The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-19
Miners Have Every Reason to Feel Satisfied With Gains
 Made During 1903
| |. LEWIS REPORTS
 S1,l29,137 ON HAND
Stated That the $4ooo Paid to ME, Falrley and Himself During AIa- bama Arbitration Had
 Been Paid Back.

Indianapolis. January 1s.-The ffteepth annual convention of the United Mlne Workers of America began here today with approximately 1000 delegates. The sessions will be held In Tomlinson hall. Brief 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 c. w. LaclSey. district No. H. Edward Cahill, district No. 12, and Adam Res cavayne, district No. 1.
 Under former rules the report of the committee on credentials was next in or der, 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 credentials committee. This was adopted after short debate and Presi- dent Mitchell delivered his annual ad- dress.
 Urges Convention to Be Moderate.
 In his annual report President Mitchell urges that the convention be moderate In speech and conservative in action, add ing:
 We should keep in mind that the ene- mics of labor and the opponents of trade unionism, as represented by the manu- facturers association and the city indus trial alliance, are ever ready to make cap ital out of the smallest indiscretion and to magnify out of all reasonable proportion. the slight mistake that trade unionists may nHske."
 The report then outlines the situation in each district. Of the antracite fields, he says:
 Tt is a pleasure to report that since the close of the anthracite strike, the re- lations of operators and miners have grown steadily more cordial. With very few exceptions the award of the commls- sion has been riGidly observed, and an era of comparative peace and content ment has reigned in that territory"
 Of Central Pennsylvania, he says:
 Consummated an Agreement.
 During the month of March the miners and operators in the central district of Pennsylvania representing approximately 40000 men, met in joint conference in the city of Altoona and consummated an agreement which secured to our members substantial increases of wages. and for the first time in the history of that field established the eight hour work day. The importance of flnis achievement cannot be over estimated
 Mir Mitchell refers to the extension of the conference method of adjusting wage differences fin West Virginia, Missouri. Kansas, Arkansas and the Indian Terri tory, which he says prolongs long period of industrial peace to miners and opera tors The Alabama settlement by the board of arbitration Is mentioned with satisfaction, and summing up the general situation he says:
 Tn all other districts in which mining prices have heretofore been adjusted by agreement Increased wages were secured and other concessions obtained. and while in many instances they have not advanced in proportion to the increases secured In the industrial competitive coal field, on the whole we have every reason to feel fairly well satisfied with the gains made during the year 1903.
 Extensions Were Mentioned.
 The extesion of the organization into Canada Montana and Washington were mentioned Taking the capitation tax re- ceived during December of each year as basis of computation the report shows that the organization has increased In membership from 9i000 in 1899 to 2s7545 in 1903. which does not include members idle or on strike.
 During the past year there was a net gain of S66 unions. making a total of 2322 unions in twenty-three districts If" says MT. Mitchell. "every local union would report on it's full membership there would not be less than 34o.OO0 members.
 The report recommends that the consti- tutional committee investigate the advis- ability of discontinuing the present meth cd of discontinuing dues and adopting the stamp system.
 Of the Colorado strike, MT. Mitchell says:
 "The strike in District IS has been and Is a source of heavy expense to our organ ization, but our people are standing firm, and much as we desire an amicable and honorable settlement, the companies leave us no choice but to continue the contest until fair terms of settlement are reached or our people go down in defeat"
 CduScS or StrIkeS.
 The report refers to the causes of tho Meyersdale and West Virginia strikes and says:
 .'The result Is that approximately 5oOo men are idle in these two districts and there appears no immediate prospect Of settlement In district No. 19. Tennessee and Southwestern Kentucky, a number of strikes are forced upon us and some of them are still in progress. All of these strikes have been supported by the nat iona organization. and as will be shown by the secretary's report. a large sum of money has been expended in their 
 President Mitchell insists upon the uni- A-ersal adoption of the run of mine basis. On this the report says: T would ad- wise that the demands of previous com ventions be repeated and that the scale be instructed to make an ef-