that the fund to be raised for the aid of the anthracite miners be extended to all of the striking miners where their strike has been sane tioned by the general organization. He declared that he thought all of the miners should be taken care of in like manner. He also warned the convention that it would be necessary for the convention to so word its recommendation as to avoid the laws of Pennsylvania which he said might cause trouble when an attempt was made to collect the assessments of the men through the check offices, by bringing about injunctions to restrain alleged conspiracy.
 Mitchell Speaks.
 President Mitchell then took the floor to speak for the adoption of the recom- mendations made in his speech of yester- day He told the convention that the strikes in West Virginia and elsewhere were being protected. by the general organization under the regular assess ments of the Union, but that the assess
  necessary for the support of the anthra- cite strike alone and should not be divert ed from its purpose.
 Tt is possible that other strikes may come" he said. and then under the pre- cedent which a general distribution of the fund to be raised would create. these later strikes could claim their share in the fund and it would be so depleted as to fail entirely of its purpose.
 maintaining strikes varied according to places and conditions.
 Tn the anthracite regions he said. the country is thickly settled. There are mills and factories and 1t Is possible for the men on strike to secure employment They are then no burden on the general orSanization. but are even able to help 1t. In West Virginia for instance there are but two vacations for the understanding or farming and they then have no chance for employment on strike. It costs much more per capita to keep up a strike In West Virginia than in the anthracite regions The anthracite strike Is in fact the cheapest strike that we can have and we should not allow 1t to go down 10 defeat by diverting the funds necessary for it."
 The Other Strikes.
 MT Mitchell assured the convention that the strike in the Pittsburg district ana all other strikes would be looked at- fer without splitting up the fund for the anthracite men and again urged the men to dismiss from their minds all thought of a general strike
 President DoIan of District 5. Pittsburg. made a long explanation of the manner in which the fund provided for the Pitts burg district had been expended ana told of the conditions surrounding the strike there.
 Several delegates then made short aneeches asking the convention to hasten matters and the Harkins amendment was voted down by a decisive majority rms left before the convention the orlglnal motion for the adoption of the recom- mendations of the president. A numoor of amendments were then offered, all re- lating to the manner in which the assess ment should be made. One by Secretary Wilson suggested that in some districts the assessment should be made on the percentage basis and in others on the ba- sis of N per week. One by Mir. Hahn fa- vored ten per cent of the net earnings of the members of the union and another by Vice-President Lewis ten per cent of the gross earnings. These were all pend ing when Secretary Wilson offered an amendment that the matter be referred to a committee made up of the three highest officers of the national organiza- lion and the presidents of the districts represented in the convention.
 This prevailed and an adjournment was taken until tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. At the conclusion of the session Secretary Wilson said:
 Costs $5OO,ooO a Week
 'It will cost $5OO.OOO weekly to support all the men now on strike in the various districts An assessment of sl per week will bring in s250O0O a week an assess nnent of 10 per cent per week upon each member of the union will result in about +ba same sum This will leave us S25O nn0 to realize each week from outside sources and from the promises and offers that have been made us we are confident that we will be ble to do this.
 At the morning session after the report -~t the credentials committee showing g.