Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-07
district the price to be fixed by actual
test at each mine, the minimum to be
so cents and the maximum IS cents.
[From Wednesdays Daily.l


of the joint scale committee the mem
bers deemed it best and most conven-
lent for the work off the committee
that all but members of the same be
excluded from the room where the
meetings were held Heretofore the
council chamber had been crowded
with miners and operators, and the
committee was impeded by sugges-
tons and conversation by outsiders,
and hence the action, which, by the
way, has been taken in nearly all pre-
vious conventions of a like nature.
Reporters were granted the privilege
of remaining.
This is found to be of much benefit,
as the work is progressing much bet
ter now than before the change was
made. Yesterday afternoon, more
was done toward bringing about
settlement than during any period of
the same length since the first meet
ing Of the committee, held last Tues
day. Everything is working out har-
moniously, and it now appears that
the scale will be signed by the end of
the week, providing some unforeseen
occurrence does not develop Both
miners and operators have in part re-
coded from their first positions, but it
has all been done without disruption,
and in fact it appears that a mutual
understanding between the two sides
is more marked now than ever before.
This morning the last question on
mining prices was settled Of course
this does not complete the work of
the committee. The matter of screens,
day wages, dead and deficient work
| and any other matters which will
come up have yet to be settled, but
the committee is now at point where
the end is in sight.
| The scale committee for mine run
on the C. B. & X. c. railroad track in
the first district will be composed Of
the miners president and the opera
tors president, or men appointed
by these two, it will be empower
ed to make scale based on the per-
centage of screenings at the different
mines during October, November. De-
cember 1900 and January, 1901. This
scale is to be decided upon by the
committee before April 1, 1901, at
which time the scale now being
adopted will go into effect.
1t was agreed that in the first dis
trict hand picked coal be considered
as screened coal.
The second district mine run scale
was fixed according to the measure
introduced by Hon. H. l.. Waterman
yesterday, as follows: No scale shall
be fixed, but a local price shall be de-
cided upon at each mine, based on the
percentage of screenings at that mine,
to be decided by actual test, and that
a minimum of 60 cents and maxi
mum of 65 cents be provided.
In the third district the operators
yielded the half cent which has fur
lnished the basis of discussion for sew
Ieral days. The miners have been de-
manding GO cents but have been offer.
edonly 621a cents.
Yesterday, when this matter was
again brought up. the operators voted
for the So cent scale and the discus
sion was ended.
Some little trouble was encountered
in the fourth district in regard to the
mine run price The miners have fol
several days demanded 81 for the Ty
son vein mine run mining at Lehigh
but the operators refused to pay more
than 80 cents until Monday. when
they offered 95 cents as compro
mise. This again failed to bring
about an agreement and this morn
ing tie operators agreed to the 81
scale, the same as last year
with the provision that the screens
shall be changed so as to let the Goa
pass over the screen without impedi
; ment.
Screens.
This ended the mining price matter
for the whole state and the screer
matter was then again taken up The
committee adopted the following mea
sure after very little opposition.
No screen provided for in this
: agreement shall be more than twelve
feet long, except those now in use
3 or have anything on or near it tina
: will in any way impede the progress
. of the coal over the screen.
e Dead and Deficient Work.
t The committees on dead and def
), cient work scales, for the first sec
r ond and third sub-districts, were thel
n asked to report. The first sub-distric
|, committee was unable to report. TIL
J. second sub-district committee report
n ed as follows:
r Brushing by taking up bottom G
S taking down top shall be five cents a
inch, measured from top or bottom {
t the vein as the case may be, and {
S sufficient width for roadway. This
J apply to bottom or top of ordinar
d slate or clay material, but if of unu
It ually hard material then the price
be agreed upon locally The compan
a in all cases to have the option to
4 the brushing, in which case said brusl
e ing shall be kept up to within Is fet
o of the face.
9 That section No. 10 of the De
!, Moines agreement be the rule to appl
,, in regard to deficient work not othe
q wise provided for, adding the agre
n ment following the work adjustment
And in case they fail to agree, that
q shall be referred for final settlemel
r to the operator of the mine and tt
q miners state president, or someone de
n ignated to represent him. (This /
3 fers to settlement for deficient wol
. not covered elsewhere by the agre
). ment.)
! If the fall is not removed within
J. hours the miners affected thereby sha
o be given employment until the san
n is removed. (This refers to mea
s ure adopted last year providing tn
s the miner shall remove falls caused
~ his negligence or inability)