The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-06-02
VICTORIOUS RANK
And file MINERS
WILL HOLD GAINS
Determined to Bring
Back Powers to Union
Especial to The Daily Worker)
BY THOMAS MYERscoueH.

PEORIA, ILL.,, June L. Altho the
convention of District ~, U. M. w. of
A., ended its sessions here last night,
many miners delegates are still view
ing the sights in the convention city.
This because there is nothing to
command a hurried return home, for
the mines are nearly all closed down.
This subject was brought to the at
tention of the convention repeatedly,
most forcibly when an attempt was
made to secure some measure of re-
lief for the hungry children. shut
down" seemed to be password among
the delegates, with no section of the
state being an exception to the rule.
The causes were many and varied, ac-
cording to the stated reasons, with
Failure to meet the pay rolf holding
its own for honors.
harrington Had No Remedy.
Yet on every occasion that a rank
nothing of a remedial nature was
done or even advocated-in fact, the
frankest kind of confessions of bank
ruptcy were made by Harrington in
his report and in his numerous back
to the wall" fights with the delegates.
In this he was not alone, for Lewis,
Murray and Green, as we'll as many of
the other speakers who wrought the
sweat from the delegates with their
pitable stories of inability to remedy
the existing conditions. This is bad
indeed when men whose duty it is to
look after the welfare Of the workers,
do and say as these men did.
Couldn't Down Rank and File.
Yet on eevry occasion that rank
and filer took the floor to point to
way out the machine got busy and
prevented discussion. On each occa-
sion they would be branded as men
bent on venting their feelings against
harrington, but in spite OF this opposi-
ton the men from the picks displayed
an unsurmountable courage and pro-
ceeded with their denunciation of the
system and all who supported it.
Additional elective officers provided
for by the convention are: Three al
ternate auditors, two special account
ants and two legislative committee
men, all to be chosen at district cleo
lions, and nine legal Investigators to
be elected by the districts they repre-
sent.
The 1926 convention will be held at
Peoria
"Picks" Fighting Quality.
The experience of the January in
ternational convention taught the del
egates that they would have to fight
for everything that they expected to
gain, and this they did with ven
geance. On the question of the ap-
pointive power the men from the
picks displayed their real fighting
quality Harrington had to subject
himself to a second drubbing on this
question when he asked the delegates
to disregard the instructions Of their
local unions and vote to give him the
right to select" (the new word for
appoint) the men who make up the
staff of legal investigators.
Delegates JubIant.
The sessions came to an end with
the delegates feeling secure in their
victory. AS they prepare to depart
for their homes they are predicting
the end of tyranny in the miners
union. They are going away predict
ing that before long the organization
will be made stronger than ever and
that with such influences the U. M. w.
of A. will march on to greater accom-
plishments from which will accrue
greater benefits for its vast and faith
full army who are now denied the
things they need SO badly.