The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-01-26
VIEW
DEFE Ended
BY MURRAY
Administration Policies of
Miners Sound, Declares
Vice President.
BROPHY LEADS ATTACK
Pennsylvania Official Hits
Organization Work. a

thounder" and ''go to it, Philip
Murray, United Mine Workers of
America vice president, defended
administration policies at the min
ers' convention in Tomlinson Hall
this morning.
The defense followed the first
spectacular outburst of the con-
vention when John Brophy, presi.
dent of District in the Pennsylvania
field, criticised miners officials mon
effective policy Of organizing non
union coal fields"
Lost to Lewis.
Brophy was recently defeated for
the miners presidency by President
John l.. Lewis. Powers Hapgood,
Harvard graduate, who declares he
is a delegate, but who has not been
seated, supported Brophy in the
election.
Brophy attempted to inject into
the convention a consideration of
the policy now to be taken regard
ing the organizing Of the nonunion
fields to the pending wage scale ne
gotiations now being considered by
the wage scale committee.
''If we engage" Brophy said, "in
a battle with the coal operators in
the spring, am Of the opinion that
our wage policy must assure newly
organized men that they will not
have to stand alone.
ie.n f.,E EfDtI
the organized and the unorganized
field, l am in favor of a wage pol
icy and agreement that cover all
the mines"
Murray characterized Brophy's re-
mark as tending to show signs of
weakness in the organization"
II deny the allegation that our
union is weak today" Murray said.
Il say to the American people
through the medium of the press
that the United Mine Workers are
coming into the wage scale confer
ence as fully intrenehed as ever in
the history of the organization.
Drive Aggre ssive
president Brophy in his alleged
confession of weakness today does
not represent the sentiment OF this
convention. 1t is this panhandling
of certain forces in the last few
monies which has given the impress
sion that the organization is weak
and crumbling.
Let it be said to the everlasting
credit Of ours international officers
and to the organization that we have
conduced what we believe to be the
most aggressive campaign of organ
ization in the nonu union fields in re-
cent years"
Murray declared that the failure
of the Organization to effect a set
tlement in the 1922 strike was not
the fault of the United Mine Work
ers' officers"
1T was the fault Of the commun-
ist element that was preaching dis
sensiion," he said.
Scores BrOphy
When he declared that "President
Bropby, in my opinion, has con
Quoted the most ineffective campaign
of organization ever in the confines
of our union," the delegates broke
out with a big ovation.
There were cries from the dele
gates to ''go to it" and to "give 'em
hell"
Murray declared that w. u. Foster
and "other emissaries Of the Com
munists in 1922 circulated propa-
ganda to create revolution in the
miners ranks.
The convention rose to another
demonstration when Murray de-
clared that the miners would lick
the hell' out of certain coal COM
pany in a striking district.
Prospect of a renewal Of the fight
to Hapgood as delegate loomed
Signed by officers of Local Union
S61, Cresson, Pa, a letter protesting
refusal to seat Hapgood as their rep
resentative, was distributed among
delegates.
The letter charged that interna-
tional officers are attempting to oust
Hapgood from the international
ON a technicity.
Hapgood, whom administration
leaders charge is a radical, APP
peared before the credentials COM
mittee Tuesday night and was re-
fused a seat. His next step would
be an appeal to the International ex-
ecutive council before he could APP
peal to the floor of the convention.
Hapgood is the son of William p.
Hapgood, president Of the Columbia
Conserve Company of indianapolis
and a nephew Of Norman Hapgood.
noted writer. lie has worked in
coal mines in European countries
and a number of States, studying
conditions and aiding miners.