Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-16
NATIONAL MEET
Of The MINERS
President John Mitchell De
livers His Annual Address
to the Federation
LOSS IN MEMBERSHIP
For tho First limo in Many Years tho
Organization Has Not Shown Growth
Some Recommendation Made by
tho Presidont-The injunction Evil
Is Scored.

Indianapolis, Jan. 16.-'rhe seven
teenth annual convention of the United
Mine Workers of America opened here
today In charge of President Mitchell.
Nearly 500 delegates were present. The
largest delegations are from the central
districts The Illinois delegation is
headed by President Perry and Secre-
tary Treasurer William Ryan. Reports
from districts show u shortage in the
work compared with previous years. 1t
is said the present conditions would
tend toward a further reduction in
wages were there u scale to be Axed
this year.
MitohcIi's Addrcss.
President Mitchell, in his address.
began by referring to the compromise
between miners and operators a year
ago whereby the l5 per cent reduction
that was at first insisted upon by the
operators was reduced to 6.55 per cent
and accepted on Il referendum vote OF
the miners. Mr. Mitchell said:
The result of that referendum vote
stands as Il monument to the saEacity
OF the members OF our organization and
proves that government, whether OF
unions or nations, Is safe and secure
In the hands OF the people. The COM
promise proposition was accepted by
IA vote of l0l, l,7921a, as against Us, 4Sb u" )"
Continuing. he said:
Except for the year OF the anthru-
cite strike, this is the first time that ]
have been unable to report any material
growth in the membership of the or
ganlzation. Our average membership
tor the year ending December 81, 1904.
shows an increase OF II little less than
1900 over the preceding year. while
the membership for the month Of De-
cember, 190d,--based upon the tax re-
ceived for that month---shows u de-
crease of about $4,000 members.
The heavy falling off In membership
for the month of December, 1904. is ac-
counted for by the fact that from twen-
ty to twenty-five thousand members
were on strike and exonerated from the
payment of dues. The greatest loss
sustained is In the eastern bituminOus
and anthracite fields. At no time since
1897 has work been so Irregular and
the coal trade so demoraliZed. / feel
confident that our organization has
suffered no permanent loss in strength
or influence, and that with the revival
of business and industrial activity we
SHALL in the near FUTURE regain this
apparent loss and surpass our former
strength"
Mr.. Mitchell then submitted state
ment showing the operation of the
sliding scale as established by the an
thracite coal strike commission. He
showed that the operation of this
scale from April 1. 1903. to December
81, 1904 had resulted as follows:
In April, 1903. the average price of
coal was $4.44 per ton, and there was
no percentage of increase on compen-
sation. In December, 1904, the average
price of coal was $4S6 per ton, and
there was an increase of per cent in
the miners compensation--this in
crease was in addition to the horizontal
incMase of 10 per cent granted by
the anthracite commission.
Closing his reference to the anthra-
cite situation. Mr.. Mitchell said: II
fear the anthracite mine workers will
be unable to secure any further con-
cessions or even to maintain their
present standing. unless they take Inn
mediate steps to perfect their organi-
Zation."
Mr.. Mitchell then took up the strikes
of the year, saying:
I'm no other year since the forma-
tion of the United Mine Workers of
America, have there been so many men
.x,:lx ak
ious time in the history of the organ
ization, with the exception of 1902,
have we been compelled to expend so
much money in the support and main
tenance of those involved as In the
year just closed"
He dwelt at length on the Colorado
strike the declaration of martial law
in Las Animas county by Governor
Peabody. and the riotous scenes that
eliminated i'm attacks on mine work.
er's officials, and in the deportation Of
union miners from Colorado by the
militia. He spoke of the district con-
vention held in Trinidad, March "a. to
consider calling off the strike and said:
ION the day preceding the one on
which the convention was to be held
the governor of Colorado ordered 400
troops to the city Of Trinidad, and Las
Animas county was declared to be
under marital law. When our con-
vention met on the following day, the
delegates in attendance and the min
ers In general many hundreds of
whom were then residing in the city Of
Trinidad--were so incensed at the un-
warranted and uncalled for action Of
the governor that instead of calmly
considering the status Of the strike
and declaring it off, as they undoubt-
edly would have done had the troops
not been there, they decided that while
the civil laws had been suspended, a
resumption of work would be regarded
not as a recognition of their defeat by
the coal companies but as a cowardly
surrender to Peabody. The action of
the convention in deciding to con-
CONTINUED On Eighth Page.)