Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-22
From Tuesdays Daily.
Tho NIiners, Organization.

Aho Minerss Organizations
The report of State President Ream
and Secretary Treasurer John White
OF the United Mine Workers of Amer.
lea to the convention of miners at Des
MONIES, last week, showed the strong.
est organization Of miners that has ev.
err existed in Iowa, and the excellent
financial condition of the organization
as shown by Mr.. Whites report was
both surprise and matterlof much
qualification to the delegates in at
tendance. President Ream's reports,
if put into action will broaden to a
large extent the methods of the differ
ent locals and his request that all con-
tracts entered into with operators
should be carried out strictly to the
letter of the contract, and his advice
that some punishment should be plac,
ed on the locals and individuals who
violate this contract should meet with
the approval of every union miner
within the jurisdiction of district 13.
The delegates to the convention repre-
ser; III ii large measure the best men
in the different mining camps in the
state, and wisdom has prevailed thru.
out the convention.
Influence of Organized labor. /
mat the influence of organized la.
Dor in Iowa has begun to be felt in tito
legislative halls of the state there is
no doubt. The past week has seen
bills for the benefit of the miners and
the BARRIERS reported upon favorably,
and the Eiker exemption bill post
poned indefinitely. In the matter Of
securing this legislation the State Fed.
GRAFTON of Labor has had a committee
in constant attendance as have the diff
ferent railway organizations and the
miners. In connection with this it
may be said that Iowa stands today as
one OF the best organized states be-
tween the Mississippi and Missouri riy-
|ers, and the membership includes in a
majority conservative element OF
hard thinking men who believe in
meeting the issues fairly but who will
demand the same treatment in return.
Thoroly Organized.
Peoria is, without doubt, the best
and most thoroly organized city in the
United States east of the Mississippi
river-that is, any city having less
than 10000 population. The only city
in the state of Illinois that can have
any pretensions whatever of even pre-
suming TO be rival of Peoria in this
respect is Springfield, and, it must be
admitted, the Capitol City is a we'll
organized town. Peoria has some six
ty odd trade unions, not less than
twenty of which have, during the year
1895 obtained charters from the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor.
Urge Afhliation.
Vice President p j. MCGUIRE, of the
American Federation of Labor, at
tended the bricklayers' and masons' I'M
ternational convention at Rochester,
n. ", last month, for the purpose of
urging utilization, and met every OBJ
lection and answered every question
to the entire satisfaction of all pres
ent; and it was due to his eloquent
and forcible address that influenced
the convention TO refer the subject OF
utilization to referendum vote of the
local unions, with compulsory pro-
vision so that the comprehensive judy
ment of the membership might be!had
upon this important subject. The gems
eral opinion prevailed that there win
be little difficulty in the membership
voting in favor of affiliation.
Carpenters VIII Organize,
A meeting of the carpenters of the
city was held ait Labor hall last even
ing for the purpose of organizing 4
local union. There was good attend
ance and after a thoro discussion OF
the matter the meeting adjourned IN
til Wednesday evening. at which time
a permanent organization will probably
be effected.
Ottumwa has been selected as the
place for holding the 1901 convention
OF the U. NJ. w. of A., district 10. The
convention will be held some time in
February.
John Postom, Of Keb, was selectcd
by the state miners convention as one
OF the. delegates to the State Federal
ton of Labor, which meets at Des
Moines the second Monday in May.
The Petition IL Adequate.
Marshalltown. Feb. 2O.-This city