Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-15

which occupied several hours. President
Mitchell formally called the convention
TO order and said
MlTCHELL'S SPEECH.
Formally declaring this convention
open Tor the transaction Of business. It
may not be amiss-ludeed It seems
quite prOper--lhat | should report the
principal Incidents and cause which
prompted the call for this eXtraordir-
AIRY meeting OF the United Mine Work
crs Of America, and Ia addition thereto,
TO make some suggestions for your
guidance which may facilitate the work
Of the convention and. / hope, prov,
helpful In re-estahlighiDg our relations
with the operators upon q basis which
viii be just 10 them reasonably satis-
factoy 70 the great constituency we
represent and at the same time proper
ly considerate OF the welfare or the
entire country whose interests cannot
be regarded with mpunlty by any class
Of citi4sls, regardless Of its strength or
influence. While ia New York attend
ing meetings Of the anthracite commit
tee appointed By the Shamokln convep-
ton held on Dec, A. ! held several con.
tercnces with Mr.. Francis Robbins,
president OF the Pittshurg Coal COM
pany. and subsequently With other oper'
ators at this conference, the question OF
our disagreement upon tho wage scale
was discussed in an informal way.
also held conferences with several OF
the leading and active workers IN our
own movement,
"As result of this meeting, we came
TO believe that there had been such
changes I'm the coal trade or az least IN
the method of many operators, AS to
Justify @ belief that there was "a posi-
biity OF reaching an agreement provtn-
ed the joint conventions were recon
vened
Aside, however from my own inn
nressions and the Impressions Of those
Of my colleagues with whom I cou-
suited, the following letter from the
president Of The United States ad-
dressed 30 Nh Robbins and 10 me,
seemed sufficient justification TO war
rant ourselves aud our employers in
making an effort to reach an agree
ment
Il take this occasion to report Of
hcally that the operators Of both the
central competitive and the southwest
ern fields have called meetings Of their
representatives to he held in this city
on Monday morning, March 49,
while, of course, tho many conflict
ing and inharmonious statements
emanating from the various sources
purportng to reflect the views Of OPP
orators, seem to indicate an entire alb
sence OF unity and concord among them
In regard to the question Of advancing
wages I am nevertheless hopeful, n
not fully convinced, that the urgency
and seriousness Of the situation Will
prompt theW to make such reasonable
concessions IN the matter OF wages and
conditions as viii enable MS 10 join them
I'm the rehabilitation OF our joint agree
mont and the perpetuatlon Of the pr1g-
lical business relationship undet which,
We have worked with mutual adyan-
tage during the past eight years, and
Ia this end / feel Il incumbent upon
me 20 say that very large degree Of
Sponsihility will rest upon us II these
proposed negotiations lead to success.
I'm the consideration and discussion
Of an matters coming before the con-
ventiou. O. 49, my earnest hope that
acrimonious debates win be entirely
eliminated and that we shall stand
united I'm an earnest effort % serve
our peopIe and 10 secure for them a
larger measure OF the fruits o. their
toll, that when we leave indianapolis
our organization may have regained
any prestige lost as tho result OF the
internal dissent,on and that even those
unfriendly TO labor may be satisfied
mat the United Mine Workers OF AM
erica is q sane, just business asSocia-
ton. whose h hest purpose Is not 70
achieve victories, by means Of its great
strength but rather through the In
herent justice that Hes I'm the cause i
represents.
PRESIDENTS LETTER.
THE White House, Washington.
reb. -. 1905. Sri note with very
great concern the fact that in your late
convention, or Joint Interstate
oonferenco the failure to come
10 basis OF settlement Of the
bltuminous mining scale Of wages.
You In this business have en-
loved r great industrial peace for
many years. thanks 10 the Joint trade
agreement thar has resulted from the
action OF your successive conventions.
4 strike such as is threatened ou
April I would hc a menace to the
peace, the business interests and the
general welfare Of the country | urge
YOU 20 sake another effort To avert
such q calamity. You and Mr.. Rob-
bins are joint chairmen ~ the trade
agreement CoiliHlll'N OF INV Hhh'lldl
civic federation u seems "a mo that
This imposes a. additional duty upon
you both and gives an additional roa-
son why each OF YOU should join ia
making this further effort
(Slgncd)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
During the morning Patrick Dolan ~
Pittsbugg entered the convention. and
was much observed but there was
no disorder
Following the appointment ~ taa
committee Oh rules the convention took
recess.