Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1909-09-16

The seventh annual convention OF
District 22, United Mine Workers Of
America, met in Butte August II in
Carpenters hall. II remained in ses-
sion four days. SO delegates being
present from 35 unions District
President Thomas Gibson called the
convention TO order. There were at
least 2s socialists in the bunch OF
delegates, and these represented men
who have fought for organized labor
in all the coal fields across the conti-
nent
The district has only been organ
lied seven years. and Wyoming only
came into the district organization a
two years ago. but the treasury now
has in its custody s45.1ss. This is a
tremendous fund. Many Of the inter-
national unions have not such a
treasury-such a defense fund. The
money is distributed throughout
twelve banks in Wyoming and Mon
tana.
The convention voted to loan the
Red Lodge Miners Union $4,000 at
per cent interest to complete the
labor temple which is now in process
of building and will cost $4,000.
The temple is a three-story build.
ing. a brick. iron and stone structure,
now in process of erection, which,
when completed, will be one of the
finest edifices in the city of Red
Lodge.
The first floor is to be occupied by
cooperative stores, and all the upper
parts are to be utilized by the various
unions in Red Lodge.
There will be a large lecture hal
and library. And the coal miners
thus become the center OF popular
educational work in the community
of Red Lodge.
A committee was appointed to In
vestigate the proposition of buying
land so that labor halls may be erect
ed in all the coal camps Of both the
states, so that the organized coal in.
dustry may own its own home AT
every point where IL labors.
This is for the purpose of obylai;ng
the difficulty which the unions are
having with the company-owned halls
in regard 10 the convcnicnccs in the
way of meetings; and such exp, ri.
ences as the absolute refusal OF -he
halls for the meetings Of Mother
Jones or othrr agitators and labor
representatives, so that II had to be
made n matter of special agree
ment between the miners and the
operators that the company halls
should be available for Socialist meet
ings as We'll as for those OF every
other party.
At this convention IL was decided
to inaugurate series of interstate .
conferences throughout the mining
districts west of Iowa, with the pur
pose in view of having the district
conferences alI come at one time. 50
that all wage agreements viii expire
at one time and a uniform scale be
adopted. thus making it practicable
for a solid mass strike TO be organ
ICED in case OF difficulty in any one
district.
Thomas Gibson, 7. p. Fahey and
Adam Wilkinson were appointed fra
ternal delegates to attend the conven-
tion OF District 10. comprising the
state OF Washington. in order 10 ar
range for these Interstate conferences,
and thus create a solidarity and pre-
pare the way for united action for de-
fence and defiance.
The existing wage scale does not
expire for another year.
A communication was received
from the secretary-treasurer OF the
Amalgamated Association OF Iron.
Steel and Tin Workers. appealing for
aid in their struggle against the steel
trust, and $500 was donated for the
assistance OF the steel workers.
what is still more significant in the
proceedings OF this convention. the
uss sombly OF the coal miners went on
record in favor of the public owner
ship OF the means OF production and
] distribution.
Tula about American unions-who
says they are not headed towards So
cialism? The difference between tn,
coal miners convention and that OF