The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-12
|D0LAN GIVES
 ITS POSITION Tel Why He Voted With Operators, 'cRTTIcIsEs JOHN MITCHELL Says Miners Have Never Won a
 Coal Strike. Does not Believe soo.oeo Men should he Thrown Out of work Because
 of Local Dispute In
 Illinois.

Pittsburg, Feb 1I.--President Pat rick Dolan of the local district United Mine workers of America. whose res ignation was demanded last week at the convention of delegates from the local union in the district because he voted with the operators at Indianapo- lis to maintain the present wage. to- night Issued a statement in which he 1 gives his reasons for so voting.
 Tn the statement President Dolan says:
 the matter was submitted to the joint convention, the Illinois miners and operators, got into a deadlock over the shot firere bilJ. The operators of H. Iinois stated positively that they would never sign any agreement which did not compel the miner to pay the wag- es of the shot fIrers- President Perry. of the Illinois Miners. immediately re- piled that there would not be any agreement if that were the case as the illinois miners wauid never agree to allow such a provision to go into the scale This one local issue of the State of Illinois. therefore. prevented further progress in the scale committe c and we were forced to report to the convention without an agreement.
 "As soon as the miners otilciais of the State of Illinois saw that they could not get an agreement on local issues
 
 W. D. Ryan of the Illinois miners pre- scented a resolution In the miners con vention declaring that no district in the United states would be permitted to make settlement unless they all settled at one time. This resolution was passd. voted against 1t and tried to talk against 1t, but was hissed and booted down.
 In RidicuIoas position.
 'sThfs resolution puts the miners of this country in a ridiculous position. One little district in Michigan, British Columbia or some other obscure place can bring strife and woe and hunger on e00.000 miners just because these little districts have some local differ ence 1t cannot adjust. John Mitchell Is going down to New York to ask the anthracite operators for contract, which he has not the power to enter | fnto, as the national conventScn has tied him hand and foot
 with these facts In mind, when the joint convention reassembled and the | operators offered to reaftirm the pres ent scale. voted for 1t and openly and honestly and so convinced was of the justice of my opinion that I refused to retract in the face of jeers and re- vilings and threats of bodily harm.
 T was alone in my vote. but I was not alone in my opinion. At the con- VenI1On or IUG AlttIACAH Ol Labor in Pittsburg In November. consulted President Mitchell and W. D. Ryan. and they both told me they would be satisfied with a renewal of the present agreement, but that we ought to demand an advance as matter of policy
 Let us be honest about these things. Our wages have been increased more than 100 per cent and our hours of la bor have been decreased from ten to eight hours since 1897. Is it right under this Ryan resolution to jeopardize all these things?'
 Have Never Won Strike.
 And let me tell you, the miners of this country have never won promi- nent soft coal strike under the direc- ton of President Mitchell. Mark Hanna settled the first anthracite strike for us and President Roosevelt settled the second. Nobody has set- tied our big soft coal strikes because we have lost them. President Mitch elI.s big soft coal strike was in the Southwest. It lasted eighteen months and ended in utter failure. The sec- ond big soft coal strike was in Mary land where our people of the entire State were utterly defeated. His other disastrous soft coal strike was in Ken lucky, where our people were beaten.
 "At the present time we have a strike of 5000 mineers In Alabama which has been on for nineteen months. They are striking against 10 per cent. reduction Under the Ryan resolution, which says all districts must get 12 l-2 per cent advance over the present scale the operators will have to with draw their demand for 10 per cent reduction and give the IF 12 per cent advance or a total diverent of 221-2