The Miners' Union

The United Mine Workers of America has a total membership in the United States exceeding 300,000.Its ofhcials claim for it the distinction of being the strongest and largest single trade union in the world.It is well organized in at least ten of the twenty-seven coal-producing states, and is gradually extending its power into all of the twenty-seven.About 75 per cent. of all the coal mine employees in the country are at present members of the union; more than 85 per cent. of the total of 486,o0o are governed by the union's scales and work under its conditions of employment, and, the official of the union claim, fully go per cent. of all coal mine workers in the United States would go out on a strike if a national suspension of coal mining is ever found to be necessary by the union.The general scheme of organization of the United Mine Work- ers bears a close resemblance, in many of its features, to that of our political organization.It is composed of national, district, sub- district and local unions.The jurisdiction of the national union is intended to cover the entire coal-producing area of the country.At present it is effective in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, the hard coal fields of Pennsylvania and in portions of the central and western bituminous coal fields of that state.It also extends into Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Arkansas, Indian Territory, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana and Texas.Subject to the constitution of the national union and the legislation of the national convention the district union, as a general thing, has jurisdiction over a particular state.This is due to the convenience of state line divisions.There are exceptions, however.In Pennsylvania, for example, owing to the unusual prominence of the coal-producing area of that state, there are six districts-Num- bers i, 7 and 9, in the anthracite region; District 2, in the Clearfield

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