Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-19
ENT or IOWA MINERS ON.
CONVENTION
coMMiTTEE.
a GAINS MEMBERS
nal President Reviews the Year
2N2 ling Especially the Strikes and
Tir Results-No Increase In Num-
b Of Members.

= Members,
Indianapolis, Ind, Jan. II. - Presi-
dent Mitchell of the United Mine
Workers of America today announced
the committees for the national con
yentlon now in session. Among the
members of the resolutions committee
are John P. White of Iowa; Herman
G.. Perry of Illinois and on the commit
tee on constitution Is w. d. Ryan of
Illinois.
An analysis of the statement Of the
paid up membership Of the organiza-
ton shows that Iowa made the great
est gain during the year ending with
December. 1t shows a gain Of 6,936 in
paid up membership.
All four of the central competitive
districts-western Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois show net gains.
Mitchell Reviews Year.
The annual report Of President
Mitchell was made late yesterday aft
ernoon and was an admirable review
of the years work by the union.
Mr.. Mitchell began by referring to
the compromise between miners and
Operators a year ago whereby the Is
per cent reduction that was at first in
sisted upon by the operators was re.
duced to 5.55 per cent and accepted on
a referendum vote of the miners. Mr..
Mitchell said:
"The result of that referendum vote
stands as a monument to the sagacity
of the members of our organization
and proves that government, whether
Of unions or of nations, is safe and Sc
cure In the hands of the people. The
compromise proposition was accepted
by a vote of 1O1,792k as against 68,-
485k." Continuing he said:
Except for the year of the anthra-
cite strike, this is the first time that
| have been unable to report any ma
terial growth in the membership of
the organization. Our average member
ship for the year ending December 81,
1904 shows an increase of a little less
than 1000 over the preceding year,
while the membership for the month
of December, 1904-based upon the tax
received for that month-shows q de-
crease Of about $4,000 members.
The heavy falling off in member
oAl1p III ~ OAI VI pCCSllUGI lJUf
is accounted for by the fact that from
10000 to $4,000 members were. on
strike and exonerated from the pay
ment Of dues. The greatest loss .sus-
tanned Is in the eastern bituminous
and anthracite fields. At no time since
1897 has work been so irregular and
the coal trade SO d~emoralized. I feel
confident that our organization has suf-
fered 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 took up the strikes
of the year, saying:
In no other year since the forma-
ton of the United Mine Workers of
America have there been so many
men continuously on strike, and at no
previous time in the history of the or
ganization, 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.
The Injunction.
-EM #= ySoA SA11PlloSlACo ulOlC
strongly the iniquity Of the federal in
junction as applied in labor disputes.
During the last year injunctions have
been issued in every coal field in which
a strike has been inaugurated, and
members Of u association have been
confined In Jail because of alleged dis
regard of those injunctions, notwith.
standing the fact that after our PEG.
pie had remained in prison for a con-
siderable time, the very judges issu.
ing the injunction has reversed his w
action and declared that when the in.
junction was issued his court was
without jurisdiction in the case. 1t is
apparent to every M who Is &C.
quainted with the facts, that many Of
these injunction judges are totally unfit
to perform the functions of their sa-
cred office. In numerous instances
members of our union, when brought
before these judges, have been treated
with indignity.
another line Of attack has been
adopted by hostile corporations against
the organizations of labor. One which,
If successful, will do more to destroy
the usefulness of trade unions than all
the agencies combined, heretofore re-
sorted to. I refer to an attempt to
mulct our organization in damages be-
cause of losses sustained through the
refusal Of men to work under condi-
tons repugnant to them"
ACCUSED AFTER THIRTY YEARS.
Missourian Held on Charge of Having
Killed Man Shortly After War.
Springfield, Mo-, Jan. 17.-Dr. J. M.