i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org

30 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
perfect—and a legal—right to do, and notwithstanding
the fact that our attorneys have tried
again to get a hearing for the purpose of having
the injunction dissolved, this supposed-to be-impartial
judge, upon one pretext or another, denies
us the opportunity even to appear in court to
move that the injunction be set aside.
For several years past a bill has been pending
in the United States Congress defining the word
"conspiracy," and limiting to its proper and constitutional
function the authority of these federal
judges. This bill will again be under consideration
at the present session of Congress and it
seems to me that no effort should be left untried
to secure its passage. To that end, I recommend
that your president or your executive board be
given authority to employ one or more representatives
To Go TO WASHINGTON
and lobby in the interest of this bill.
The following is Secretary-Treasurer W. B. Wilson's
report, except the detailed figures on income
and disbursements:
At the close of business November 30, 1903, we
had on hand in the national treasury $1,106,19S.6S.
Our income during the year was $851,772.86, making
a total of $1,957,971.54. Our expenditure for
the same period was $1,354,019.22, leaving a balance
on hand at the close of business November
30, 1904. of $603,952.32. It will thus be seen that
our expenditures were $502,246.36 more than our
income, making it necessary for us to draw from
our reserve funds to that amount in order to meet
the current expenses of the year.
Of this large expenditure $1,067,300.47 was paid
for aid to strikers, $437,575.10 of which was paid
to District 15 in sppport of the strike in Colorado
and Utah. The strike in that district began on
November 9, 1903, and we continued furnishing
support to it until June 30, 1904. When the strike
began there was approximately eight thousand
men involved, but the number was gradually reduced
by some men leaving and others returning
to work so that in the last two or three months
before we discontinued furnishing aid there was
not more than two thousand five hundred men still
on strike. Yet during these three months the
national organization was furnishing fifteen thousand
dollars per week for the support of those
on strike in addition to what it furnished before
that. We have been
SEVERELY CRITICISED
for not furnishing sufficient funds to maintain the
strikers in Colorado and Utah.
We have never furnished as much support, in
proportion to the number of men involved, in any
of our previous strikes. Our organization is not
conducted on an insurance basis. If it had been,
a comparatively small amount of money would
have been necessary to maintain our members in
the various strikes they have been engaged in.
We have been compelled to furnish support to
non-union men who came on strike, in order to
protect the interests of all miners, whether union
or non-union. While our system of finance does
not place us upon an insurance basis a sentiment
has repidly grown amongst miners generally, that
whenever a strike is inaugurated the men engaged
in it are entitled to generous support from the
funds of the national treasury.
There is nothing in our laws upon which such
a claim can be based, yet the first question asked
by men when they come on strike, whether they
are members of our organization or not, is, "How
much aid are we going to get and how soon will
we get it?" This idea has grown so strong, and
has become so fixed in the minds of the miners.
that it is impossible to change it.
We cannot hope to conduct our strikes in the
future as we did in the early days of the organization.
The strikers must be supported or the
strike will go to pieces to the serious injury of
the entire craft as well as those actually engaged
in the conflict. Our present
REVENUES ARE INADEQUATE
to meet the necessities of the situation. We have
a ten cents per month per capita tax and for some
time we have had an assessment of ten cents per
month per member.
It would have taken a per capita tax of thirtyseven
cents per month per member to have paid
the expenditures of the organization during last
year. Our present weekly expenditures are much
greater than the average weekly expenditures for
the year just closed, and if continued will require
nearly fifty cents per month per member to maintain
them. We may not be able to collect a per
capita tax of fifty cents per month per member
for the national organization, but the time will
come, sooner or later, when it will be absolutely
necessary to do so. In the meantime we must
have more money with which to meet the obligations
of the organization.
I therefore recommend that the national per
capita tax be increased to twenty-five cents per
month per member.
The paid-up membership of the organization by
districts for the month of November, 1904, is as
follows:
District No. 1 27,646
District No. 2 37,412
District No. 5 21.99S
District No. 6 33,470
District No. 7 5,225
District No. 8 2,276
District No. 9 10,490