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THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 25
PRESIDENT WHITE'S REPORT TO THE MINERS
In an exhaustive and interesting report to the
miners' convention at Indianapolis, President John
P. White deals with many topics of interest. He
considers the biennial eonvention plan a success;
advises a lesser number of delegates; relates wage
contract achievements since the last convention
two years ago; urges continuation of work pending
new scale settlements; discusses the strikes
and organization campaigns; comments on the machine
mining scale; notes growth in the membership;
suggests a reduction in number of executive
board members; comments on American Federation
of Labor politics, and notns his declination
to accept the seventh vice presidency of that body;
urges adherence to wage contracts; and concludes
that the organization has done very well during
his administration. Much of the text of the report
follows:
We are here to fulfill a very important mission
and grave responsibilities devolve upon us, and
if we are to secure for our vast membership and
their dependents more of the happiness and comforts
they deserve we must not lightly disregard
those fundamental principlss that constitute the
basis of our splendid organization.
I feel fully justified in making the statement
that the changing of our e inventions from annual
to biennial is a wise course. It is not only practical
economy but good sound business policy.
One valuable feature of the biennial convention
is that we can approach the questions of prime
importance to our membership without the disturbing
and unpleasant conditions that characterized
former conventions as a result of our annual
elections. The constitution now provides that
the officers shall hold office for two years. The
election occurs one year and the eonvention another.
I not only
ADVOCATE BIENNIAL CONVENTIONS,
but in harmony with my recommendation to the
twenty-third annual convention, and I believe I
voice the sentiment of a great majority of our
people, we should seriously consider the feasibility
of changing the basis of representation in
our International conventions and adopt a different
method—one that will give the rank and file
the right to choose the delegates and at the same
time reduce the number of men that will represent
them. The cost of our conventions is enormous
and the drain upon the local treasuries for
the maintenance of delegates is an item worthy
of your most thoughtful consideration.
(The report here reviews the reorganization of
the interstate joint movement, comprising West­
ern Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana (Block and Bituminous
districts), and Illinois, and the wage agreement
made two years ago at Cleveland, all of
which was published in THE COAL TRADE BULLE­
TIN at the time. Following this is a recital of
the anthracite wage negotiations and settlement,
also published at the time).
For many years our organization has been confronted
with a very annoying situation at the expiration
of wage contracts, and it seems but right
that we try to rectify this condition that is no
longer justifiable, in my opinion. There is now
a strong sentiment permeating our movement
against suspensions, and much discussion has
taken place as to the wisdom of changing our
policy and inaugurating a more businesslike
method and
REMAIN AT WORK
pending settlements in the event we are still negotiating
at the expiration of wage contracts.
I recognize that I am approaching a question
that will bring strong criticism and much opposition,
but I -im fully convinced that we have
reached a place in our history where something
must be done. About all we have ever been able
to accomplish by the old system of suspending
work at the expiration of wage contracts is to destroy
the financial resources of nearly every
branch of our union, impair the earning power
and credit of our membership and bring considerable
inconvenience, in a business way and otherwise,
upon helpless communities. It is true that
some profit from such misfortunes, but it is safe
to assume that the membership of the ITnited Mine
Workers has everything to gain and nothing to
lose by abolishing a system that produces such
results as I have referred to herein. I can foresee
ample opportunity to safeguard every right
that we now possess as an organization by adopting
this new method and opening up the way to
a better and more enlightened business policy. I
am heartily in favor of it, and expect to give
orally additional reasons in defense of the course
I suggest.
(Here the report reviews the West Virginia
strike, the senatorial investigation, the New- River
settlement and t-.ie establishment of a new district
there. Thj Colorado strike is reviewed and
discussed, and also the Vancouver strike and the
Cainsville strike in District 13, which was won
by the union).
We have been conducting for many months a
campaign of
EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATION
in the unorganized and partially organized fields,