Evening star., 1921-09-20
lEW|S.URGESUN|ON
TO WIN M|NEF|GHT
Miners President Reviews
West Virginia Struggle in
Convention Report.
By the AssOcia ted Press.

By the Associated Press.
| INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. September 90.
delegates from the coal fields of the
United States and Canada assembled
here today for the opening Of the
| biennial convention of the United
Mine Workers of America. which is to
iconsider many important questions af-
! fecting the coal industry during the
next fortnight.
Consideration of the wage question,
unemployment, the employment Of
foreigners in the mines and national
! ization of the mines are among the
more important questions expected to
come before the convention.
! Urges Fight on Pay Cuts.
, No wage reduction of coal miners
must be permitted and all resources
! of the miners union must be made
| available to back up the policy in OPP
president of the United Mine Worker 8
of America. declared here today In
his report made at the opening Of
the biennial convention of the inter-
Z; national union.
| He also recommended a postpone
ment until next February of the
| miners adoption of definite wage de-
mands and declared that with all
! wage agreements expiring on March
| 81. 1922, 1.-The full influence and eco
! nomic power of our great membership
| may thus be utilized to the advantage
| Of our people for the achievement of
our ideals"
/, Wages Given Much Attention.
| Much of Mr.. Lewis 10000 word re-
port related to the wage question. ap-
parently Indicating that this would
4 nj l.
ness of the convention. which brought
together between 1900 and 1900 rep
!resentatives of local unions scattered
throughout the United States. western
Canada and Nova Scotia. Aside from
the wage question, Mr.. Lewis asked
| to Robert H. Harlin of Seattle. Wash.
! and Frank harrington, president Of
the Illinois miners. who. Lewis charg-
ed. had circulated false statements
| about the union. He also asked the
convention to indorse the interna-
Howat. president of the Kansas
miners organization. had defied in
not complying with the boards order
for strikers to return to work.
| Other essential points of Mr.. Lewis
report included recommendation
that the convention reaffirm it's dec
laration of two years ago. favoring
naturalization of coal mines.
i "Must Win MinEO Fight"
| A declaration that the fight in Mingo
county. West Virginia, must be won.''
! A recomme ndation that legal pro-
ceedings be instituted to make full
test of the constitutionality of the
Kansas industrial court law.
| In discussing the wage question. Mr.
Lewis said coal operators in Pennsyl-
vania. Washington, Iowa. Kansas, Col
orado. West Virginia. Kentucky, Ten
nessee. Alabama. Oklahoma, Texas
Arkansas and Missouri had filed de-
mands for reductions. but that the
unions policy was uncompromisingly for
carrying out the present agreement
which he said was predicated on the
award of the bituminous coal commits
sion functioning under governmental
authority.
''Our people were employed only two
days week on the average" continued
Mr.. Lewis. in explanation Of the union $
policy. land they found it extremely
difficult to provide themselves with food
and other necessities. Furthermore. it
| is fact that the wages now paid in
the organized sections of the mining in
dustry are but relatively fair. Coal can