Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-25
ROW IN CONFERENCE
The Operators and Mine Workers
squabble at indianapolis.
THEY WILL NOT RECOGNIZE IOWA
Attempa TO Seat Delegations from Iowa
Results In Long Wrangle-Aession
ends In Disorder-Scale Com.
mltteemen Are Selected

indianapolis, Jan. 25-For two hours
yesterday afternoon the delegates of
the United Mine Workers OF America
and those Of the Interstate Operators
association rowed and wrangled over
6 the question of admitting the miners
and operators of Iowa, and after Chair
man Boyle had called Delegate Ryan
a damnable liar, it was deemed advis-
able to adjourn until today to permit
the delegates to cool down.
The operators outgeneraled the min
ers in their efforts to get Iowa and
West Virginia admitted, and the min-
s ers have determined not to give up the
fight. 1t will, it is announced, be con-
tinued today.
Miners in authority said last night:
The row might as well come now as
any time, for it is now settled that it
: has to come"
Immediately on calling the session
TO order, Chairman Boyle asked for the
report of the committee on credentials
and Chairman Dilcher reported it had
been decided the states of Indiana,
Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois were
entitled to representation in the joint
conference. When it came to consid-
ering the admission of Iowa there was
!. q division, the members from the OPP
orators opposing and those from the
! miners favoring it. The roll call
was had and naturally resulted in a
tie.
The chairman then announced he
had resolved, from his reading and in
depreciation of the laws governing the
session OF the conference, he was en-
+ Titled to cast the deciding vote,
and voted no." thus debarring the
state.
r. L. Robbins said he objected to
bringing Iowa into the competitive
field, for the reason that at the Chi
cago conference two years ago an eff
fort was made to get West Virginia in,
and that it was defeated because the
state had not been organized. The
miners, he said, had violated their
promise to organize this state, and as
q result the operators there were not
paving the scale.
His remarks brought President Van
& Horn to his feet, and he said: 81 take
exceptions to the statement made by
Mr.. Robbins to the effect that we have
not tried to organize West Virginia.
We have done all we agreed to, and
the state is in better condition than
ever before
Delegate John P. Reese OF Iowa said:
the meeting in Pittsburg last year
You said to the representatives from
Iowa: 60 home and get your opera
tors and bring them into conf erence
with you, and we will admit them We
are here with our operators, aud we
want to be recognized. Whether YOU
decide to admit us or not, we will en-
ter into competition with you, and let
mo ask you that, in the event you
decide against us, don't say you can
not advance the price of mining be-
X cause the competition in the northwest
is too great" II gs3,l
"A number OF the miners took UNI
1 bragg at the ruling of the chair, and
before the hour of adjournment had
) arrived half of them had taken their
8 departure.
A motion was made to allow the
delegates not seated to have vote in
h the conference without voice. The
motion was lost, the miners voting
against it. During the discussion Sec
rotary William d. Ryan rose aud said:
~ I, for one, do not propose to stand for
the bulldozing tactics OF this chair
man, and / do not think you Will stand
it, either. He has shown himself to be
two-faced. After saying he had our
interests as much as the operators TO
watch, he turns around and votes
squarely against every proposition we
advance. We had as well go out of this
1 hall at once"
n. Chairman Boyle replied: 81 feel
hurt at the accusations made against
me by the delegate, because [ think
there is no foundation for them. /
{ do not propose to be insulted by any
man on top of earth. did not want
/ the craftsmanship of this conference,
and do not want it now, and soy
the delegate who has accused me of
being two-faced is damnable liar
A tumultuous discussion of parlia-
mentary rules followed, and the mo-
\ tion to adjourn was with difficulty
brought before the house. Much feel
ing was shown on both sides last
night.
The delegations from the various
states were asked to appoint scale
committee OF four members, with four
alternates each, from the miners and
operators, and the following names
were handed in:
Indiana mipers-W. d. Van Horn. G..
w. Lackey, william Wilson, and Phil
Roberts. Alternates-A. Ferguson,
\ Sam Lynch, Joseph Edwards, and /. j.
8 NeWcombe.
Indiana operators-J. Smith, Talley
and John K. Seifert, from the bitum-
nous district, and James McC!clland
and William Fisher. from the block
district.
illinois miners-William Hefti, Ed
ward Cahill, James Boston, and w, u.
Ryan. Alternates-Samuel Pascoe,
Duncan Macdonald, William Topham,
4 and j. T. Parsons.
Illinois operators-J. Fl. Garraghty,
George T. Cults, II. N. Noble, and h.
Peabody. Alternates- George P. Sand
meier, George Grear, o. Z. Garrison,
and Randolph Smith.