The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-20
The MINERS ADJOURN
PRESIDENT MITCHELL's ADVICE
ACCEPTED.
WILL BE NO GENERAL STRIKE.
THOROUGH SYSTEM OF ASSESS
MENT PROVIDED.

dent Mitchell, Adopted Unanimous
ly-Fifty Thousand Dollars ApprO-
priated From National Treasury to
Aid Anthracite Strikers-Assess-
ments of Ten Per Cent. to BE
Levied ON All Members in Seven
Districts and 81 Per Week Per Man
in Nine Others-A Public Appeal to
he Made-Work to He Sought for
strikers In other Mine Regions.
Indianapolis, Ind, July 19.-At /
o'clock this afternoon the convention
of United Mine Workers adjourned.
after declaring against a general
strike, providing for the raising of a
anthracite miners and issuing an APP
peal TO the American people for sup
port.
The recommendations, brought in by
a special committee and which are
practically identical with those sug-
gested by President Mitchell and
unanimously adopted by the conven-
ton, follows:
First. That the national treasurer be
authorized and directed to Immediately
appropriate $4,000 from the funds of
the national treasury and place
it at the disposal of the
officers of districts No. 1, and 8
tthese are the anthracite districts).
Second. That all districts, sub-dis-
| tricts and local unions be appealed to
to donate from the surplus in their
treasures as large amounts as they
car afford.
Third. That an assessment of 10 per
| cent. be levied on the gross earnings of
all members of local unions in districts
| Nos. 6. S, IL, 10, % and g. and an as
| sessment of 81 per week upon all mem
bers of local unions in districts Nos. 2,
5, IL, IL, ID, Is, 16, 20 and 81. The men,
| bers of districts now on strike,
which may resume work before
this assessment has been removed,
| shall be assessed either 10 per cent
| of their gross earnings, or 81 per week,
whichever their district may decide
from the time work Is resumed.
Fourth. The assessment shall be
paid direct from the local unions to
the national secretary, and the local
unions will be held responsible for
the payment of the same.
Fifth. An assessment of rs per cent.
Will be levied upon the wages salary
or percentage received from the or
ganization of all national, district and
sub-district officers and organizers.
Sixth. The assessment shall begin
with the 10th of July, 1909.
Seventh. All contributions made
from the national officer to the anthra-
cite region will be divided pro rata
| to each anthracite district in accord
| ance with the number of miners ana
| mine laborers in each of them, as
shown by the most recent coal reports.
| Eighth. That circular be issued to
| the American people.
To Find Work for Strikers.
The following amendment submitted
| by President Nichols of anthracite dis
| trict No. 1. was included:
THAT each local union in the regions
| that are at work select a committee
which shall secure work for as many
of the men on strike as possible in the
locality where the local union is stu
ated, and that the local union inform
secretaries of the strike districts of
the number Of men needed, the kind
of work, wages and arrangements for
transportation. That the same propo-
sition be submitted to all local unions
in the American Federation of Labor
ninth. That the circular to our To-
cal unions shall include a fecommen-
dation that committees be appointed
TO canvass the business men and other
citizens of their localities for subscrip-
tons"
The Miners Hard Conditions.
The circular to the public states he
line of action determined on and the
reasons therefor. 1t says in part:
when we look upon enormous for
tunes that our labor has made posi-
be, and the luxuries it brings to the
people at large, and then examine the
paltry pittance we receive as wages for
the labor we have to perform, the dan
gers we undergo, the dampness we
must endure, the foul air we must
breathe and the peculiar rheumatic and
lung troubles, superinduced by these
conditions which we must bear, we nat
urally feel that we are being unjustly
dealt with.
1.-THE extremely low wages paid to
anthracite miners; the refusal of the
coal companies to have the coal prop
erty weighed, or to permit the miners
to employ a man, at their own ex-
pense, to see the coal they have mined
weighed, measured or credited; the
great number of hours the miner must
work each day in the most unsanitary
conditions; their cruel and unjust
ny petty UOSS65t the dTDl-
trary assumption by the employers
that neither the miners nor the pub
lie has any rights that are entitled TO
consideration by them, have forced us
to organize, not to take from the
operators that which belongs to them,
but to secure, by business methods,
better treatment and fair recompense
for our labor.
Position of the Miners.
'1f 1t is the purpose of the coal oper-
ators to destroy our union then upon
the principle that self preservation is
the first law of nature, we would be
fully justified in taking drastic meas
ures to prevent the accomplishment of
their designs.
I'VE believe that our interests in the
community and our obligations to the
operators with whom we have agree
ments require that we shall not in
augurate a general suspension of work
our union, but they cannot make us
vioolate our contracts.
1.-The struggle in the anthracite re-
gion will be continued until our de-
mands have been granted or a coTnpe-
tent board OF arbitration has declared
that we ar ewrong."
The circular appeals for all possible
pressure on the officers and stockhold-
ers Of all anthracite coal interests to
secure arbitration. A general plea is
made for assistance in raising $1,000
0ec per month from outside sources.
as long as the strike may last.
The miners Of Illinois have appro-