The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-19
URGES MODERATION.
President Mitchell, of U. NJ. W.,
Makes Annual Report.

Indianapolis. Ind, Jan. 19.-In his an
nual report President Mitchell, of the
United Mine Workers. urges that the
convention be moderate in speech and
conservative in action, adding:
1--WE should keep in mind that the
enemies of labor and the opponents of
trade unfonism as represented by the
Manufacturers association and the Cit
izen Industrial Alliance, are ever ready
to make capital out of the smallest in
discretion and to magnify out of all
reasonable proportion the slightest
mistake that trade unionists may
make"
The report says of the situation in
the anthracite field:
Since the close of the anthracite
strike, the relations of operators and
miners have grown steadily more cor
dial. With very few exceptions the
award of the commission has been rig
tive peace and contentment has
reigned in that territory
OF central Pennsylvania the report
says:
ssDuring the month of March, the
miners and operators of the central
district of Pennsylvania reaching APP
proximately 10000 men in joint confer
ence in the city of Altoona, consumma-
ted an agreement, which secured to our
members a. substantial increase IN
wages and for the first time in the his
tory of that field, established the eight
hour work day. The Importance of this
achievement can not be oVereStima-
ted
Mr.. Mitchell refers to the extension
of the conference method of adjusting
wage differences into West Virginia
Missouri. Kansas, Arkansas and the
Indian Territory, which, he says, prom
ises long period of industrial peace to
miners and operators.
Mr. Mitchell saws:
I'm all other districts in which the
mining prices have, heretofore, Deen
regulated by agreement, increased
wages were secured and other cOnceS-
sions obtained and while in many in
stances wages have not advanced in
proportion to the increases secured in
the central competitive coal fields, on
the whole, we have every reason TO
feel fairly well satisfied with the gains
during the year 1909
The extension of organization into
Canada, Montana and Washington are
mentioned, and the report says the or
ganization has increased in membership
from 81, 900 in 1899 to 2S4,546 IN 1903,
which does not include members idle or
on strike.
"If." says Mr.. Mitchell, every local
union would report it's full membership,
there would not be less than $4,000
members
The report recommends that the con-
stitution committee investigate the ad-
Visibility of disseminating the present
method of collecting dues and adopting
the stamp system.
Of the Colorado strike, Mr.. Mitchell
says:
1.-The strike in district Is has been and
is, a source of heavy expense to our or
ganization, but our people are standing
firm and much as we desire an AMIGA
BILE and honorable settlement, the un-
compromising attitude of the companies
leaves us no choice but to continue the
contest until fair terms of settlement
are reached or our people go down in
defeat
President Mitchell insisted upon the
universal adoption of the run of mine
basis and says:
Il would advise that the demands of
previous conventions be repeated and
that the scale committee be instructed
to make an effort to have the interstate
agreement formulated upon a run of
mine basis"
The increase in machine mining is
known to have been from IA per cent of
the total production in 1896 to % per
cent in 1902, the report asserting that in
districts in which the differential is
widest machine mining has increased dis
proportionately. He urged that a re-
adjustment of the differential be insist
ed upon. He suggests that not more
than two delegates be sent to the In
ternational Mining congress at Paris,
May %; urges support of the union