Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-27
THE MINERS.
They Will Meet the Operators
in Des Moines Tuesday.
ABOUT THE MINING BILLS
What Has Been Done with Them In
the Leglslature-A Number of Bills
Reported by the Committee
Capital City News.

Capital City News.
Des Moines, Feb. 24.-(Special Core
spondence.) Committees from the
miners and operators OF Iowa will meet
in Des Moines, February ~, and agree
on the conditions which are to exist
between the employer and laborer for
the ensuing year. Indications are that
the meeting will be very warm one,
as the miners are expected to ask GER
tain things which the operators are
expected to oppose. Two questions are
to be settled between these two bodies,
representing the capital and labor in-
terests of one of the largest and most
important industries of the state. The
first is in regard to the price to be
paid for labor the coming year. 1t is
authoritatively stated, altho not sub
stantiated, that the miners will ask
an increase of 90 per cent all around
in the present scale of wages. The 9th
er question concerns the use of screens,
and whether or not miners shall be
paid for coal before or after screening.
The increase of 20 per cent, it is under
TODD, is to apply to coal that has NOT
been screened. This is considerable of
rise in the present scale, and will be
bitterly opposed by the operators. 1t
is thought the operators would make
some concession in the scale on mine
run basis, but not on an unscreened
basis.
The miners started out at the begin
ming of the present legislative session
to secure the enactment and amend
ment of certain laws, which wefe al
legged to be particularly just and neces-
sary to the mining interests. Several
measures OF Importance to mines and
miners were introduced in both houses,
but one of which has been favorably
acted on. This is the Payne bill, which
provides that pit, bosses, mine foremen,
and hosting engineers must pass eX-
apinations under the state mine in
spector. II has passed the house, but,
has not been acted upon by the senate.
In the upper branch it is in committee,
but is expected to be favorably re-
ported and passed without opposition.
A bill in the house providing that
miners shall be paid for coal on a
mine run basis, aud not after screens
ing, created a warm fight, and finally
referred to the judiciary committee
for decision as. to its constitutionality.
The commit tee on mines and mining
reported it for passage, but several
members OF the house, headed by
Judge Carr, of Polk, held that it was
unconstitutional on the ground that
it forbids the right of the operator
to contract. The Judiciary committee
will report on the bill in few days
and is expected to uphold Judge Carr's
position. A bill making the same pro-
visions as the Payne bill is in the mines
and mining committee OF the senate.
In several other states similar bills
have been held unconstitutional, and
questions involving the same principle
have been so held in large number
of cases. No case where such a meas
ure has been held constitutional has
been cited.
Another mining measure which
stands in exactly the same position as
the screening bill, and which was one
of the things asked by the miners, is
measure requiring operators to pay en-
ployes in full semi-monthly, keeping
back only the amount due for work
performed in the week in which pay
ment Is made. At present the law pro-
vides that -ainers shall be paid semi
monthly. While this is done in most
cases, yet a certain amount of wages
is kept back in almost every mine. This
bill has passed the senate, and is in
the house mines and mining committee.
It is expected to go thru about the
same process as the screening bill, and
to meet with about the same result.
A similar law has been held unconsti-
tntional in Illinois and Pennsylvania.
The Payne bill making a miners claim
for wages lien on his employers
property, and superior to existing
mortgages, has passed the house and
is in the senate committee on mines
and mining. A favorable report and
it's passage is expected in the upper
house. The bill places miners on the
same plane in this respect as other
laborers, ana was also one of the re-
quests of the niue employees. All
things considered the miners consider
they have Jared very well at the hands
of the assembly, The prospect of the
screening and pay bills passing has de-
tCl U1CAh OtA <'hoklCl SouISc,
and these two provisions will probably
be fought for at the conference next
week.
Implement Ell Postponed.
The house judiciary committee this
morning reported for indefinite post
ponement the measure introduced few
days ago at the request of the Iowa
implement dealers. The bill provided
for placing of liens on personal prop
erty. 1t was intended to apply strictly
to implements sold to farmers by ma
chine companies and agencies, but in
the opinion of the committee was en-
tirely too broad measure to place
on the statute books. The vote against
it was unanimous.
Insurance Measures.
The house insurance copmittee met
yesterday and disposed OF two meas
ures of Importance. The first was the
code amendment n.5viding that asso-
Citations to insure against burglary
might be organized and operated on
"a. i " & II