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Oompera Chosen Presiding Officer.The first session of the conference was held on the arrival of Messrs. Ratch-fcrd and Pearse from Columbus. On motion of Mr. Sovereign Samuel Gom-pers was chosen to preside, and Secretary Morrison, also of the Federation, was made secretary.Chairman Gompers then called upon the miners’ representatives to cletail the situation. They were also asked to suggest in what manner the other laboring organizations could give thoir aid. President Ratchford of the miners addressed the conference at some length, stating fully the causes that had led to the suspension of work in the bituminous regions and presented the conditions of the miners who are taking part in the strike. Ke did not propose anything in the way of recommendationsas to what the organized labor of the country should do in aid of the strike, preferring that important subject to be left to the consideration of the conference.An appeal for aid was made in a general way. W. C. Pc«rcc, Patrick Dolan and T. L. Lewis also addressed the conference, speaking in the same strain. In the course of their remarks it was brought out that the miners believe that the hardest fight should be made at the works of the Cleveland and Pittsburg Coal company (Do Armitt’s mines) in the Pittsburg district. This was considered fully as important a point as the West Virginia district. At this point a recess was taken.Upon reas2embling, the conference again took it:? the strike question. Messrs. Mahon, \tea and Debs, who have been at work in the Fairmont district; Mr. Askew, who is fresh from the Norfolk and Western territory, and Mr. Sovereign addressed the meeting, the latter speaking at some length. The conference was held behind closed doors. At its close it was given out that a committee of five had been appointed to devise a plan for aiding the miners, which would be reported at the night session.Telegrams pledging financial aid fir the miners were received from nearly all the heads of organizations that had been unable to attend on account of the short notice. Mr. Morrison said that the chief aim of the conference was to effect a suspension of work in West \ irgmit- and at the Dp Armitt mines. The conference has not yet come t the point of believing it necessary to « the firemen, conductors and brak men to refuse to haul West Virginia coal.
Newspaper Details
Waterbury Democrat
Waterbury, Connecticut, US
Wed, Jul 28, 1897
Page 5
Full Page
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Anonymous
IN, USA 04 Aug 2020
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