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The resolution was adopted.
The thirty-first resolution was as follows:
"Resolved, That the following resolution be submitted
to the locals of this organization:
"Will we demand a seat and power to act for the
miners and operators of Iowa and all other states
that wish to take part in the interstate joint conference
to be held in 1906, and will this organization
refuse to meet the operators of Indiana, Illinois,
Pennsylvania and Ohio, unless they agree to
accept said parties into a united joint conference
with the four states mentioned."
The committee reported that it did not concur
in the measures advocated by the resolution to
secure admission of districts to the joint conference,
and that the rest of the resolution was covered
by a resolution previously adopted. The
committee's report, whicli was adopted, completed
its work.
During the intervals between resolutions, addresses
were made by William Abraham, of the
British Federation of Miners; Robert Noren, of
the Chicago Garment Workers' Association, and
representatives of a number of other labor organizations.
Vice-President Lewis offered the following:
"There are certain commissioners of the
coal operators in this city holding a meeting.
They have been discussing the question of attending
this convention, but thought the delegates
might possibly accuse them of coming here to
learn what we are doing. I told them that this
was a public meeting. I move that we extend to
them an invitation to attend the sessions here at
all times except when we are in executive session."
The motion was carried.
An invitation to address the Indiana state legislature
was extended to President Mitchell and
subsequently accepted.
Following the failure of the resolution censuring
President Mitchell for consuming non-union
cigars at the Civic Federation banquet, Robert
Randall, a member of the Wyoming delegation,
made a bitter personal attack on Mitchell, accusing
him of selling out the Colorado strikers, of concerting
with - atrick Dolan, William Dodds and
others to conspire with certain operators to the
disadvantage of miners and of general unfitness
to hold office. This resulted in the passage of
a resolution by a unanimous vote, passing severe
censure on Randall and providing for his immediate
expulsion from the convention and the organization
in default of instant retraction and
apology. Randall refused to either retract his
statement or apologize and was accordingly expelled.
Following the reports of the resolutions committee,
those of the committee on constitution
were taken up. Its first important recommendation
was that section 1 of article IV. be changed
to read as follows:
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 35
"Every local union shall pay direct to the national
secretary-treasurer a per capita tax of 25
cents per month per member, and such additional
assessments as may be levied by a national convention
or a referendum vote of the members of
the United Mine Workers, or by the national
executive board for two months pending a referendum
vote. Payments to be based upon the
amount of dues collected in each month by the
local union. Boys under sixteen years of age
shall pay one-half as much tax and assessment as
full members." The amendment was adopted.
The committee recommended that former section
8, (new section 9) be amended to read: "The
local monthly dues to be paid by each member shall
not be less than 50 cents per month, together with
such assessments as may be levied by the different
branches of the U. M. W. of A." The amendment
was adopted.
Section 1 of article V. was amended to read as
follows: "The national convention shall be held
annually on the third Tuesday in January at such
place as may be determined upon by the preceding
convention. Special conventions shall be called
by the president, when so instructed by the executive
board, or at the request of five districts."
Section 1 of article XIV. was amended to read
as follows: "Local unions shall be composed of
miners, mine laborers and other workmen, skilled
and unskilled, working in and about the mines,
except persons engaged in the sale of intoxicating
liquors and shall be given such numbers as the
national secretary-treasurer shall assign to them."
Section 1 of article II. was amended to read as
follows: "The officers of this union shall be: one
president, one vice-president, one secretary-treasurer
and an executive board to be composed of
twelve members, the president, vice-president and
secretary-treasurer to be members of the board by
reason of their official positions."
The constitution as a whole was amended so
that wherever the word "national" appears in it
it shall hereafter read "international."
The committee on officers' reports and the special
committee on supplementary reports unanimously
concurred in the reports as read.
W. H. Haskins. president of the Ohio mine
woncers, and H. C. Perry, president of the Illinois
mine workers, were elected delegates to the International
Mining Congress which will be held at
Brussels next May.
The convention re-elected President Mitchell.
Vice-President Lewis and Secretary-Treasurer Wilson.
The following were elected to serve as delegates
to the American Federation of Labor convention:
John Mitchell, T. L. Lewis. W. L. Wilson,
W. D. Evans, Patrick Dolan, John Fahy and
John Demase.