Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-06
Resolution to be Presented to Min
ers and Operators.
THE SCALE COMMITTEE CONFERENCE
MIR. Waterman ON the status Of ARair.
The Price Per Ton and tho Day
Wage Scale Are Still
Pending.
From Tuesdays Daily.

Hon. II. u. Waterman returned to
Des Moines this morning to attend the
adjourned meeting of The miners and
operators, which has been in session in
that city for the past few days for the
purpose of arranging wage scale,
terms, etc. for the ensuing year. The
miners demanded mine run scale and
the operators conceded to a uniform
screen and somewhat OF a reduction in
the size, the full text Of which is pub
lished below, in the form of resolu-
tion passed by the scale committee,
and which will be presented for adop-
ton by the convention, and no doubt
accepted. Mr.. Waterman said this
morning. that this would settle the
screen matter, but the price per ton
and the day wage are yet to be deter
termined upon. The contention OF the
miners is for the same percentage OF
increase as has been made in Illinois,
over last year, while the operators con-
tend that the present point reached
in Illinois and other eastern states Is
practically equivalent to the prices they
paid during 1891 and 1892. Iowa opera
tors did not make reduction, while
the Illinois men at that time reduced
the scale, and the present increase, is
up to where it was before they made
the reduction, and equal to what Iowa
operators are now paying, and have
paid right along.
Joint Scale Of Operators and Miners.
The following is the resolution
adopted by the scale committee and
upon which it is thought the conven-
Ition will act favorably:
Resolution one: That the prices to
be paid for pick mined coal, in the
various local districts named below, of
said district thirteen (13), during the
lyear commencing April 1, 1900, and
ending March 81, 1901, shall be as
follows, per ton of two thousand
| $4,000 pounds, at the option of the
Operator as to mine run or lump coal;
provided, that only such coal as is sold
as mine run shall be paid for on that
basis, unless otherwise agreed
upon between the state board of the
U. NJ. w. of A. and the operators OF
the mine.
Provided further, that the screens in
the several districts shall be as fol
lows:
First district-The screens shall be Of
flat bars of not less than five-eighths
| (M) Of an inch surface and not to ex.
coed one and one-fourth (1A) inches
between bars. Hand picked coal shall
be considered the same as. screened
local.
Second and Third districts The
screens shall be of fiat or Akron shap
ed bars of not less than fve-eighths
(5s) of an inch surface, with one and
three-eighths dss) inches between
bars. Provided, that where diamond
bars are now in use, with not more
than one and one-fourth GA) inches
between the bars and in proper con.
dition, said screen may be retained at
the option of the miners in sub-dis.
tricts two and three, which shall be
decided before April 1, 1900.
District No. 4-In Boone county the
screen shall be of diamond bars, with
three-fourths "a of an inch between
bars.
In Webster county, at Lehigh, the
screen shall be fiat bars of not less
than tive-eighths ~ of an inch sur
face, with one and one-foursh (11A'
inches between the bars; at Coalvills
and kalo, coal classed as soft coal
shall be on an absolute mine run basis
hard coal vein shall have either dia
mond bar screen with three-fourth.
| I'D of an inch between bars or O.
HAT bars of not less than ,fve-eighth!
~ of an inch surface with one ant
one-fourth 1A) inches between bars
All of the above described screens ii
the different fields shall have not t.
exceed seventy-two (72) square feet
each of superficial area, free from OBJ
struetions. and the bars Of each screer
shall rest upon sufficient number O.
bearings to hold the bar in proper posi-
ton.
1 All changes in screens necessary tt
conform to this arrangement shall b,
made on or before June /, 1900.