Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-08
MINERS CONCLUDE BUSINESS
scale Committee Reports on the Com
dition I'm Anthracite
Region.

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. I-After select
ing Indianapolis as the place OF meeting
next year. the convention of the United
Mine Workers OF America adjourned last
night with the delegates singing Amer
lea" Delegate James OF British CO.
lumbia led in the singing.
The scale committed. which considered
the situation in the anthracite districts
of Pennsylvania, reported at this even
ing's session. Various demands are
made, among them an eight-hour day
with no reduction in pay and the com
plete. recognition of the union. A 8
and 10 per cent increase in wages is also
asked
John H.. Walker, president of the Illi-
nois district, who was defeated for presi-
dent by Thomas L. Lewis, addressed the
delegates and urged hearty cooperation
in the support of President Lewis adj
ministration.
Toledo and ST. Louis made strong bids
for the next convention, but Indianapolis
won, mainly because the headquarters of
the organization is maintained here. e.
G. Mccullough, the newly-elected vice
president also addressed the convention.
Il came into this contest with clean
hands," he said, IAN after 1 have been
with you a year I want to be able to go
u WI III udIuS just db Cltdn.
Fractional .Disputes Abolished.
The convention today disposed of much
business. The chief transaction was the
adoption of a resolution declaring against
a recurrence Of the factional disputes in
the campaign just closed. 1t was de-
clared that"any member guilty of max
ing or circulating or causing to be cir
culated false statements against another
member shall, on being proved guilty,
be suspended for six months and shall
not be eligible to hold office in the In
ternational, district. subdistrlct or local
unions for two years.
1t was also decided today that in future
elections the popular vote Will elect the
International officers.
The convention refused to put a s-year
limit on office holding and refused to
change the time Of the annual election to
thirty days after the scale is signed.
A twelfth clause was added to the pre-
ambie OF the constitution as follows:
For better protection of the lives and
health OF the coal workers we demand thai
the duties of all mine inspectors be made
time after having made thorough inspec-
ton, to order Immediately the suspension
Of any mine that is found to be unsafe.
Report of Scale Committee.
The scale committee adopted the wage
scale agreed upon at Scranton, Pa, last
year.
The report follows;
That an agreement shall be negotiated
between the representatives OF the miners
and operators OF the anthracite region and
all disputes arising under the CONTRACTS
shall be adjusted as provided for In said
we demand the complete recognition Of
the United Mine Workers OF America as
q party to negotiate a wage contract and
that the United Mine Workers of America
shall be recognized in our right to pro
vide any method we may adopt for the
collection of revenue for the organization.
That we demand an S-hour day with no
That all coal shall be mined and paid
for by the ton Of 1000 pounds
form scale Of wages and prices for all
classes OF labor at all collieries in the an
thracite region, and that all employees paid
cent advance, and all employees paid more
than $1.50 and less than - per day shall
receive a 8 per cent advance.
That the system whereby a contract
miner has more than one job or employs
more than two laborers be abolished.
That the employers be required to issue
uniform pay statements. designating the
name of the company. the name of the
employe, the colliery where employed, the
AMOUNT OF wages and the class OF work
That contract shall be made for a per-
Tod OF one year.
The committee recommended that the
officers OF the organization use their best
effort to bring about a conference with the
operators and left the details OF arranging
for this conference with the executive
board. The convention concurred in the
report.
The organization will not be represented
at the -nternationa Mining congress in
Europe next year. 1t costs 5000 to send
delegates to this congress and the conven-
ton decided this was too expensive.