The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-31
MINE WORKERS IN
CONVENTION NAME
WORK COMMITTEES
Total of 266 Delegates Pres
ent Claiming to Represent
22,6S9 Members
WELL KNOWN MEN
IN ATTENDANCE
Sessions Today Will Be Held in the
Orpheum Theatre Will Con-
tinde for Several
Days

Workers now in session in Birming-
ham. according to figures given out
yesterday. represents 22.6S9 members
in 96 local unions over the state OF
Alabama. and there are 266 delegates
in attendance upon the sessions that
will continue for at least three days
to determine what course will be best
for the organization to pursue in the
future.
The business transacted yesterday
| consisted of the naming of three
| committees: A committee on credentials,
wage scale and rules and order of
business. The credentials committee,
| with w. A Shaffer of Pratt City as
| chairman, went right to work. Other
| members on the committee are R. e.
Stracner. republic; Jim Mailman, Black
Creek; c. A. Freisner. Blocton, and w.
L. Peoples. Corona.
John G. Smith of Galloway is chair
man of the scale committee and the
| work of his committee will be the
| center of all activities and. in fact, the
| cow ention. They will be at work two
| or three days getting their report
ready. when it will be presented to
| the convention subject to adoption,
amendment or rejection by the body.
The committee met last night and Or
ganized and began preparation for its
| labor.
| w. NJ. Mayox of Little Creek was
Il Cd obn ,Sf he an,
rules and order of business and he
will most likely make his report tc
the convention this morning by which
the proceedings will be guided
MEET AT ORPHEUM TODAY
| The meeting this morning will take
! place at the Orpheum theatre, brick
| layers hall having been found to be
| too small and not well enough ven
| tilated for the prolonged sessions. It
| is the intention to name a visiting
committee which will wait upon the
operators and learn whether they VIII
meet with the miners in conference. A
committee on resolutions and auditing
will also be named.
| The large number of negro dele
gates in attendance was noticeable
| the colored men taking seats to one
side
| Some notable visitors attending the
meeting are: Joe Pogiani editor Of
| the Italian United Mine Workers
Journal: William Houston of Indiana,
Robert Burt of Iowa. Gazy Carroll of
Pennsylvania, w. L. Harrison, Thomas
King and Robert Foster of Washington
and Robert Gilmore of Arkansas, all
| connected with the national organiza-
| ton.
| The convention first met at brick
| layers hall, but soon adjourned to
Capitol park on account of the extreme
hot weather The session was held in
the pavilion at the park.
| Commissioner Weatherly made a Wig
orous speech and his words appar-
entity made hit with the miners. He
| spoke for the Civic association, and
John r. Hornady spoke for the city
commission, being named by Mayor
Ward to represent the city. Judge Will
| liam e. Fort. Lewis c. Bowen, secre-
| tary of the State Federation of Labor;
John r. T. Rives secretary of the To-
|
| spoke briefly. DR.. George Eaves in
voked divine blessing upon the CON
vention, saying in part: Bless the men
| of wealth; may they be filled with
spirit of democracy and be blessed
with the spirit of yielding"
WEATHERLY SPEAKS
Mr.. Weatherly said in part: BE as
wise ba, ,tae.c
doves. This convention is an appeal
not only to the operators but to the pub
| lie, and the Civic association stands for
the public, and the services of the or
ganization are offered in trying to get
the right thing and in trying to get
the right results. 1 cannot see where
| there should be any objection to a trade
| or craft organizing"
Judge Fort advised the men to be very
cautious and not to do anything or all
low anything to be done that would
reflect discredit upon the organization.
He congratulated the convention mem
bers upon holding their session in the
open, eliminating any criticism that
might have been made about secret
meetings. THE courts" said Judge Fort
belong to the people. and the miners are
fpart of the people,"
r. II. White spoke for the Birmingham
typographical union, and extended
cordial welcome to the city. Lewis c.
Bowen held his talk along lines of la
Dor, and stated that this was the time
to organize, that the President of the
United States believed in organizing, and
that everything was being organized
now. Organization" he stated, will
bring about larger production at the
mines and that is what is wanted"
B. w. King. business agent of the Ma
chinists' union; Charles X. HAN of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
and the labor's cooperative and educa-
tional committee, j. H. F. Mosely of the
Labor Advocate. ]. McCutchen of the
Call. j. r. T. Rives of the Order of
Railway Conductors, r. II. White of
the Birmingham Trades Council and
many other prominent labor men are
attending the convention. A feature in
the enrolment is the attendance of two
Mexicans as delegates
FEW OLD FACES SEEN
1t is noticeable that very few of the
old faces are to be seen in the convention
sessions. Some few of the unions over
the district have barely existed through
out these intervening years, but the work
of reorganization practically meant a
complete organization from start to fin
ish. The work has been rapid and SEEM
ingly thorough. The men attending the
convention seem to be in earnest about
establishing wage scalesand reaching
an agreement with the operators that
will form a satisfactory working basis
The convention will meet at Q o'clock
today and adjourn for dinner at noon
then meet again in the afternoon These
sessions will be continued each day I'M