Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-01-21
Will MAKE DEMANDS
FOR ADEQUATE SCALE
UNITED NINE WORKERS IN ANNU.
AL CONVENTION, TO BETTER
CENTRAL STATES
CONDITIONS.
Efforts Also to Be Made to Cause
Greater Safety in Mines-Many
Lives Lost in 1918.

indianapolis, Jan. 20.-Demands for
the adoption of wage scale for coal
miners in the central states are to be
determined upon by the annual con-
vention Of the United Mine Workers
of America which went into session
here today with nearly 1000 dele
gates in attendance.
Another important matter to come
before the convention, which is meet
ing in Tomlinson Hall, is revision of
the constitution of the United Mine
Workers. The constitution committee
has been here for some time at work
upon report on constitution revi-
sion to be submitted to the delegates.
The resolutions committee also has
been in session for several days pre-
pairing a report to be delivered to
the convention. The constitution re-
quires all resolutions to be in ten
days before the opening of the con-
vention. More than 300 resolutions.
have been scheduled.
conference of mine owners and
representatives of the miners was
recently held at the Claypool Hotel,
attended by two delegates from each
district and by President John P.
White, of the Mine Workers; Vice
President Frank Hays and Secretary
Treasurer William Green, for the pur-
pose of considering the question of
having the miners continue work
while the settlements are pending.
ance with a motion adopted at the
interstate joint conference in Cleve-
land in March, 1912.
The states that will be affected by
the demands to be made are known
as the central competitive district
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and the west
ern portion of Pennsylvania.
Another subject that will receive
much of the conventions attention is
that of increasing safety in mihes.
During the past year there has been
a heavy loss of life in mine accidents
throughout the country. There was
one disaster at Finleyville, Pa, in
which 100 lives were lost. Another
happened in Colorado in which thirty
eight miners lost their lives. There
also were big disasters in New Next
co and in Alabama. The death rate
among miners increased more rapidly
during 1913 than did the coal produc-
ton. Statistics prepared by the ma
tional officers show that there was
an increase of 4O,O0O00O tons in the
production of coal. This was an in
crease of per cent over the year
before.
In 1913 the increase in the death
rate from accidents in mines was Is
per cent. The situation will receive
consideration at the hands of the con-
vention and an effort will be made to
work out better system OF SAFETY
In this connection DR.. J. A. Holmes,
chief of the United States Bureau of
Mines, has been invited OF address the
delegates.
Secretary of Labor Nv. B. Wilson
and United States Senator John w
Kern also are to address the ccnven-
ton. Secretary Wilson is a member
of the United Mine Workers and
formerly was secretary-treasurer OF
that organization when John Mitchell
was the International president. Sen
ator Kern was the author of the Sen
ate resolution under which the sen
ate committee made an extensive in.
vestigation of conditions in the Yves
Virginia coal fields.