The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-01-23
TALK NO LABOuR TROUBLES
cocerning Incorporation Of Trade
Unions and Government by
injunction.

SSASAOA OpSASN Ia q
yesterday. When President Mitchell
arrived there were over 600 delegates
present. He received a great ova-
ton. After the address of welcome,
to which MI. Mitchell responded
briefly. the preliminary work of the
convention was taken up.
President Mitchell began his ad-
dress by impressing upon the dele
gates the interests committed to their
care. Of the many important events
affecting the interest and welfare Of
the toilers of the country he said the
anthracite coal strike stood pre-emi-
nent.
Vital principles were at stake
which, if defeated, would have given
to the American labor movement a
shock from which it would have re-
quired years to rally and recover.
After giving a brief history of the
great strike, including the efforts of
the civic federation to settle the con-
troversy between the miners and
operators, the appointment of the
strike commission by President Roose-
welt and the white house conference,
Mr.. Mitchell continued:
cit would of course be improper at
this time for me to comment upon
the investigation being conduct
ed by the anthracite coal strike COM
mission, more than to say that it's
members are men in whose impair
TALLY and judgment 1 have full con
fidence.
"Firm in my opinion of our ability
to demonstrate the justice of our
claim, 1 have no fear of the outcome"
Touching conditions in Virginia and
West Virginia, President Mitchell
said the effort to secure for the min
ers the same conditions that obtained
in the districts covered by the inter
state agreement, had not met with
the degree of success that had been
hoped for, although a larger number
of local unions had been established
during the past year than during any
other period in the mining history
of those states. The effect of the
injunction was demoralizing to the
miners in the Fairmont region.
The strike in West Virginia,
tbo,ob M . comnIota success had
resulted in an improvement in the
conditions of employment and an in
crease of 10 per cent in wages in the
Fairmont district and on the Norfolk
& Western railroad. The fact that
strikes were becoming less numerous,
Mr.. Mitchell said, was due to the
operation of the joint agreements.
Local and general strikes, he said,
occurred more often in districts where
the operators refused to recognize the
organization or treat with it.
Mr.. Mitchell continued: with each
succeeding year the relations become
| mere cordial between the operators
and miners in those districts where
trade agreements exist and the bond
o. mutual confidence and respect per-
ceptibly increases. That the bust
ness relations now existing will con-
tinue and grow as time goes on is my
earnest hope and confident expecta-
ton"
Concerning the incorporation OF
trade unions Mr.. Mitchell submitted
an opinion by Clarence S. barrow of
Chicago, attorney for the miners be-
fore the strike commission, in which
the following sentences occur: "The
demand for the incorporation of trade
unions is the last trench of those
who oppose organized labor. 1t is
impudent and presumptuous. No
friend of trade unionism Eel believ-
ed in it or advocated it or called for
it. 1t is demanded today by those
interests and those enemies who have
used every means at their command
to oppose trade unionism, to counter
| act it's influence and to destroy it.
How the labor organizations shall
manage their own affairs is not the
business of the corporations or the
employers. This demand for the in
corporation of labor unions is not
only unjust and unreasonable, but it
is impudent and insulting to the last
degree"
The Injunction Question.
Referring to injunctions Mr.. Nit
chell said: Government by injunc-
ton is one of the insidious, harrass-