The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-19
MINE WORKERS MEET
i5TH ANNUAL CONVENTION IN INDIANAPoLIS.
Apuroximately 1000 Delegate: in L ttendance--Manyl Strikes Tn Progress Requiring finan-
 cial Aid from the Union.

Ina,a,apo,is. Ind, Jan. 1s-The fifteenth annual convention of the United Mine workers of America began here today with approximately 1000 delegates. The sessions will be held in Tomlinson Hall. Rr,ef addresses of welcome were made by Mayor John Holtzman and President Barry of the Central Labor Union, which were responded to by President Mitchell, who then announced the committee on rules and order of business. consisting of q. W. ,Lackey, District No. Il: Edward Cahill, District No. F and Adam Resca- yagne, District No. l.
 Under former rules the report Of the Committee on Credentials was next in order and President Mitchell expected that this custom would be followed. He did not expect to deliver his annual address until tomorrow morning and work was begun on the credentials while the Com mittee on Rules retired for consultation. While the convention was working on the credentials this afternoon the Rules Committee returned shortly after o'clock and announced that the reports of the of- ficers would precede the report Of the Credentials Committee. This was adopted after short debate and President Mitch ell delivered his annual address.
 Vice-President T. l.. Lewis delivered his
 
 work of organization during the past year in Pennsylvania Ohio, West Virginia, West Kentucky, Alabama and Missouri. During the year sixty organizers were regularly employed in addition to the na- tional board members, each reporting weekly.
 The Vice-President announved that $4OOO paid to MT. Fairley and himself TOT ser vices rendered during the Alabama arpi- tration conference had been paid into the treasury of the organization.
 Secretary-Treasurer Wilson then made his annual report in which he said ne had hoped to report a larger amount or money on hand but the large number or strikes requiring aid from the national organization had been great orain on its resources. There has been receiveo from the anthracite strike assessment and in donations listed as the defense fund S57646 and from the 10 per cent assess ment $25S, ,S51. There has been paid In do- nations to assist various districts and other unions needing help SSOS,7sO. The receipts for strike purposes have exceed cd the expenditures by $,2lS while the net increase in the funds of the national or sanization for eleven months ending No- vember 90 is $79,O7S. On that date there was in Indianapolis banks belonging to the organization A,12S,lS.
 The paid up membership is 2S9, ,S36. The total member ship Is approximately SS0oOO. To avoid the loss of revenue from these forty thousand members not paid up, which would amount to $96,O0O annually, the stamp system is advocated in the re- port.
 Mir Wilson recommends that The Mine Workers Journal be made monthly pub iication instead of weekly and that the per capita tax be increased 5 cents pei month to pay for extra copies to be dis tributed to locals.
 The Committee on Rules recommends iH It's reports that delegates who conducted themselves in an supplementary or dis orderly manner be expelled from the con vention and their locals be notified. Th' convention adjourned until morning at o'clock.