Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-09
|AIABOR CONVENTION CON Iii,lITi
yII sit6 4oseotsh S9ef Is
f5 ----.ss's,s sap gig
.p,s anhoHpG ENC
Ono Will be Held in Ottunawa DUR
ing the Present Month.
TO CLOSER AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP.
Miners Are scarce.-Conservative Wow
Demonstrating Upito Present
High Price or Coal-Other
Labor News Notsr
1.-THE matter published in this col
umn is prepared. by the officers of the
Federation of Labor. =,

l ( II Y
a large convention of all the labor
organizations in, .Mapello county will
be held at Labor hall in this city,
The several organizations entitled to
representation will be represented by
one or more regularly appointed dele
gates. The primary object of the
meeting will be to. secure closer affilia-
ton of the members of all union Or
CARNATIONS. in. Wapealo county.
AT this meeting resolutions will be
presented and plans made for the bet
terment of the condition of the labor
| ing; people. "A platform will be drafted
| to better enlighten each union with
the conditions existing in the ranks of
organized labor today, and pledge
i will be asked from all the unions to
strictly adhere to the principles set
out-in this convention. ~
About the Coal situation.
| There appears to be general mis-
understanding. among the people in
regard to the causes leading up to the
increase in the price of coal in this
district. Coal has advanced during the
past from. 2 to cents per bush
el and liz scarce at ithEt, the tendency
lbClbg, NlOWdI0Sl q SJlll AJCdtCE dAVduCCs
Many consumers OF this commodity
have laid the entire blame of the adj
vance at the door OF the miners, when
in reality they have nothing at all to
do with it. A few BLAME sthe Transfers
who recently struck in t1lis city for an
increase in their wages. Those who
take the opposite side of this question
feel that such conclusions are unjust1y
lfOl,,16a1 a NIL l,a1;aya 10 ho 1.,b<~
entertain them would further investi-
gate the matter they would see for
themselves that they ARE wrong. In
the first place, the transfers strike,
they say, did not reduce the output. Of
coal, and as the operators had pre-
yiously. announced their intention of
raising the price, there should be no
blame attached to the teamsters. In
regard to the miners, they are, working
att the, same scale which was. agreed
upon between them and the operators
last spring. The fact of the matter il,
in some instances, that of the company
men, the price was reduced. The only
benefit which the miners secured was
in getting an eight-hour day.
A prominent mine operator OF this
city summed the whole matter up
pretty thoroughly the other day when
he said that the scarcity of coal is di-
rectly attributable to the inability OF
the operators to secure sufficient
number of miners to come anywhere
near getting out enough coal to sup
ply the ever-increasing demand for this
commodity. He said it was true that
the eight-hour day and reduced the out
put somewhat, but not sufficiently TO
cause the present scarcity. "The
greatest factor in this trouble said he,
rs that a great many men, who here
tofore have been mining coal, are now
employed at something more profitable,
or at least less hazardous. There has
been such a demand for mechanics and
men in every line of the building
/ trades, that men who were easily Sc
cured for mine work aayear ago, are
now employed at work where they do
not have to go down underneath the
ground and risk their lives. 1t requires
considerable skill to mine coal that is.
marketable, and this sielass of miners
is very scarce tps
A False Impression.
"A false impression has gotten out
that the railroad organizations do not
have any sympathy for other labor or,
Iganizations. Such is a sad mistake. Re-
cent events have proven the contrary.
There has never been time when the
organizations of railroad men refused,
to extend both sympathy and assist
lance to any trades union that needed
Fit. III is true that, they. are conserva-
Live in action, but they are generally
on the right side of every labor ques-
ton, and are prompt with relief to
their unfortunate brothers.
The strike of the cigarmakers. re-
mains unsettled. Relief is still coming
in from all over the county.