Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-18

| t1onal Union of America has just lsSu-
ed the annual report of that union.
The report shows the total number OF
members to- be 1856, against GLIB for
the previous year. The report says
"Seventy-two charters were issued
during the year and nineteen surren-
dered. There were twelve strikes dur
ing the same period, of which eight
| were won, one compromised, one lost
and two still on. The number Of per
sons involved in said strikes was 1913,
of whom $50 were benefited and eight
cen worsted. The total gain in wages
was Is per cent"
A New Union.
| 1t is reported that within a very
short time the state of Illinois will
come to the front with one of the most
novel trades unions there is in exist
ence. 1t will be composed Of minis
tiers of the gospel with headquarters
at Dwight. Several having signified
their intention of becoming members,
the success of the scheme seems assur-
| ed
Wages in Austria.
The official report of the minister of
the interior on the button-making
trade in Moravia has created a 'sensa-
| ton. This report in part follows:
Average hours of work for men, 10;
average hours of labor for women, II;
for children over 10, ~, and for chill
dren under 10, s hours.
The average earnings of man are
80 cents weekly; average earnings of
woman, 20 cents weekly, and of a
child, s cents weekly.
The average earnings of whole
family varies from $22 to $50 yearly.
The maximum sum which a full grown
man can possibly earn is so cents
weekly, but this requires superhuman
efforts.
The children have to begin when
when they are five, The report quotes
| this:
"a family composed of father, moth
er and three children, live in one room,
both home and workshop. The room
is 1Ox1O feet and 6 feet high, has one
small window and contains four chairs
and table. The inmates have never
seen a bed. Their total earnings are
$40 yearly and their expenditures for
the past year have been: Bread, $25;
rent, So; rent of plot to grow potatoes,
So; flour, So; petroleum, So; milk, so
cents; miscellaneous, so cents. They
never eat meat and cannot afford beer
or tea, coffee or tobacco. Clothes are
not mentioned in the items of expendi-
ture."
| Labor Notes.
The Lead City, S. D., Miners union
has completed labor temple at cost
of $50 5000.
Union men and women of Detroit
can now have their bread delivered by
union bakery wagon drivers.
Leadville now has twenty-five -four
fishing unions, where two years ago it
would have required close search to
have found one.
Typographical union, No. 6, of New
York City, has refused to admit man
to membership because he belongs to
the national guard.
The Times and Standard, daily pa
pers of Leavenworth Kansas, have
signed an agreement with the typo
graphical union, after having been
conducted as noh-union shops for
years.
(From Fridays Daily.1
According to dispatches which have
been received in, Ottumwa today to
the effect that public meetings of all
kinds have been, prohibited in Des
Moines on account of the prevalence
of smallpox there, 1t is very probable
that the state conventions of the min
ers and mine operators, which were to
be held beginning February IS at the
capital city, will be called off and the
place will be changed. 1t is hardly
probable that the dates will be chang
ed in hope of the quarantine being
raised, and the only remaining places
for the convention would seem to be
Oskaloosa and Ottumwa with the
chances little in favor of the former.
! These conventions were held last
year in Ottumwa and were attended by
scores of miners and operators. At
the last session of the joint conven-
ton it was decided to hold the 1902
conventions at Des Moines, after hot
| fight between John White of Oska-
loosa, secretary of the miners union,
and residents of the capital city. Mr..
White wanted the convention at his
home city, and urged as an argument
the indisputable fact that Oskaloosa is
in the center of the coal mining re-
gions of Iowa more truly than is Des
Moines, or even Ottumwa or Abba,
both of which places had supporters.
The main cause for taking the conven-
ton to Des Moines was the fact that
the hotel accommodations in all three
of the other places are not adequate
to the needs OF the people who would
attend the convention, but now that
Des Moines is cut out by the quaran-
tine regulations it seems probable that
Oskaloosa will be chosen.
Probably OskaIoosa.
Ottumwa would like to have the
convention and would probably accom-
modate as many people as can Oska-
loosa, but it is very probable that when
the matter comes to vote Oskaloosa
will be chosen, as it is known that
there are several operators who pre-
fer that place, and who will join
!, forces with Secretary White, to take
the convention, to that city. Abba is
out of the race because of inadequate
hotel accommodations
T. j. Phillips Talks.
T. J. Phillips of this city, a prom.
M bo,, 80 +ofo