South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-25
MINERS To DROP
LABOR AGITATORS
|. w. w. and Others of Same
Class to Go by Amendment
to Constitution.

/ INDIANAPOLIS. Jan. % - The
mine workers convention spent the
/ entire day considering proposed
! changes 10 the constitution OF the
union. and when adjournment was
| taken until Friday, the indications
! were that 10 would drop from its
rolls all members who insist upon
/ holding membership i'm the Indus
| triai Workers of the World, the
/ Working Glass union recently Great
! ed in oklahoma, or any dual or
ganization not affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor
In answer 10 a question the chair
man of the constitution committee
] said this change would not affect
union miners who go TO work on
railroads holding railroad brother
| hood cards and later return to the
mines. Several of the railroad
brotherhoods are not affiliated with
the federation
There was no debate on the ques-
: ton to make J. W. W. men ineligi-
/ bic 10 join the miners union, and
/ il would have been adopted imme-
4 diately except that another provis-
+ ion permitting those who have relig-
/ iOus scruples TO foregO taking the
miners obligation, was part of the
! same section and was being OPP
posed.
o. Il. salary Raises.
BY vote Of $50 10 263 the con-
vention ratified the action OF the
international board i'm increasing the
salaries of the international officers
I % per cent This is i'm keeping
with the > ) per cent advance re-
| ceived by the miners Much disor-
/ der prevailed during the discussion
of the salary question
| During the debate Frank Earring
( ton. president of the Illinois min
ers. declared that if the war should
end during the life of the present
| agreement with the operators there
would be no lowering of wages. His
statement attracted attention and
was Interpreted to mean that the
miners would oppose any attempt
/ at wage reductions after the war.
During the afternoon session Har-
/ old Houston. a member of the West
Virginia bar and OF the bar Of the
! supreme court. addressed the con
/ vention on legal cases i'm his state
affecting the union. He referred
10 the Hickman case before the su-
preme court Of the United States
! in which that tribunal sustained the
I lower court which had enjoined the
union from soliciting among the
IcOmpany's men TO join the organiza-
ton. He said that i'm his opinion
J if something is not eventually done
THE decision of the supreme court
will strike a fatal blow at the or
ganization. He further said:
Sees Struggle Coming.
You must either meekly submit
TO that decision-lay down flat in
/ the face of it, and accept that de
| cree-or YOU must serve notice on
the congress of the United States.
which is the only tribunal that can
correct that wrong that unless
within a given time some action is
taken to nullify that infamous de-
cision the miners of the United
States will lay down their picks"
Further on he said:
What use = it TO the American
workers to win democracy on the
/ battle fields OF Nurope if YOU are
going to lose il here at home? You
can rest assured of one thing I
! know / have the reputation Of be
/ ing radical and all that. but when
J the armies of America return in tri-
umph from Europe. they are going
/ 90 be ready for the working class
/ here at home"