The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-12
DOLAN SAYS STRIKE
 WOULD BE A FAILURE
MINERS OF THIS COUNTRY HAVE
 NEVER WON BIG SOFT ONE YET.

Placed in Ridiculous Position by the Resolution Adopted by the Recent Convention That No District Should Make Settlement Unless All Settled
 at One Time--MitcheIl Going to New
 York to Ask Operators for Contract
 Which He Has Not the Power to
 Enter Into.
 Pittsburg, Feb. 11.-President Patrick Dolan, of the local district, United Mine Workers of America, whose resig- antion was demanded last week at the convention of delegates from the local union in the district, because he voted with the operators at Indianapolis to maintain the present wage scale, to- night issued statement in which he gives his reasons for so voting. Pres ident Dolan says:
 Tn the joint scale committee before the matter was submitted to the joint convention, the Illinois miners and op- orators got into a deadlock over the shot firers bill, The operators of H. linois stated positively that they would never sign any agreement which did not compel the miners to pay the wages of the shot firers President Ferry, of the Illinois miners, immedi- ately replied that the Illinois miners would never agree to allow such pro- vision to so into the scale.
 As soon as the miners officials of Illinois saw that they could not get an agreement on local issues in their own state Secretary Treasurer w. D. Ry- an, oe the Illinois miners, presented a resolution in the miners convention declaring that no district in the United States would be permitted to make a settlement unless they all settled at one time. This resolution was passed. l voted against It.
 This resolution puts the miners of this country in ridiculous position. One little district can bring strife and woe and hunger on 600,000 miners just because 1t has some local difference it cannot adjust. John Mitchell is going 1 to New York to ask the anthracite op- 1 orators for a contract, which he has not the power to enter into, as the na- 1 tional convention has tied him hand and foot.
 l With these facts in mind, when the joint convention reassanlbled, and the operators offered to reaffirm the present scale, l voted for 1t openly and honest- 1 ly, and so convinced was 1 of the jus tice of my opinion, that I refused to retract in the face of jeers and revil- ings and threats of bodily harm. knew in the face of the resolution to tic up all districts until all have set tied, that nothing but a miracle or a complete backdown upon the part of the miners would avert a tremendous strike, the end of which none can fore see, but which threatens us and the country with terrible loss.
 "At the convention of the Ameri- can Federation of Labor in Pittsburg in November consulted President l Mitchell and w D. Ryan, as they both told me they would be satisfied with a renewal of the present agreement, but l tIldL we ought lO uetlldllu du duNdHSS as matter of policy.
 Later I consulted President Has kins, of the Ohio miners; he told me the same thing, After Haskins had been defeated for reelection, and was relieved of all responsibility, he ad- vocated demand for ten per cent. in- crease in wages in his annual address, but the convention of Ohio miners re- fused to indorse his position. Is this fact not significant. Let us be honest about these things. Our wages have been increased more than 100 per cent, and our hours of labor have been de- | lNnn4innnd nn Eirhth Pape