The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-18
Michigan Delegation Arrives at
Midnight, Completing the
Quota OF Delegates.
TO SUPPORT STRIKES
Present Troubles in Different
Fields VIII Have the IndOrse-
ment of Gathering.
TAKE NO REDUCTION
Sentiment Is That Any Move in
This Direction by Operators
VIII Be Resisted.

When the fifteenth annual convention Of
the United Mine Workers OF America con-
venes this morning at 10 o'clock In Tom
linson Hall 200 delegates in round num-
bers will be seated. with instructions from
their locals bearing on the outlining Of the
policy of the organization for the coming
year. The convention viii continue for ten
days and will be followed by the annual
joint conference be tween the miners and
coal operators Of the States OF Indiana. Illi-
nois, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania The
joint conference is of utmost importance
TO the miners. as IL is then that the wage
scale for the ensuing year is set. 1t in
wolves 300 operators and 10000 miners.
When the delegation. almost one hundred
strong, from the Michigan regions, arrived
in the city near midnight. the army OF
miners that will camp in Indianapolis for
the next two weeks, was complete. The
advance guard from some OF the Pennsyl-
vania regions arrived Friday, and since
then these men of the mines have been
coming in by tens and twenties. and now
and then in bands of loo or more. The
headquarters of the convention delegates
is the Occidental Hotel and the scenes
about the lobbies yesterday were lively and
JoNAdA. ON the dtTlNdl Oh every DdEu OF
delegates there were enthusiastic greetings
and much laughter as rugged miners rec
ognized friends made at the last conven-
tion or by virtue OF the contact brought
about by the work Of the organization.
John Mitchell was about the hotel for a
few minutes after supper last night and
was met by such vigorous handshaking
on all sides as is rarely accorded a prom
inent man.
The largest delegations of the miners are
from the East, principally Pennsylvania
From District 5. lO6 delegates and visitors
have arrived. headed by Patrick Dolan. the
district president. Almost $50 delegates
are here from District /. of which I. ID.
Nichols Is president From every State
the Union where coal is mined. have come
delegates In large and small numbers. From
Washington and British Columbia to all
the Southern States. hearty, intelligent men
are here, representing mass of wage work.
ers that outnumbers any other organization
of its kind in the country.
WELCOME THE WORD.
Merchants of .he city as we'll as the city
itself. have welcomed the miners. When the
convention assemblies tomorrow. they will
be welcomed in words by Mayor Hoffman.
Under the charge of the Central Labor
Union. the city merchants have arranged
for an entertainment 10 be given the conyen-
tion delegates on the evening Of Jan. p. The
Empire Theater has been purchased out
right for that evening and the show will be
in honor of the miners. 1t will be the regu-
lar burlesQue performance interpolaJeG
with special features, which are now being
arranged by the committee In charge Of the
affair. The committee includes Clarence
Gaumer, NJ. I. Butler Henry Friedman u.
l.. StOddard and Frank BrOden. Between
each act IL has been arranged that promi-
nent men of the convention and the city viii
make short talks.
The work before the convention is i'm.
portant, as IL determines the policy. 20 a
great extent, that will be carried out dur
ing the ensuing year. The event upon
based will be the annual address OF John
Mitchell, president of the United Mine
Workers. Mr.. Mitchell will make his ad-
dress tomorrow and will deal with recon-
mendatiOns on the different lines OF work
before the organization. To-day will be de-
voted to preliminary exercises and the seat
ing of delegates. For the past three weeks
the credential committee, consisting Of
John ]. Mossop, Of North Lawrence, o.,
William Blakley, of Linton, Ind, have
been at work on the credentials. Accord
ing to their report about $50 delegates viii
be seated The convention proper will not
deal with the question of setting a wage
scale, although President Mitchell viii
make such recommendations along this lire
as he thinks just and reasonable.
TO SUPPORT STRIKES.
A question OF a great utdi ol ltIlpetldlCt
to the miners will be the policy adopted
by the organization relative TO the strikes
now pending in Colorado Pennsylvania and
West Virginia. 1t is known that the con-
vention will support the strikes and fight
them to the finish, but the amount of
money that will be appropriated 10 these
causes is an item that is watched with in
terest. AS for the wage scales TO be rec
commended, IL is almost certain that 10
reductions will be considered for "A second.
The miners say that they cannot afford 10
take a reduction at this time and will not
submit to it. Whether or not an increase
will be asked depends upon the report cf
Mr. Mitchell. Should he make such recOm-
mendatiOn they will be carried out hy the
a feature of the mine workers convon-
tiOn this year is the increased represents
ton OF the bituminous fields. that IS, Wash
ington, Wyoming, Montana and other
Western States. These delegates have A
long distance 10 travel, but this year the
different locals have sent an unusual num-
Der Of delegates On the other hand, the
anthracite regions are not as well repre-
sented as was expected, for the reason
that those districts have made their agree
ment contracts for a period OF three years
and consequently IL IS not as important
that they send 50 many representatives.
Among the multitude OF miners now n
the city with few exceptions. are the most
prominent and brilliant men Of the or
ganiZatiOn, who have been instrumental n
reasonable bodies OF organized labor. John
Mitchell stands supreme, and every miner
has perfect faith in his ability. Were he 10
linger long about the headquarters OF the
miners he would have his hand shaken al
most from his elbow. great rs his pOpu-
larity. Thomas Il. Lewis, vice president 0f
the organization. was also about the head
quarters al the Occidental Hotel last night.
and always surrounded by a crowd OF adj
mirers and acquair,ances. Probably no man
in the organization attends more district
ffong than Mr. Lewis and
quenily his acquaintace is wide. He had
just retured from the Ohio district conven-
ton.
The men from the districts in which there
are now strikes existing well abreast
with the situations in those parts, and are.
consequently. much sought for informa-
tiOn.
CLAIMS A VICTORY.
+. s. Mccullough. member OF the ma
tional board from St. Charles. Mich. but
who has had charge OF the strike In the
Meyersdale district OF Pennsylvania ar
rived at the Occidental last night. having
come direct from the striking district Aif.
Mccullough said last night: There Is not
the least doubt but that victory will crown
our fight in that region. We have the SYM
pathy OF the citizens and indeed some ot
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