Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-09
THE BIG CONVENTION
Miners and Operators Will Meet in
Des Moines Soon.
AN OPERATOR TALKS OF THE WORK
In An Interview He Says That the
Convention This Year Will Probably
Be as Long as 1t Was Last Year
Prospects.

The annual convention of the miners
of District No. IS, as fixed by the Unit
ed Mine Workers of America and
which includes the state of Iowa and
the northern tier of counties in Mis-
souri,, will be held in Des Moines be-
ginning sometime during February.
The date has not yet been set because
the Iowa miners are waiting until
their Illinois brothers act. When the
date for the Illinois convention is set
the Iowa date will be fixed for few
days later, SO that in this state the leg:
islation can be governed by the pro-
gress made in the state across the riv-
en- This was the plan followed last
year.
Looks Stormy.
The miners and operators i6int
convention appears to the outsider to
be big fight to finish between CAPT
tai and labor, and it is often so an
nounced in glowing headlines by the
newspapers, but closer acquaintance
brings out the fact that under all the
discussion there is feeling of friendli-
ness and goodfellowship which is equal
ed in but few labor conventions III eX-
istence. The miners and operators get
closer to each other just by such heat
ed discussions than they could by any
other method. They learn to know
each other better and although the
fight is along the lines of remuneration
for work there are many times when
the difference between employer ana
employee is forgotten and the discus
sion takes the form Of an argument be-
tween man and man for the principles
urh aacb oonciderc ri OH Ono min
ute after miner and operator have
finished hot wordy battle they arc
enjoying each others Jokes and dem
onstrating in other ways that the fight
is one for principle, not of malice.
The Right Spirit.
Such is the spirit that will prevail
during the sessions Of the convention
this year The real interest of course
centers in the convention of the joint
scale committee composed of an equa
number of men from the miners and
operators The miners and the oper
ators hold separate conventions be
fore hand, but these are only prelim
inaries to the big go when the two
scale committees come together, These
committees are, as a matter of course
composed of the ablest men in the
two organizations. and their delibera
lions, governing as they do the pro
gress of the miners and operators dur
ing the year to follow, are watched
with great interest by everyone con
nected with mines and mining in the
territory affected.
Miners Convention.
The miners separate convention
will consume several days, much tina!
is of interest will be decided then. AL
most first in Importance and interest
especially this year, will be the count
ing of the ballots cast for officers O
the district miners organization. This
election is now being carried on by
referendum vote, the plan adopted
since last year, when the officers were
elected by the delegates in convention
The ballots will be counted and the re
suit of the election declared on til,
second day of the convention this year
according to the plans as they now ex
list.
John P. Reese.
The greatest interest will center il
the election of the president of tn,
miners organization. John P. Reese
of Abba, the brainy young man wnt
has guided the miners through thicl
and thin during the past two years, II
standing for reelection this year, AM
although he has worthy and able op
ponents, there are many in the stai,
who hope to see him elected. He Il
capable and an earnest worker, ant
his faithfulness to the craft is demon
strated by his refusal to accept tht
commissionship offered him recently
by the operators.
Modus Operandi.
The miners scale committee will
prepare scale during the convention
and this will be taken up by the dele
gates for adoption. After it is adopt
ed or revised the miners convention
will be at an end and the joint seal
committee will go into session Her
the questions of scale will be discuss
ed by miners and operators, and her
the trouble will come if there is to b
any trouble.
According to statements of thos
who should know, this years join
convention will not be particular
stormy one. Although there will b
some important questions considered