The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-21
Tell Miners Convention His
Sentence to Prison
WAS A GREAT INJUSTICE"
Had No Knowledge of Act-Meetipg to
Consider Case, and Also Expiration,
April /, Of Strike Commission
Award.

Indianapolis, Jan. 21.--At the TWEEN
tieth annual convention of the United
Mine Workers, assembled in this city,
President I. L. Lewis occupied the
chair.
The presidents address was largely a
report. He reviewed the results OF the
special session of the representatives of
the organization, held in Indianapolis
last March, which resulted in the adop-
ton of the policy that the various dis.
tricts, separately or in groups, should
cndc,tvor to agree with the operators
on contracts for one year. and at no
reduction of wages. The interstate
Joint agreement has not been re-estab-
lished.
at is worthy of your attention. said
Mr.. Lewis in the course of his address,
"that in our joint conference there is
a growing disposition on the part Of the
operators 10 have penalty clauses in.
serted in the wage agreements. The
principal reason assigned is that, if
contracts are of any practical use, there
should be no strikes during the life of
the contract. We also should present
same method that demonstrates that
we are sincere in our desire to respect
the terms of contracts.
"As the award of the strike commits
sion expires on April ! Of this year, the
delegates to this convention should
carefully consider such plans as will
bast protect the interests OF the anthra-
cite mine workers.
Secretary w. ID. Ryan began his re-
port by congratulating the organization
ON its joint agreement with the opera.
tors of-coal mines in practically all dis
tricts, carrying no decrease in wages
or tightening of conditions, despite the
industrial depression.
The membership of the organization
has increased from $4,000 in December,
1898 to 294,7 in December, 1905. The
secretary called attention to the large
decrease in the funds of the organixa
ton. On April /, 1908, it had on hand
1891 ,996, and on Dec. /, $595,739.37. The
decrease be accounted for by showing
that S635,713.75 WIS expended during
the year for aid Of the membership,
and that the general expense Of the or
gan;zation was $1s3,229.3s. The total
expenses was S81S,94313. The total
amount paid out In aiding the members
Of the organization since 1900 was 49,
a3T .204.09.
During the eight months from April
TO November the salaries paid to the
executive board and to other organizers
amounted to $56,2103O. and their eN
penses were $50, 503.07, total Of $106,
T22.57. This was an excess of $4,000
over the same period in 1907, and the
secretary commented
"It appears to me that the expenses
incident to the management Is increas
ing out of proportion TO the growth of
the organiza tion.7
Mr. Ryan recommended that the Buck
Stove and Range company be taken
on the unfair list, end that the indi-
vidual members should be permitted to
Fuse their own judgement" In this
he said that former Presi
dent John Mitchell had been sentenced
to jail by Judge Wright for an act
committed while Mr.. Mitchell was pre-
siding at the last convention of the or
and that the present conven
tion should thoroughly consider the
case. He read letter from Mr. Nit
rhell in which the latter said that the
resolution passed by the convention
which had brought upon him his Jail
sentence had been passed without his
and without his participa.
tion; and he felt, therefore, that a
great injustice had been done to him.