Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-02-26
THE U. M. w. OF A.
A History RepIete With Stories of
SeIf-Sacrifice

SSit.S6Si ItSSs
The many attempts to make human
ity come together upon concilitory
policy, it is claimed, have failed, but
the opposite is shown by the history
of the reorganization of District No.
10, United Mine Workers of America,
comprising Iowa and the northern tier
of counties in Missouri, because the
word strike" or strife" is not known
in it's transactions, except from a mis-
understanding of the agreements that
are made from year to year; and the
actions and wisdom of it's officers and
members go to show the passing of
struggle to the realization of con-
sideration. The miners and operators
OF Iowa have met many times before
the coming convention, but at no time
in the history of mining in Iowa can
=. be more truthfully stated that there
is consideration for each other and a
policy of live and let live"
Previous to the thoro organization
of the miners in the state there could
be no good understanding between the
miner and the operator because of the
fact of the different conditions existing
in the mining of coal in the different
localities, coal being easy to mine in
some and hard in others. Yet, the
scale of wages ran about the same In
other words, the easy was domestic
coal and the hard was that used in the
manufacturing institutions and for
railroads, to produce steam.
That matters ran thus for SO many
years with strike and strife is a sur
prise and tie happy conditions of af-
fairs existing today, only goes to prove
the long-ciaimed assertion by all la
Dor leaders, past and present, that
when a common basis of just consid-
GRAFTON was met for all parties and an
amicable settlement of all differences
could be brought about, and that
condition alone could only be accom-
pllshed by a thoro organization of all
the toilers."
The First Officials.
So the thinking men among the
miners of the state Of Iowa concluded
that it would be best to enter from
chaos and darkness into light and sun
shine. Therefore, on March 8, 1898,
call was issued from Hiteman for a
convention for the purpose of estab-
fishing the branch of the U. M. w. A..
in Iowa. The convention met in pur-
suance to call and fair delegation
was present, as the men realized the
condition then existing. When the
roll was called q delegates respond
ed, representing about S,40o men. W..
d. Ryan, state secretary for Illinois,
was present and gave valuable assist
ance in the way of effecting the or
ganization. Permanent rules on Or
ganization were adopted by this body
for the government of the craft in the
state, and much credit should be CIV
en- the delegates there in attendance,
as it has been clearly demonstrated
that their efforts were not in vain, as
it was decided to accept the U. M. w.
A. as a permanent organization, and
the following officers were elected:
President. P. Joyce.
MISREPRESENTATION Brennan.
Secretary -treasurer-John B. Will
son.
Executive board-John w. Evans,
John o. James, Samuel Chase, e..
Emerson, c. M. Penwell. :
Second Meeting.
Pursuant to call the miners met
again on August 16,189s,h Oskaloosa,
as had been decided upon at the March
meeting. About twenty regularly or
ganized locals were represented and,
after a hard and arduous campaign,
much good had been accomplished in
the organization in the short time
between the two conventions, and it
was at this meeting that strong plea
for the eight-hour day was begun and
plans were made to organize the
state. The following officers were
| elected:
President-John f.. Ream.
ce-president-John P. Reese.
Secretary-treasurer-John Brennan.
Executive board-John Haddow,
John Barrow, Robert Cunion, Richard
Cunion and Walter J. Thomas.
A Joint Convention.
| This convention adjourned to meet