Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-09-10
MINERS DEMAND HIGHER PAY AND
 SHORTER HOURS
Will Not Longer Be Bound By
 Agreements for the Wars Duration.
.2,00O DELEGATES
 ATTEND CONVENTION

Provisions of Cummins' Bill Are Crit
 icized as Attempts to Re-lntro-
 duce System of Economic
 Slavery.
 Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 9.-Demand for wage increases and shorter hours strong insiStence that these claims, which had been deferred during the war, could no longer be delayed but must be forced through to a success ful issue, dominated the deliberations of the opening session of the conven- tion of the United Mine Workers of America here today.
 Over 2,O00 delegates, constituting the largest miners convention in the history of the organization, applaud led sentence by sentence the declara- tion of acting President John L. Lewis that the miners could no long CT be bound by agreements concluded for the period of hostiltes but must press demands which would have been pressed to a decision long since had it not been for reluctance to embar, rass the government during the war His declaration that no interference ; could be tolerated from any agency seeking to prevent the accomplish ment of the miners program was re- ceived with the same enthusiasm as was his expression of confidence that , the miners efforts would be success ful, even in the face of strong opposi-
 tion and anticipated public criticisrf from various quarters.
 : Second only to wage demands I, evoking applause were references to
 the high cost of living, a burst o-
 general hand clapping greeting th' first use of this phrase in the presi dents report. Hearty enthusiasm too, was evoked by uncompromisin@
 denunciations by various speakers o, , the principle of compulsory arbitra tion as embodied in the Cumming bill, which MT. Lewis characterized a! l an attempt to reintroduce condition e of economic slavery.
 The question of the nationalizatiol
 of coal mines, on the other hand, wa 5 evidently a question of less burnins = interest to the delegates, who listen l ed without demonstration to refer ences to this doctrine.
 No dissent was heard when Presi :, dent Lewis denounced the I. w. w Il the lone big union" and similar move = ments as based upon "fantastica t ideas of misguided enthusiasts ant t mercenary enemies of the trade unio s s movement" and "day dreams of wis | ionaries."
 e Presidents Report.
 7, . Acting President John L. Lewis in his report of the United Min I, Workers of America, discussed tn :, greatly increased cost of living an 7, the improbability.of any sweeping re 'i duction through "belated" federa 7. action, as a preface to his recon | mendation for a cancellation of tn j Washington wage agreement in tn ~ bituminous field not later than Nc Z E vember 1, and the negotiation of # new wage scale, to be enforced, l ~ case of failure to reach satisfac '- tory settlement by then, by ger z eral miners strike throughout tn II entire jurisdiction of the Unite Mine Workers of America. Tn 7, basis of the proposed agreemer Il should be that outlined by the na
 tional policy meeting held at India
 napolis in March. calling for th
 six hour day and five day week an
 "substantiaT" wage increases. p In other parts of his report, h discussed difficulties with tn Il United States Railroad administr; > tion resulting from efforts of D l. rectors- General McAdoo and Hine d to secure coal for railroad use b' r low the rate fixed by the Unite }. States Fuel Administration; e. u pressed fear that the success ( ,JI such efforts would tend to fort u down miners wages; strongly col demed policies and principles of u
 I. w. w., and similar organization
 and declared against any compr' no misses with clements seeking 70 spread such doctrines in the Unit " Mine Workers organization.
 d He reported on damage actiol N brought against the United Mi
 Workers organization, which a : inspiring efforts to secure fro
 congress an amendment to the Cla
 ton Antitrust Act to prevent t
 possibility of such suits against
 Dor unions. He further recomme nd ded an effort to secure tariff legi IT, lation to cope with the problem
 Mexican coal and on account of
 cheapness and the ease with whi
 it may be delivered at seaboal we Great Lakes and Mississippi riv .p-i points contains threat to prospe ke tv of those engaged m the coa! he dustry An import duty of at les
 (Confinued on page siX,)