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At the recent convention of the Iowa mine
workers, J. P. White was re-elected president; L.
P. Joyce was chosen vice-president; Edwin Perry,
secretary-treasurer; John Reid, auditor; Joseph
Sharp, national board member. The distiict now
has ninety-two locals, with a total membership of
almost 15,000. The membership in 1900 was only
7,000. The organization has a cash balance in the
treasury amounting to $131,798. The balance on
hand at the annual meeting of last year was $63,-
514.
...
The interpretation of the word "persistent" resulted
in a mine strike involving 175 men, near
Terre Haute, Ind. The operators contend that
the loading of three cars of dirty coal in a week
meant 'persistent," while the miners hold that a
miner must load three cars of dirty coal in one
week and then is liable to discharge if he loads
two cars any other week. The same trouble is
being experienced at other mines in that district
and may result in more men being called out.
* * *
At the recent convention of the Pennsylvania
federation of labor, resolutions were adopted calling
on union men to insist on seeing the union
cards of clerks employed in the various stores
when they make a purchase; endorsing the fight
for the initiative and referendum and urging the
introduction into the legislature of a resolution
for a constitutional amendment providing for such
a policy for state and community legislation.
* * *
The following officers were elected at the recent
convention of the mine workers of the Michigan
district: President, John Harris, Saginaw; vicepresident,
Humphrey Lewis, St. Charles; secretary
and treasurer, Robert Brown, Saginaw; district
board, Joseph Clements, Saginaw; John Tameron,
Bay City; Samuel Moore, St. Charles; Michael
Barry, Saginaw; member of the national board,
Elsie McCullough.
* * *
The twenty-seven suits brought against miners
at Spillma^, W. Va., by the Consumers Coal & Mining
Co., for damages alleged to be due for persuading
imported miners to quit work, have been dismissed
by the court. The suits were for $1,000 to
$4,000, and aggregated more than $40,000. They
were the first damage suits ever entered by a corporation
against employes in West Virginia.
* * *
The manufacturers and coal operators and the
manufacturing employers of Tennessee have appointed
committees of which Edward J. Smith, of
Memphis, is chairman, to urge the passage of a
THE COAL TR.- 3E BULLETIN. 47
bill that will make it unlawful for labor unions
to maintain a system of picketing and boycotting
in order that they may win out in strikes, lockouts
and other troubles.
* * *
At the recent district convention of the Central
Pennsylvania miners an appropriation of $2,000
was placed in a fund to pay check-weighmen at
small tipples in weak sub-districts, and sub districts
1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 were requested to make an
appropriation of $5,000 each to the same fund.
The fund is to be disbursed by the district treasurer.
* * *
Carpenters employed on the new Lehigb & Wilkesbarre
coal breaker near Hazleton, Pa., abandoned
their strike for 30 cents an hour and returned
to work at the former rate of $2.50 a day,
after being out three weeks, in order to enable
the miners forced into idleness to resume their
employment.
m m *
The national mine workers' organization has
been asked by the Kentucky district to organize
the miners of Hopkins county, in that state. An
attempt to organize Hopkins county four years ago
failed because of the preponderance of non-union
sentiment.
* * *
An unusually large number of petty differences
are occupying the attention of the mine workers'
officers and mining officials in Eastern Ohio. One
of me principal causes of trouble is the growing
practice of the miners of sending out dirty coal.
* * *
The strikes in the coal and iron districts near
Warsaw, Poland, have been brought to a close.
The conditions responsible for them were of a
political rather than of an industrial nature.
* • •
At a meeting of independent coal and coke operators
at Latrobe, Pa., on March 15, it was decided
to direct their representatives to announce an advance
in wages to go into effect April 1.
* * •
The wages of about 4,000 miners and other employes
in the Morristown, N. J., field were increased
from 10 to 15 per cent., the new rate becoming
effective to-day.
* * *
From all sections of the country miners, coke
workers and laborers are flocking to the Connellsville
coke region, attracted by the recent voluntary
raise in wages.
* * *
Efforts are being made to organize the miners
in all the districts of the Louisville and Nashville
railroad section of Tennessee.