The Indianapolis times., 1930-03-14
DEMAND LEWIS
STEP OUT AS
MINERS HEAD
Eight Union Resolutions
Lay Unrest to Iron
Hand Management.
SALARIES CUT SOUGHT
'SeIfiShnesS' in Accepting
Former Increases Is
Scored Sharply.

Direct blows at control of John L.
Lewis, international president, over
the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea came today In the Tomlinson
hall convention of the union when
more than a score Of anti-Lewis res
olutions were made public by the
resolutions committee.
Resolutions that Lewis resign came
from eight local unions. the most
lengthy, from local 5840 of Des
MCines, Ia, declaring unrest is
caused by the iron will of John L.
Lewis and his executive staff" and
that the union morale would be
raised If taken from under this
iron arm supremacy"
Ten resolutions demand reduc-
tionS in salaries Of Lewis and all
international officers. Lewis now
receives $4,000 annually, the secre-
tary $1,000 and the e-president
SO, 1000. The resolutions provide sala-
ries of from SIS 900 to $4,000 annually
for the president, from $3,50G to
$4,500 for the e-preSident, and
from $4,000 to $1,000 for the secre-
tary, with cuts for all other officers.
Reflections Hit
Another blow is dealt Lewis and
the international regime by six
resolutions providing that an Of
ficer can not hold Office for more
than two to four years, after which
he is ineligible for Office unless he
returns to the coal mines as
worker for a period of at least two
years.
Still other resolutions would elm
mate payment of expense accounts
of officers, with statements that Eek
pense account payments have ex-
ceeded salaries paid" Others pro-
vide that all power to appoint or
ganizers and field workers be from
Lewis hands. Seven resolutions pro-
vide that vacancies in elective Of
fees be filed by election of men,
bers instead of through appointment
by Lewis.
Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania and
Ohio locals lead in resolutions
aimed at Lewis regime, but Linton,
Ind, also figures in a number of
similar demands.
Local 2485 of Des Moines, Ia, pre-
Sented a resolution reading:
Higher Than Workers
Believing salaries of our interna
tional officers are much too far in
excess of the pay of men at the
picks, who pay the bills, and be-
lieving this great difference in sala-
rieS puts such a large chasm be-
tween them that the officers cease
to have welfare of the laboring man
at heart and,
Believing that the international
officers demonstrated their selfish
ness and the fact they cared moth
ing for the rank and file by ac-
cepting an increase in salary, know
ing. as they did, that it was impos-
Sible for the miners to obtain an
increase at that time;
DiSSension Reason
Believing this to be one OF the
major reasons for the disSension and
disruption within the rank and file
the last three years; Therefore be it
Resolved That this convention
set the salaries Of international off,
GERS at the 1923 basis and that there
be no increase in salaries hereafter
without a referendum vote from
the rank and file.
Two round-robin resolutions ad-
vocating retention OF the present
salaries Of officers were introduced
In an address Philip Murray, in
ternational vice. president, charged
direct connection between the rump
convention at Springfield, Ill, and
movement Of coal operators to over
throw the international union.
Fines for insurgent miners of
Illinois, who are holding dual con-
vention at Springfield, are proposed
by another resolution. The con-
vention continued discussion of the
Illinois affairs today while the reSo-
lutions were made public, but not
acted upon.
untAT0f Io CIofod