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of the immigration to the United States having
exceeded the demand for labor during the last
few years, a committee be appointed to draw up
a bill to present to Congress asking that a law be
passed restricting immigration for the next ten
years; and that as the time might be too long
before Congress would be able to pass a satisfactory
law, it was recommended that emissaries
be sent to all foreign countries to ask that laboring
people stay away from the United States of
America.
The committee non-concurred in the resolution.
and recommended that the convention endorse the
action of the American Federation of Labor on
the immigration question. A motion was made
and seconded tnat the recommendation of the
committee be concurred in. President Mitchell
stated that the American Federation of Labor had
advocated the educational test, and that the newly
arrived immigrant should have a certain amount
of money, at least enough to enable him to live
until he could secure suitable work and not be
obliged to accept the first work offered him. The
motion was then carried.
r l ne eighth resolution brought about the biggest
fight in the convention. It recited that the Civic
Federation, at a recent banquet, had patronized
a non-union cigar, and that as President Mitchell
had been a participant in the banquet it was the
sentiment of the convention that he or any one
affiliated with the U. M. W. of A., sever all connection
with the Civic Federation. The recommendation
of the conimittee that the resolution
be non-concurred in was carried after a motion to
strike the entire matter from the minutes had
been tabled.
Resolution No. 9 was of the same order as
No. 8. demanding that President Mitchell withdraw
from the Civic Federation. It was a product
of the Socialistic element of the organization
and was ordered stricken from the minutes.
Resolution No. 10, providing that if another
agreement is sent to the miners to be voted upon
it be arranged so they can vote for one, two or
three years' contracts, as they see fit was lost.
Resolution No. 11, providing that in line with
the desire of the organization to educate its membership,
a systematic effort be made to have local
unions instructed by literature and lectures in
the principles of organized labor, the purposes for
which the unions exist and the necessity for liberal
support, was lost.
Resolution No. 12 provided that the delegates to
the next convention of the American Federation
of Labor be instructed to secure one standard
union label. On the suggestion of President Mitchell
the resolution was changed to read "a label
of uniform design," after which it carried.
Resolution No. 13 provided that the hoisting
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 33
engineers demand an eight-hour workday for all
members of the craft. The committee concurred
in the resolution, and recommended that it be referred
to the next scale committee, which was
done.
Resolution No. 14 contained the following provisions:
"That in all mines under the jurisdiction
of the United Mine Workers of America a well
drilled force of shot firers shall be employed; that
all mines be fitted out with the best devices for
the safety of the thousands of men who work
under the earth for their living; that the most
proper methods of ventilation be used, and that
this body seek legislative aid to pass laws for tbe
protection of the miners against those dangers, as
well as to protect the general public, and that no
agreement be made until measures have been
mutually adopted by the two contracting parties
to protect the men against these wrongs."
The conimittee recommended that the resolution
be referred to the next scale committee, which was
done.
Resolution No. 15 carried the following provision:
"That it is the earnest desire of the members
of Local Union No. 1734, U. M. W. of A..
Jasonville, Indiana, that the national organization
establish a co-operative supply system, with
headquarters in a general co-operative supply
store at Indianapolis, Indiana, from which the
membership can be supplied, either through
branch stores or a mail order system. The business
to be modeled on the plan of the co-operative
associations of England. The committee reported
that it did not concur in the resolution, but believed
in the principle of co-operation. Its report
was adopted.
The sixteenth resolution provided that the convention
direct the national officers to have printed
in different languages such important information
as, in their judgment, they deemed best for distribution
among such foreign-speaking people. It
was referred to the national executive board.
The seventeenth resolution, providing that the
national executive board acquire a printing plant
was lost.
The eighteenth resolution was as follows: "That
this convention instruct the national executive
board that where there are, in their opinion, any
grounas for impeachment proceedings in cases
where the United Mine Workers of America are
concerned, against any judges who have laid themselves
liable by their action, to immediately proceed
to do everything in their power to have all
that can be legally and honorably done to have
such men impeached and removed from office, and
in case of minor officers that we use every influence
of the organization in the same way as
with the judges to have them removed, and fair,
impartial and honest men put in their places."