The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-01-20
MINE WORKERS
DECRY BIG ARMY
DELEGATES APPLAUD THE ANTI.
MILITARY STAND.
WHITE SAYS LABOR is OPPOSED
Hopes Plan Will Fail to Make v. S.
An Armed Camp. Convention Ad-
Vised to Formulate Wage Re-
quests With Care.


cidents that stool out in the opening
proceedings of the biennial conven-
ton OF the United Mine Workers OF
America here " ere the hearty approx
al given by the 1900 delegates when
President John p. White said that the
miners should share in the present
prosperity and the waves of applause
that followed the declarations OF the
miners leader and Secretary-Treas
urer William Green that in their be
lief the workingmen of the country
were oppo sci to the present prepared
ness agitation
Mr.. White in his Biennial report.
urged the scale committee of the
convention carefully to canvass the
situation in formulating demands. He
called attention to improved industrial
conditions and stated the country
was entering upon an unprecedented
area of prosperity" and that the con
Vention should demand such improve
ments in the wage scale as conditions
will warrant.
Preparedness Opposed.
President White touched on prepar-
edness before he took up the wage
question and his denunciation of war
and his declaration of opposition to
preparedness on large scale brought
the first real applause in the conven-
ton. He said he was fully convinced
that the men of labor are unalterably
opposed TO the whole scheme of pre-
paredness," and added that it is to be
earnestly hoped that the plans to
make our country an armed camp
which may be used to extend com
mercialism abroad AMI exploit labor
at home will be defeated
Secretary Green was equally EN-
phatic in his declaration against pre-
paedness and said that the conven'
ton ought to give expression to its
attitude toward this so-called prepar.
edness program"
Wage Agreements Expire.
Wage agreements expired ahts year
in all the hard and soft coal districts
OF Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Hi.
nois, West Virginia, Michigan, Iowa
Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mis-
souri,, Kentucky, Texas, Montana, Wy.
oming and Washington.
In these states there will be new de-
mands made, and if the powers that
now control the miners organization
! have their way, coal mining will con-
| tinue without interruption as long as
| there is a possible chance of their
coming to an agreement. President
White is opposed to strikes, except as
/ last resort.
The union anthracite mine workers
| have already formulated their de
mands, and the convention is expected
to ratify them without much discus
sion. This will leave the way open
for wide discussion on the proposition
of adopting basic wage scale for al
the bituminous fields. Then will come
the adoption of a policy that will af
.ect all districts.
The Ohio miners have agreed tC
ask a 10 per cent increase in wages
on the mine-run basis, and hope Il
have such a demand inserted in the
wage scale TO be adopted by the con
vention, and the other districts are
expected to fall in line with Ohio.
Too much praise cannot be giveI
President Wilson for his great effort
in successfully keeping this countr.
at peace with the nations Of the world
but labor is unalterably opposed to hi
preparedness program and the Who'll
scheme of preparedness. This, in sui
stance, was the judgment of Presiden
White. 1t was embodied in his repor
to the biennial convention. Whit
said this represented the opinion O
organized labor.