The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-16
Annual Report of President
Mitchell Shows Falling Off
in Membership.
SESSION AT INDIANAPOLIS
MINERS EXECUTIVE DECLARES
DECREASE NOT BEEN DUE TO
FAILUR OF ORGANIZATION TO
HELP CONDITIONS.
Publishers Pressl

here to attend the eighteenth annual
convention of the United Mine Work
ers of America, which opened Tues
day. Being an "off year." there is no
of any consequence to consider. how
ever there are between 700 and 500
delegates at the convention, which
will continue eight or ten days.
In his annual address as president,
John Mitchell said the past year was
eventful with its suspension of work
to enforce the restoration of the wage
scale of 1909, and he believed the pol
icy adopted was for the best. The
membership shows a decrease OF 49,
go on the records on account of ex-
oneration from dues of many members
who were on strike. The anthracite
field shows decrease of 80, 220 mem
bers and the president insisted on in
creased activity in organization. Un-
less otherwise instructed he Will put
a number of organizers in that field.
For the first time in years the organ
ization is practically free from strikes.
Less money is being expended by
unions for idle men than ever before.
To show the Importance of machine
mining, the address stated that last
year IA per cent of the bituminous
production was machine mined. At
tention was called to an increasing
number of casualties in mines. Legis-
lation was urged to provide for an ex-
animation of persons permitted to be
employed in mines.
Speaking of the apathy in the an
thracite feld which reduced the mem
bership materially, the address said:
This indifference on the part of the
miners can not be attributed to failure
on the part of the organization to Sc
cure improvements for them. Their
wages have been advanced to con-
siderable extent; their hours of work
have been reduced; the conditions of
life and labor have been greatly
ameliorated and. in addition thereto,
q relation has been established be-
tween them and their employers that
was inconceivable even to the most
optimistic few years ago"
The strike last year. with the pre-
ceding conferences with operators.
and the succeeding restoration of the
advance in wages demanded, was re-
viewed, and speaking of the effect OF
the action taken by the miners in their
last national cenvention, which per-
mitted signing a scale by districts and
locally, the address said:
Taking retrospective view OF the
whole struggle in the anthracite and
bituminous fields, from its inception
to it's close, I ana constrained to the
belief that, ell things considered, the
wisest policy was pursued, and the
best results obtained that could be
secured under the circumstances. l
am, of course, not unmindful of the
fact that there were many disappoint-
ments, that in some sections members
were forced to yield conditions which
they regarded as essential to their
welfare in order that the interests OF
the whole number might be preserved
and promoted. When it is considered.
however. that more than 400, 900 en-
ployes were involved, representing a
population of approximately 100000
directly dependent on them, and that
we entered the contest with only
100000 in our treasury. / feel that
we can we'll forget our vexations, con-
graduate ourselves on our successes,
join In renewed effort to regain our
comparatively small losses, and strug-
gle on with untiring zeal for larger
and still larger share OF the wealth
We produce"
r L. Lewis, vice president of the
miners, in his report, deplored the &C
ton of the last national convention in
adopting the policy Of permitting the
wage scale to be signed by districts
and locally He insisted that the or
ganization must maintain national
character. and claimed that as re-
suit Of the action last year the mem
bership of the organization decreased
$4,000. The report said: In the
early part of the summer there exist
I'd among our members widespread
feeling of discomfort. So great was
his feeling OF dissatisfaction that It
interfered with the pro-
yress Of the organization. I have sent
thousands of letters to different local
ties for the purpose of restoring con-
1dence among our members. I have
llso attended numerous local unions
Ind massmeetinss for the same pur- |
,ose While there has been large |
oss in membership during the past |
rear. there has been steady increase |
a the membership the past several /
months. and yet there is a tremendous
oss in our membership compared to /
What it was a year ago" He said the 1
organization could not remain station /
Try while any districts were morgan
zed He said that while a greater 1
lumber Of miners was employed in i
he mines of Pennsylvania Maryland, i
yirginia and West Virginia in 1905
han in 1905. the membership in those
tates decreased from 12S,083 to 10
49, He said the reason for this loss
ras the extra assessment and dissat-
sfaction with the terms OF last years