coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

of the action of the executive council of the American
Federation of Labor. The motion was seconded
and carried by a unanimous vote.
The committee on resolutions offered a lengthyone
on the initiative, referendum and recall, and it
was adopted.
Five resolutions relative to alleged opposition
of operators and state and government authorities
to the organization and its activities were
bunched and the committee offered a substitute
condemnatory of operators, state authorities, juries
and government authorities, which was adopted.
The grievance committee recommended adoption
of a resolution providing that the Mine Workers
exercise jurisdiction over all employes at stripping
operations, including steam shovel men.
Adopted.
President White when calling the convention to
order Jan. 27 notified it that President Gompers
of the American Federation of Labor would be at
the convention, and then the delegates to the
World's Mining congress made their report.
The co-operative store movement again came to
the front in resolution No. 163 and the committee
offered the following substitute, which was
adopted:
"We recommend that the question of establishing
co-operative stores be taken up for consideration
by the different district conventions with a
view to encouraging the principle of co-operation
and of educating our members to its benefits so
that the way may be paved for the consideration
of establishing such a national co-operative movement
by the next convention of our organization."
Consolidation with the Western Federation of
Miners was again taken up and the committee
offered this substitute resolution, which the convention
adopted:
"Committee recommends that the International
Executive Board select a committee to meet with
a similar committee from the Executive Board of
the Western Federation of Miners for the purpose
of discussing the
QUESTION OF CONSOLIDATION
of the two organizations, and if the two boards
can mutually agree upon a plan for such consolidation.
"We recommend that the matter be referred to
the referendum vote of the members of both organizations
for approval or rejection.
"And in any event the Executive Board will report
their action upon this matter to the next biennial
convention."
Another resolution on which action had been
deferred was the one relative to the Dillingham-
Burnett immigration bills and the committee here
brought in a substitute which, after reciting conditions,
said:
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 55
Resolved, that in view of existing economic conditions,
we favor something being done to restrict
immigration and recommend that the International
Executive Board act in conjunction with
the Legislative Committee in support of a measure
of this kind.
Adopted.
The Constitution Committee then leported and
the first change attempted was to make the district
presidents the members of the International Executive
Board, this change being offered as an amendment
to Article 7, but the committee recommended
non-concurrence in the change and the convention
sustained it.
Article IX, Section 10, was taken up and the
committee recommended striking out the word
"and" after the word "year" in line 7, and adding
after the word "unions" in line 8 the words,
"and perform such other duties as are hereinafter
provided." This precipitated considerable
debate and was voted down by the convention.
When the convention assembled Jan. 28, President
White stated that he regretted the confusion
on the floor during the reports of the committees,
as it was costing the miners of the country an
enormous amount to carry on the convention and
the delegates should make an effort to assist the
chair in expediting* matters. He stated that all
delegates would be treated alike and be recognized
in turn as long as the convention allowed discussion
to continue on any subject.
The question of amending Article IX w-as before
the convention, having been carried over fiom
tbe previous day. Resolution No. 9 providing
for the election of all
ORGANIZERS, AUDITORS, EDITOR
and every official by direct vote by the membership,
was interjected into the debate, and the committee
recommended non-concurrence. Motions
to amend were made and declared out of order and
the debate became spirited. President White
took the floor, and asked Delegate Houston, president
of District 11, if he had been bothered by
any organizers in District 11 during the present
administration. Delegate Houston answered that
he had not. President White asked further if
any organizers had been sent to the district without
the knowledge and consent or request of the
district president. Delegate Houston stated that
none had been sent without his knowledge or consent
or without being requested.
President White asked further if any man in
the conventton from any district knew that he
had ever instructed his organizers to interfere in
any district election. No answers were given
except in the negative. President White discussed
the question at some length.
A viva voce vote was taken. The chairman