New Britain herald., 1916-01-18
MINE WORKERS DO
 NOT FAVOR DEFENSE
Pres. White Speaks Against It.
 ~ To Adjust Wage Scale

Indianapolis. Ind, Jan. 1S.-About thirteen hundred delegates faced President John P. White when he , opened the twenty-fifth convention ot the United Mine Workers of America here today for one of the most i'm portant sessions the organizations has held in long time. Before the con- vention adjourns it will have out lined a policy that will affect probaplE a half million coal miners Tn the United States and Canada. Wage agreements expired this year in all the hard and soft coal districts of Penn- sylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, west Virginia Kentucky, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, MS souri, Texas, Montana, Wyoming ana Washington. President White mas stated that there should be no strikes so long as there are honest efforts made by each side to arrange new wage scales.
 Demands Formulated.
 The union anthracite mine workers ~>have already formulated thelr de- mands and the convention is expected to ratify them without much discus sion. This will leave the way open for discussion on the proposition or adopting a basic wage scale for all the bituminous coal fields.
 The question of the cOuntry's pre- paredness for war is expected to cause Considerable discussion. It has been learned that the committee on reso- Iutions is divided on the matter.
 Woman suffrage also is expected to come up. The United Mine Workers
 fa1 of I suffrage. It is expected the resolu- tions committee will recommend that the convention again reaftirm it's posi- +ion.
 Presidents Report.
 John P. White, international presi- dent of the United Mine Workers of America, declared in his biennial re- port, read to the delegates of the union, that he was Fully convinced that the men of labor are unalterably opposed to the whole scheme of pre- paredness" MT. White commended President Wilson for keeping the country at peace and said that too much praise cannot be given to the president for his great efforts in this direction"
 Profits for Manufacturers. In6 led06r or the IHluSIS IIleu dl- 1uded to preparedness and asserted that "The intuition manufacturers who are reaping enormous profits by reason of the European war no doubt have much to do with the general topic of preparedness"
 Preparedness did not prevent war in Europe and everything seems to indicate that preparedness makes for war" he continued.
 Many of it's advocates do not base their claims on patriotism or love of country, but if properly analysed the intense interest they are manifesting in preparedness is due to the profits they would derive from such a policy. The experience of the wOrkingmen of this nation with military organiza- tions has been such as to shake their confidence in such movements"
 Wage Agreements Expire.
 Taking up organization matters, President White referred to the fact that wage agreements will expire April 1 in the anthracite fields and in central and western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Michi- gan, Iowa and Kentucky and later in the year in Missouri, Kansas, Okla homa, Arkansas, Texas, Wyoming, Montana, Washington and in British Columbia in March, 1917.
 'I most earnestly urge that our scale committee carefully canvass the situation when formulating our de- mands for the consideration of this convention" he said. Industrial con- ditions are greatly improved now, and from various authoritative sources we are advised that the country is enter ing upon an unprecedented era of prosperity We should demand such improvements in our wage scale as conditions will warrant"
 About Labor Troubles.
 Mr. White had this to say about the Colorado labor troubles.
 Our federal government has been greatly exercised about welfare of it's citizens in foreign lands and upon the high seas, which is commendable; but when it's attention is directed to these dom outrages occurring in one of oyfT own sovereign states, we are ad- vised that it is powerless to protect the citizens of our own country under such circumstances. This condition cannot long endure and even-handed justice must be meted out to the high priced anarchist the same as to any other who transgresses the law ~
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