Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-11
MEETING A SUCCESS
Goal Operators Of Iowa More Than
Ever in Accord.
REESE ACCEPTS aCOMAlISSIONERSHlP

REESE ACCEPTS C0MAlISSIONERSHlP
Was Elected at Convention In Des
Moines Yesterday Afternoon and
Agreed to Take UP the Work Janu-
airy 1-officers Elected.
II
From, Wednesdays Daily.
The annual convention of the Iowa
Coal Operators association, which
was held in Des Mones yesterday, was
the largest, most easily managed and
in many respects the most important
gathering the members of this organi-
cation have ever had. The business
was conducted without friction, all the
members stood together and We're OF
one mind with regard to all the i'm
portant questions amongsthem the ap-
pointment of John P. Reese as the
commissioner for the year 1908.
The election of Mr., Reese to the
commissionership vastly far the most
important action of the convention.
Iowa operators have long needed
commissioner to put in his entire time
in the field, Strengthening the organ
iZation by the addition of new mem
bers and representing it in the settle
ment of difficulties arising locally be-
tween employers and employees. Here
tofore they have had no salaried bus
mess agent who could or was expect
ed to do this work On the other
,. hand, the miners union has been con-
tinually represented by one, two or
more salaried men, whose time, or a
greater part of it, as the case might
be, was given over to the work OF
adding members of the union and set
, ting difficulties among the miners and
l operators. The consequence is that
). although the Iowa Coal Operators as
: sociation is larger than ever before
in its history it still does not include
! even all the large companies in the
y state, while the United Mine Workers
of America number among their mem
e bers all of the 1900 or more mer
whose work takes them into and about
} the coal mines of Iowa and northern
Missouri.
i Taking these facts into considera
II ton 1t is not strange that the miners
+ organization and it's officials have beer
e better prepared and more able to cope
d with the questions of scale etc. thar
y has the operators side. Last yea
I. this fact was very noticeable in the
Joint convention and the sessions o
II the scale committee and the operators
IS appointed a committee at it's annua
l. convention in 1901 to secure com
re missioner to represent their associa
L ton in its dealings with the miners
G fixing a maximum salary limit o
N $4,000.
a. The entire, year was almost owe
before this committee could agree t
10 recommend man for the place, Du
n finally all members unanimousl
ID agreed to place before the associatio
e. the name of John P. Reese, forme
n president of the district miners, unioI
Yesterday the. first matter which wa
at taken up in the convention after tn
IS calling of the roll and the reading c
e. the secretary's and treasurer's report
y was this committees report. 1t wa
It. unanimously and enhusiasticall
adopted by the operators present an
Mt a telegram was Immediately sent
of Mr.. Reese at his home in Abba, asl
to ing him to come to Des Moines. II
lie arrived in the capital city at Z o'cloc
a and met with the officers Of the ass
as citation who rendered him the commi
be sionership. Mr.. Reese accepted ar
en- agreed to begin his new work Jan
ur airy /, 1908. The appointment
de strictly speaking, for one year. but
to- goes without saying that Mr. Reese
gs tenure of oAoe will be as long as
re- tenure of office will be as long as
elects His headquarters will be at
Ike bia, his home city.
~ ~ Election of Officers.
' ~, The majority of the officers wi
~. have so faithfully and unselfishly SCI
do ed the operators during the past We
rr were reelected yesterday by acclam
or. ton. A few changes were made
T., the scale committee and it is undo
~, stood that Mr.. Reese will be a memb
80 of this body next spring when
meets with the similar body from t
miners union, although he will not
% entitled to a vote.
& The officers elected yesterday a
8 as follows:
g President-CH. Morris, Des Moin
" Vice president r. RoseDrot
orn Oskaloosa
lty, Secretary. l.. Lodwick, Ottumy
EN-, Treasurer-W. T. Phillips, Oskal
and sa
ON Executive committee. H. Mor1
,eo- l.. J.. Lodwick and the following:
rev District No. IA. Dargavel, Cent
25, vile.
E. District No. 2-H. L. Waterman,
we'd tumwa
urg District No. as. w. White, os
lied loosa.
District No. 4-E. G. Smith, I
orn Monies.
Itta District No 5-H.H. Garfield, Boo
on. Scale committee-The members
irk- the executive committee and the
al LOWING. ~