The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-04
DON'T Want
SEPA
WAGE PACT
Illinois Miner Leader Op.
poses as Bringing High
Scale, No Work.

Petersburg, Ill, April 4.-Opposi-
ton to a separate state wage agree
ment with Illinois operators was
voiced by Freeman Thompson,
president of sub-district four, of
district No. II Qllinois), United
Mine Workers, in his report to the
sub-district constitutional. conven-
ton which opened here today.
Demands upon the state and in
ternational policy and scale COM
missions recommended by Pres
ident Thompson included:
A minimum annual wage OF
81 200 for miners;
Reestablishment of sub-distriCt
joint conferences;
A special international conven-
tion of the United Mine Workers to
dispose permanently of the Kansas
question and repeal of that part of
the existing agreement preventing
initiation or encouragement of new
laws pertaining solely to the min
ing industry, and affecting the OBJ
legations of the agreement, unless
such proposed laws are mutually
agreed upon by operators and min
ers
Sub-district four covers territory
between Lincoln on the north; Pet
ersburg on the west; Girard on the
south, and Mantle on the east. The
mem Dership is said to be approx
imately 10000 with 81 local unions.
Continuing their opposition TO
some of the policies of both John l..
Lewis. international president. and
Frank Harrington, president OF
! Illinois miners. officers and leaders
! of the sub-district organization
placed these issues upon the floor
/ of the convention.
/ Oppose Lewis, Harrington.
With Lewis, the issue centered
around Alexander. Howat, deposed
t leader OF the Kansas miners. With
harrington, against whom sub
district leaders have displayed
| hostility, the issues were more gen
eral, F'arrington's proposal of q
! separate state wage agreement pre-
dominating in the early stages oi
! the convention today.
Harrington on many issues, sub
district leaders find themselves
| fighting on the same side of the
Kansas controversy with the Hi
nois president
| Farrington's purposes in sup
| porting the Howat cause, sub
district leaders charge, are trace
able to union politics, while with
them, they declared the Kansas
question is one of principle.
! Referring to the Kansas cOntro-
versy President Thompson told the
convention today that he secs il
the making split in the mine
workers organization.
| Against "SecesSiOnists.S
ut would be criminaIly wrong
for US to allow this to happen" ht
| declared. ITO do this would be
playing directly into the hands o.
our common enemy, the coal opera
tors. Beware of the fellow you heal
talking in favor of a secessioniS
movement Either he does not un
derstaud or he has some ulteriol
motive. If John L. Lewis and hi:
associates have wronged the Kan
sas mine workers, and from theil
actions in the reconvened interna
tional convention they have, theI
the United Mine Workers should
right that wrong and punish thu
guilty parties"
A separate wage agreement fol
Illinois, President Thompson as
serted, would result in a "higl
wage scale but no work" because
Illinois would be thrown out o
line competitively and coal mineC
in this state could not be sold il
competition with that mined in In
diana, Ohio and western Pennsyl
yania.