The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-02-04
lUNITEDnINE WORKERS
Delegate white Reports on Indian
apolis Convention.
Osixalooga, Ia, Fals "a lsO4 /.

and others who may be interested, 1
wish to write briefly of the doings OF
our national convention, which con-
yened inj indianapolis, Ind. January
is, 1904 Promptly at 10 o'clock,
Pres. John Mitchell called the con-
vention t0 order, over 1000 delegates
being present from all parts of the
United States and British Columbia.
The convention soon settled itself
down to tine task that confronted it,
and before the close of the first days
session, the national officers had rem
deTed their reports, all of which were
referred to their proper committees.
A careful analysis of these reports
show that they were well prepared
documents and gave comprehensive
review of the growth, progress and
standing of our organization, as we'll
as some valuable information on the
coal industry of our country.
District No. 10, which comprises all
of Iowa and Putnam county, Missouri,
was represented by fifty delegates,
selected from the various local unions
in our district.
One can scarcely realize the in
tense interest manifested by our
members in onl convention and. its
deliberations, fol-. upon the result of
this meeting, largely depends the sue.
cess of our organization and the coal
industry Of the entire country As il
us in this meeting the future policies
for another year are declared.
Many important measures were
considered by the convention, among
the most important ones being the
resolutions seeking to establish law
TO prohibit the employment of boys
in the coal mines under the age of 16
years, which the convention went on
record as favoring. AS the years go
by, the question of child labor be-
comes more acute and it's growing
tendencies of evil and degrading in
fiuences, renders the question very
important one to the wage earners,
and in fact to every citizen interested
in the welfare of our boys and girls,
who some day must be the bulwark
of our great institutions, and to the
end that they shall be equipped with
the moral and mental growth, which
can only accrue to them after they
have enjoyed the privilege of the
play ground and the school room in
their childhood days. }
Japanese immigration.
The following resolution was en-
dorsed:
we. the delegates in national con-
vention OF the u. M. w. of A., assem-
bied in Indianapolis, view. with alarm
( the pouring Of cheap Japanese labor
into our western states. We believe
Afhat Americans today. as in 177S.
q 80 ;hs;til iIl-A-sl
sttSSlu TO Independence a and 18th the mo- i
best manhood; the Japanese laborer
as we fSS him in our mines and 9TH
er induS res Stands for neither. The
Jap. like the Cninaman, works for
whatever the company is pleased to
pay him, and returns a portion Of his
earnings regularly to a Japanese
agent who is called boss doubtless
to .evade technically the law prohib.
ting contract labor. - ga
HE holds firm allegiance to his ma
tive country, and scorns the idea oil
American citizenship.
Morally and industriously he is a |
curse to the American nation, and
should be excluded from our shores.
Therefore, we pray congress tot
enact a law excluding the Japanessl
as we'll as the Chinese. ta ~
"The national officers Of 1.-THE u. M. |
w. of A. are hereby requested to take
the necessary steps Immediately to
bring THIS important matter before
congress. S'i w. E. Jones.
- ''Dietz, Wyoming"
The convention decided that the
u. M. .of A. should be represented
at the international congress of min
ing which is held annually in some
continental country, and which will
meet in May Of this year in Paris,
France. It is thought that much
good will be derived therefrom tol
our craft President Mitchell and w.
T. Dodds were chosen as delegates to
attend the congress.
A resolution was introduced by the
Iowa uelSSauOnS 10 the interstate
joint conference, but as usual was
defeated in the joint meeting of the
miners and operators on Saturday, as
the operators from Pennsylvania
have always opposed our admission,
that we are compel
itors with Illinois and ether eastern
coal in the markets of the northwest
and which form part of the inter-
state joint conference. Our conyen-
ton went on record in demanding the
run of mine system in the interstate
and fayoring fiat differ
entail of &c per ton, between machine
and pick mining that now prevails in
Illinois, and favoring a renewal OF
presenN prices. Much is being said
about reduction and since our de-
mand has been presented to the con-
ference, the operators have insisted
on a 15c reduction. But to those
best familiar with the coal industry,
do not warrant the de-
mand of the operators. The miners
are cOgniZant of market conditions