The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-01-20
Operators Maintain Their Profits
Have Been Exaggerated
MITCHELL BECOMES AROUSED
Denounces as False the Claims That
the Western Federation of Miners
Has Tried to Be
Friendly.

| Indianapolis, Ind, January 19.-An in
crease in the wages of coal miners equiv
alent to the reduction accepted by the
United Mine workers in the Joint wage
conference of 1904, is the proposition which
the operators are expected to defend in
the joint conference to convene in In
| dianapolis next Tuesday upon the ad-
journment of the present annual conven-
tion of the United Mine workers.
While not one of the operators will
talk for publication at this time and few
of them will express any opinion, it
is evident that their position will be that
while they have enjoyed a degree of
prosperity within the last ten months,
their receipts have been nothing like what
the miners believe them to be, and that
an increase of about seven per cent is
the best they can do.
! In the early part of the conference it
is believed every effort will be made to
induce the mine workers to sign the pres
ent scale, but this they hardly hope to
be able to do. The increase of Z per cent
will bring wages back to where they
were when the existing agreement was
made, the higher rate being a necessary
advance over the 5.55 per cent reduction
to adjust the difference made by the
lower base.
Acceptance of Transfer Cards.
The convention of the United Mine
workers of America today continued con-
! sideration of resolutions One of the most
| important taken up was a resolution
favoring the acceptance of transfer cards
| from the Western Federation of miners
| In lieu of an initiation fee
| 1t is claimed on behalf of the resou-
| tion that the refusal of the United Mine
| Workers of America to accept the cards
of the Western Federation, worked great
hardship to western miners on account
of the frequency with which they changed
camps. One of those to support the resolu-
| tions was Delegate Gerner of Iowa. Dur
/ ing his argument to the convention he
| made the statement that the present sit
uation between the two organizations was
caused by an antagonism by their Off
cials which had not as yet descended to
! the rank and file.
President Mitchell took the floor as
soon as Mr.. Germer had finished. He was
| considerably aroused. He said:
Mitchell Is Aroused.
1.-THE chair hesitates to occupy the floor
of this convention during its deliberations
except where the chair feels that a state
ment will tend to remove any false ex-
pressions that may exist among the dele
gates.
1T has been said there is antagonism
between officials of the United Mine
| Workers and of the Western Federation
of Miners which antagonism has not yet
/ descended to the rank and file of the men,
| bershp. 1t has been said that the West
ern Federation admires the United Mine
Workers of America. Yes, it admlres us
so much that 1t would gobble us up and
swallow us body and breeches. l defy
any miner any other person in this
/ country to indicate wnere l have ever
made personal attack upon any of the
officers of the Western Federation. Yet
every issue of the organization paper
contains false virulous and malicious at
tacks upon me as your president. Am I
not maligned and traduced in every is
sue of that paper? l am called faIdr and
viper. and charged with associating with
the enemies of the miners. Let us see.
! Offers Were Spurned.
I'm 1889 at the Pittsburg convention 1
| recommended the recognition of the cards
of the federation Two years later on
my advice a committee from this organ
| ization went to them with the intention
| of arranging for the transfer of cards and
adjustment of jurisdiction. Did they recog-
nize them? They tried their best to in
| Vdue our JuIlSuCLlOH. 1Ildl lHt hlllu VI
| friendship they gave and that's the
kind of friendship they are extending to
us now. Its not me they're after nor is it
| my colleagues on your official board. Its
| your organization through your officers.
| | know this labor movement know their
methods and tactics They hope by de-
stroying me to destroy you | want it un-
derstood that l shall at all times do my
| best to bring about affiliation be-
| tween all labor organizations, but as to
| the acceptance of these cards of the fed
Grafton while l appreciate that In the
west miners of metalliferous and coal
mines frequently shift from one to the
other and some hardship may be caused
by present conditions, still want to call
your attention to the fact that we make
| coal miners pay the initiation fee and
! say that when the federation stops It's
| efforts to tear us down and stops sending
it's members to take the places of our
striking miners as it did in Colorado it
| will then be time enough to consider this
proposition. Let them stop taking our
| jobs"
Mr.. Mitchelrs remarks were received
with applause.
The race question was up only few
minutes in the discussion of resolu-
/ ton providing that local unions with large
memberships where there are 100 or more
] colored members, should be entitled to
! send one colored delegate, and If the
! white vote in the local union is in the ma
| jority that they cannot debate the col
ored members representation.
! Some minor changes were made in the
| wording of the transfer cards.
The convention voted $1,000 for the relief
of the families of the victims OF Paint
| Creek, Va, valley district.
| The proposition to accept the cards of
! the Western Federation of Miners was
lost by decisive vote.
Provides for Defense Funds.
! W. H. Haskins, president of the Ohio
| miners, introduced a resolution providing
| that every district shall establish a de-
! fense fund, the assessment for which
| shall not be less than % cents a month
| The constitution committee proposed to
refer it to the locals. but not making 1t
| obligatory upon them to comply with the
| order. This was DONE President Mitchell
| spoke to the question, and closed by TAX
! ing stand against making the creation of
| a defense fund obligatory on the districts
| on the ground that the levying of the
] sessment might disrupt the organization