Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-21
Says officials Can Do Unions Great Servic,
in Legislative Bodies
WANTS coNvcrs TO WORK ON ROADS
Resolution Adopted favOring Better Public
Highways.
OFFICERS REPORTS ARE ENDORSED
President MitcheIIs suggestion as TO
Uniform Dinerentiat Between
Pick md Machine Mine
il Approved.

INDIANAPOLIS. Jan. 2o-"There is no
political Office in the United States for
which l Would resign the presidency OF the
| United Mine Workers OF America to ac-
ccpt"
| Widest enthusiasm seized the delegates to
! the United Mine Workers convention when
J President Mitchell used these words in
! Tomlinson hall this afternoon. Mr.. Mitchell
/ had asked permission OF the convention to
speak on a resolution for an amendment to
the constitution providing that any sub
district, district or national officer upon ac-
, cepting any political Office should resign his
= official connection with the United Mine
! Workers and II he did not the resignation
should be requested and the office declared
| vacant.
In its original form the resolution was to
| the effect that any officer Of the rank named
accepting a political office paying 5000
year should resign his office, and was aimed
| at William Dodd. secretary-treas surer Of
/ district No 5. who has just been elected
clerk of the courts of Allegheny county.
position paying 5000 n year. BY two
amendments the provision as to a salary
Limitation was stricken out
President Mitchell held that union ofIi-
clals should be encouraged TO accept legis-
lative offices. saying: THE history of
trades unonism in England for the last
| twenty years shows that they have taken
care to elect their chief officers to seats
in Parliament and to maintain them in
their positions. and the good they have thus
been able to accomplish is incalculabe." 4"
At the close of President Mitchelrs
speech a motion was made to lay the rcso-
llution on the table and was adopted after
a division had been called FOR.
The report of the committee on officers
recommended that the reports be adopted.
together with the recommendation of Sec
retary-Treasurer Wilson that local unions
should remit one-third of the initiation fee
received by them to the district treasurer.
one-third TO the national treasury and the
remainder retained by the local.
Want Conyfcts to Work on Roads.
Indications today were that the United
II Mine Workers scale committee would re-
port to the convention Monday. The con-
vention today declared against the open
door policy of this government for the Inn
migration of Japanese and Corean laborers.
The convention also declared in favor OF a
plan to have convicts build good roads
across the country.
National Treasurer-Secretary Wilson was
instructed to communicate with all trade
union ex-legislative committees, with the
farmers organizations and the good roads
} | associations of the country with a view
to having bills drawn and presented to the
various state and national legislative
! bodies Incorporating the sense Of this res
{ olution.
One of the most vigorous debates that ha,
| been waged on the floor was precipitated by
/ a substitute resolution seeking to prevent
the officials of the Mine Workers unior
( from participating In politics by providing
1 that any officer OF the subdistrict, district
or national organization accepting polit
ical position carrying salary OF 81 900 ol
more year should resign his Office in tho
organization and his failure 10 do so woult
result in a demand for his I, signation by
the United Mine Workers. An amendment
tuting 800 was adopted.
speech by President Mitchell.
At this juncture a debate began, Presi
dent Mitchell taking the floor, and announ
cling in vigorous terms his opposition to thu
resolution, declaring that there was M
. political position which he would accept
a President Mitchell announced his belief tina
making It impossible for an officer OF tn,
Mine Workers union TO become a membe
q OF either a national or state legislativ,
. body while member OF the miners unioi
would work only To the disadvantage o
4 the mine workers. A motion TO table th
! resolution was carried
= Subsequently, by consent OF the conven
tion, resolution providing for the resigna
o ton Of subdistrict, district or nationa
Is officers OF the Mine Workers union VIII
Q accepted political Offices other than Iegis
: lative was referred TO the constitution
| committee.
:, Omcers' Reports Endorsed.
: The report Of the committee on officers
/ reports which was adopted by the conven
n tion endorsed the report of President Mitch
; ell and submitted number of resolutions
y among which was:
y That a committee OF officers and member
q of the national executive board from dis
: tricts one, six and nine be appointed [
confer with the operators Of those district
as to wages and labor conditions; that IN
Shamokin convention be endorsed tina
\ President Mtchells suggestions as TO IN
y establishment of a uniform differential be
tween machine and pick mining be ar
~ proved. that the bill incorporated in Pres
dent Mitchells report providing for tn
establishment OF bureau of mines unde
| the direction OF the Department OF IN
Interior be endorsed that a committee
appointed TO take up that part of Presden
| Mitchell's report referring TO open foe
'e The reports OF Vice President Lewis an
'i Secretary-Treasurer Wilson were approved
The convention then adjourned until Nor
ie day morning.