Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-27

orators and seven miners, meets when
ever differences arise between miners
and employers and cannot be settled
locally.
This committee is made up as fol
lows:
Operators-C.H.M Morris, Des Moines
l.. l.. Lodwicll, Willard; Alex Oar
gavel, CenteTville; H. l.. Waterman
Ottumwa; Geo. q. Fraker, Oskaloosa:
d. B. Fleming, Des Moines; A. Craig
Webster City.
Miners-,John P. Reese, Abba; John
P. White, Oskaloosa; Edwin Perry, Os-
kaloosa; f. T.. Romesburg. Mystic;
John Cochran, Cleveland; Robert Cow
an, hlondike; William Heslop, Lehigh.
The Lehigh Case.
Several such differences have now
arisen, the PRINCIPAL ones being at Eos
ter, Lehigh and Lockman. Only one
was settled yesterday afternoon by the
board, this one being the case at the
Crooked Creek mine near Lehigh.
Here there are more miners than there
is room in the mine, and the com
pany proposed that part of the men
work at night The miners, it seems,
were willing to do this, but the organ.
ization was not in favor of it, unless
the night men were paid higher
scale. This the company would not
do, and consequently the case came
before the executive board, and, after
much discussion, it was finally decid-
ed that the books of the company
should be examined. and if night men
have heretofore received higher wages
the company must pay more to the
night men now; if not, the men will
work at night for the same money
they receive for day work.
Trouble at Foster.
The case at Foster is a hard one to
settle. This is one where the miners
are holding out against settlement.
j. I. Thomas. a man employed by the
Phillips Fuel Co., of which Henry
Phillips of Ottumwa is president, as
q "chunker" at the Foster mine, was
laid off, so the company claims. for
failing to show up 10 go to work, not
only once but repeatedly. The mans
excuse, it is said, was that he had
oversight AS the position is one that
cannot be filled upon short notice and
needs a steady man, Mr.. Phillips dis
charged Thomas. The union demand
ed that he be reinstated, Mr.. Phillips
refused, and the case was brought be-
fore the executive board. Much of the
afternoon was spent in discussing it,
and the committee met again at s
o'clock in the evening, when the mat
ter was again taken up. 1t was set
tied without a motion, and the propo-
sition formerly made by Mr.. Phillips
was accepted by President John P.
Reese for the miners. Thomas lay,off
is sustained as to his position as
chunker, but he will be given such 9TH
er work as the company has for him to
do.
Immediately after the settlement OF
the Phillips case the one arising at
Lockman was taken up. The miners
have been out some time at Lockman,
it seems, owing to their refusal to fire
twice a day as requested by the COM
pany They were willing to fire only
cnce day, it is said and when trou-
BILE arose over the matter the workmen
quit. The matter was not settled
WneHi lHe JOINT executive Doard ad-
journed at 10 o'clock.
The sentiment against the present
plan for holding the conventions is
growing, and is being expressed, not
only among the operators, but among
the miners as we'll. The miners find
now that they are hardly ready to be-
gin work on the scale committee, as
they have had almost no time for con
suitation regarding the scale they wish
to have adopted. Last year they met
in separate session before the scale
committee, as did also the operators.
Each organization prepared a scale
which it favored for adoption, and
each scale committee then knew exact
ly what was required of it. This year,
however, with the scale committee be.
fore the miners convention, the mem.
bers of the union are placed at a dis.
advantage. Consequently the work of
the scale committee during the present
week will of necessity be Slow and not
until the joint convention meets will
the best work be done on the scale.
This Will work against the miners and
the operators, as it will have the effect
of keeping both away from their homes
longer. and will make the convention