coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

48 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
President White's Report To The Miners.
(CONTINUED KI1C1.11 PAGE 26)
My own personal opinion in the matter is that
if a change is made it should be with a view to
practical economy and good, sound business policy.
There are probably just as many serious objections
to urge against the substitution of the district
presidents for the board members as there
can be found complaints against the existing system.
There is some good argument for the agitation
in this respect, and if a change is necessary
and you so decide, it should be one that will
strike a more responsive chord from the rank and
file, who after all are the ones to be considered
in all the legislation we have in mind.
It would appear to your president that it might
be well to consider, in the event a change is desired,
the feasibility of selecting a small number
of capable men who will properly represent our
great membership in the vital problems that must
be determined by the governing power of our organization
during the interim of conventions, the
districts as now constituted to be grouped geographically,
and each man to represent a certain
territory. If any complaint were of such prime
importance, the president could, as he does now,
designate a committee of members of the Executive
Board to assist in determining matters of
import.
f would suggest that the districts be grouped as
follows:
The three anthracite districts, Division No. 1.
Central and Western Pennsylvania, Division
No. 2.
Ohio, Michigar and West Virginia, Division
No. 3.
Iowa, Indiana (block and bituminous) and Illinois,
Division No. 4.
Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas,
Division No. 5.
Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Washington,
Division No. 6.
Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. Division
No. 7.
British Columbia. Vancouver Island and Nova
Scotia, Division No. 8.
The membership in each division to
ELECT THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVE,
who shall serve for a period of two years, the
elections to be conducted by the International organization,
and these eight men, together with
the International officials, to constitute the International
Executive Board.
The grouping of the districts in this manner is
only for the purpose of reducing the number of
representatives on the International Executive
Board, and shall in no way affect the present
boundary lines of the districts.
The International organization assisted the officers
and membership of District No. 21 in repealing
Section IS of the Mining Laws adopted by the
recent legislature of Oklahoma. Had this section
been allowed to remain in the mining laws
it would have been instrumental in destroying
the coal trade industry of Oklahoma and would
have prevented the mine workers from negotiating
a contract. In the opinion of the well informed,
it was the first step of the operators of
this state to destroy the run-of-mine system. The
section itself was impossible of fulfillment from
the viewpoint of the practical miner, and the only
course open to use was to repeal the measure.
The International union assisted the district
by furnishing men to deliver addresses during this
campaign, and the district spent considerable
money in presenting the issues to the people. I
am glad to say that by a vote of nearly four to
one this
SECTION WAS REPEALED,
and the people of Oklahoma are to be congratulated
upon their discriminating use of the recall.
it proves the oft repeated statement that. "It is
always safe to trust the people."
At that convention (Seattle meeting American
Federation of Labor 1 former President John Mitchell
retired lrom the second vice presidency, an
office which he had filled for many years with signal
ability, and at the earnest solicitation of my
friends I consented to be a candidate for the position
made vacant by Mr. Mitchell. There developed
some opposition to my ambitions in this respect,
and intimation was made that if I were
elected to the office of second vice president it
might cause internal dissension in the Federation.
However, I was unanimously chosen seventh
vice president. Believing that the United
-Mine Workers' organization was entitled to the
recognition it had long enjoyed on the council
of the A. F. of L, and after weighing the matter
carefully. 1 decided not to accept the position of
seventh vice president.
This is brought to your attention merely for the
purpose of informing you of my action. My decision
in the matter will in no way lessen my interest
in the American labor movement, and I
shall be found doing all in my power to promote
its success.
It is a pleasure to report that our relations with
the Western Federation of Miners have been very
cordial. That organization, like our own, has
had its share of industrial conflicts recently, and
is now engaged in a momentous struggle in the
copper region of Michigan. We have co-operated
with the officers of the Federation in this strike
in every way we could. I earnestly hope our
co-workers in this struggle will secure the vie-