MINERS, WrsrEnx FEDERArtoN or. A cen tralized association of persons working in and around mines, mills. and smelters. for the pur poses of abolishing the truck system. child labor, the rase of private detectives in labor dispute., 'government by injunction.' the importation of laborers under eontraet, and of improving gen erally conditions of employment with re-poet to wakes and the hours of labor. The officers of the association eonsist of a president. vice-president. secretary-Ire:I-Mei% and an executive board com posed of these officers and ono organizer from each of the six districts into which the territory covered by the Federation is divided. The execu tive board acts as a hoard of conciliation and arbitration (which are strongly recommended by the Federation), may levy assessment; in case of emergency, must approve every strike and joint contract entered into by local union., and between the annual conventions has full power to direct the workings of the Federation. The Western Federation of :Miners officially indorses socialism and advocates participation of labor organizations in polities with the view of se curing to the working classes the ownership and operation of the means of production. It was founded Slay IS, 1S03, largely as an outcome of the notorious Cmur d'Alene strike of 1892. ln April, 1899, it again became involved in the Cieur d'Alene strike of that year and in the later period of the strike controlled and directed it. During this conflict several per sons were killed, martial law was declared, and certain county officers were impeached for failure to perform their duties in suppressing violence.
A large number of miners wire arrested by the temporary authorities and imprisoned in a stock ade known as the 'hull pen.' Persons desirous of securing work in the mines at that time were forced to obtain a permit. which was issued only after the applicant had signed a statement deny ing that he had participated in the riot of April 29th, declaring Ins belief that it was incited and perpetrated by the miners' unions, expressing disapproval of the riot, renouncing membership in the miners'oulion, and pledging himself there after to obey the law. There are at present 189 unions affiliated with the Western Federation. the aggregate membership of which is officially estimated at 50.000 persons, residing, almost ex elusively in Canada and the States west of the Mississippi River. It is affiliated with the Amer ican Labor The official organ is the .1/iacrA' Magazine, published monthly at Den ver. Col.
MrNERSVILLE. A borough in Schuylkill County. Pa.. four miles west of Pottsville, with which it is connected by an electric road; on the west branch of the Schuylkill River, and on the Lehigh Valley, the Philadelphia and Reading, and a branch of the Pennsylvania railroads (Slap: Pennsylvania, E 31. It is in the anthra cite region, and has extensive coal-mining inter ests. besides several factories. Population, in 1890, 3504; in 1900, 48 I 5.