Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-12
was then put before the committee by

r
was then put before the committee by
Mr. Reese.
1t provides that miners shall be re-
sponsible for the slate and clod ten
feet out from the face of coal and that
the operator shall be responsible for
the cap rock. He said that the prop
osition suits part of the miners and
does not suit some of them. If, in Mr..
Reese's opinion, the miner did the
brushing thruout the district and re-
ceived compensation for it, the prop
osition of the miners would then be ac-
copied, but as the case now is the min
ers do the brushing at some mines and
the operators at another. In view OF
this fact the miners want two propo-
sitions, one in effect where the miners
do the brushing and the other where
the company does it.
The miners want to be governed by
resolution No. 4, of the Des Moines
agreement, which now applies to only
| the second, third and fourth districts.
This resolution follows:
THAT in accordance with the state
law, the company shall furnish all the
necessary timbers at the mouth of the
room, and the miner shall keep his
room securely propped. If miner
working in a room fails to securely
| prop the same, or neglects to prop as
directed by the pit foreman or care
| lessly shoots down the props or tim
bers and a fall of slate occurs thru
such failure, neglect or carelessness,
| he shall Immediately clear his road
way of such falls of slate and do all
necessary retimbering and in case of
his neglect to do so, the company may
do such work and charge the expense
thereof to such miner
''In case the room has been proper
| ly timbered as above set forth, and
the roof from any cause becomes so
heavy as to require double timbering,
the company shall, when notified by
the miner, do the necessary work to
| protect the roadway.
! Where a fall of slate occurs be-
tween the inside props and the face OF
his room, of an average thickness of
not to exceed three inches he shall i'm
mediately remove such fall, and in
case of his neglect to do so, the com,
pany may do such work and charge
the expenses thereof to such miner
ii of greater thickness, he shall notify
the pit foreman, who shall within
tWenty-four hours furnish the neces
sary labor to make such removal.
IF the fall is not removed within "a
hours the miners affected shall be Civ
en- employment until it is removed
IF the miner is dissatisfied with any
decision of the pit foreman, an appeal
may be taken to the superintendent
and the president of the local union
who shall decide the question, and
their decision shall be final, but the
miner shall continue at work pending
such decision"
i The miners, as they said last even
ling, do not want to be held RESPONSE
Eble for anything they cannot avoid,
and they feel that they cannot avoid
falls which come after their work has
lbeen done in a thoroly workmanlike
manner. Moreover, they say that they
should not be held for these things if
their brother miners in other parts of
the state are not held, and for this
treason they want the same resolution
to apply to the first sub-district as
has been adopted for the second, third
and fourth.
The miners expressed themselves
las unwilling to bring about trouble OF
:. anything but a satisfactory and peace
lful settlement. They say, however
that they will not accept conditions
which place them at a disadvantage
las regards the miners in other sub
districts.
The discussion of the matter lasted
until about midnight, when the com
mittee adjourned until 8 o'clock this
morning, without having made a set
mt on l. e
now developed into the most impor
tant one before the Joint committee.
Machine Prices.
Prices We're fixed for the men work
ing on machines at Shawville and Pc
kay. The Pekay machine runner viii
, get $2.40 per day and the rider
$2.15. The runner at Shawville, ir
the Bellaire mine, will get $3.50, while
his helper will be paid 1925. Loading
will be done for AZ cents. These pric
: es are the same as last years. The
machine loading in the fourth sub
district shall be one-half the mining
price.
; Men Taken From Face.
The following resolution providin,
for compensation to be paid men tax
en- from the face in the second, thirt
and fourth sub-districts, was adopted
yesterday afternoon: Compensation
at each mine for men taken from tn,
; face in the second, third and fourtl
sub-districts, shall be 10 cents NOR
than that if drivers, and anyone refus
ing to do such work may have hi
turn stopped, provided he is qualifie,
by experience to do so, and provide
further that no man shall be require,
to do such work on two CONSECUTIVE
days."
May Go to Screened Coal Basis.
According to a resolution adopte
yesterday, mines which are now O.
a mine run basis will be allowed t
go back on screened coal basis
when the percentage of lump in tn
coal is large enough to justify tn
change.
First District Room Turning.
Much trouble was encountered i
making a scale for room turning i
the first district, but the price was fiji
ally left as last years scale read, a
lIy- IL IA