Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-02-28
DISCUSSES
THE SCALE
Joint Scale Committee of Min
ers and Operators.
REESE TAKES A PART
The Miners President Has Sufficient
ly Recovered From His illness to
i Attend the Meetings-Asreement
Will Probably Be Signed This Week
From Wednesdays Daily.


from Wednesdays Daily.
The convention of the joint scale
committee of the miners and operat-
ors of District No. 10, the first session
of which was held yesterday afternoon
in the council chamber of the city hall,
was suddenly adjourned shortly be-
fore II o'clock this morning to allow
the miners to hold separate meeting
at IL o'clock.
The meeting held by the miners at
Turner hall was in the nature of an
) executive session, and nothing is
known as to what was done, but it is
stated on good authority that an agree.
ment will be reached and a scale sat
lsfactory to both sides will be signed
before the last of the present week.
The joint convention is harmonious in
every particular.
Yesterday afternoon the scale as
proposed by the miners was first TAX
en- up, but the operators virtually re.
FUSED to consider this scale, claiming,
In effect, that it is unjust to them and
that with it in effect they cannot run
their mines profitably. Discussion
was the order of the day, and all the
points imaginable, both in favor OF
and against the proposed scale, were
quoted. but neither side seemed to be
impressed by the others arguments.
The question bringing out all this
discussion was motion to use the
miners proposition as basis for the
present years scale. The meeting
adjourned without vote having been
taken on the matter.
Morning Session.
Ihe committee again convened at
the city hall this morning. The meet.
ing was presided over by the officers
elected at yesterdays joint session
the motion which had caused
SO much discussion the day
before was brought up and as the
mouse could not agree it was declared
iost: AS matter of information it is
well to state that the miners and on
orators are each allowed an equal
number of votes on each question and
no important question can be decided
without unanimous vote. Thus. if
the miners all vote one way and the
operators all vote the other way, the
motion is lost. or if any on either side
iaii 10 agree with the remainder the
motion is lost. The vote must be
unanimous. This applies, of course
only to the joint convention.
President John P. Reese, of the min.
ers. union, who was very i'll yesterday
and the night before, was able to take
his place among the members of the
miners half on the joint scale com
mlttee this morning. Mr.. Reese. as
every man connected with mining
knows, is a power among the miners,
and this is probably brought about by
the fact that he is sincere and fair in
all he says and does. While his ewes
are always open to the interests al
the miner he does not forget that an
honest and fair policy is the only one
Which will gain victory in the end
and by the exercise of that knowledge
be has become recognized as one OF
the fairest as well as one of the best
informed miners in the state. Operat
ors as we'll as miners have confidence
in him on this account
The miners naturally look to Mr.
Reese to uphold their interests in any
argument that may come up with the
operators. and this morning he open.
ed the discussion nc coon &c a. 80,
yention had settled down 70 hnsira om
and It had heen snaeested tbst tI,o
operators proposition be used as q
basis for the scale, saying in part: 81
am sure every miner in the state feels
grateful to the operators for the prop
osition they have made at this con.
vention. At previous conventions the
operators have been proposing some
IN waoas wben NC ~ ~. III IL, -: sieas.
ed to give a twenty nar cont y nnoaau
Now when thew nropose.a sna I. e az,