Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-18
BAR MINERS UNION
Anthracite Operators Style Bitum-
inous Agreements as Worthless,
UNITE TO RESIST MEMS CLAIMS
All Demands of President Mitchell
Are Denied in Answers Filed With
Commission-claim Wages Are
Equal Those Paid for Similar Work.

The statements that the anthracite
operators made to the strike commits
sion, referred to in yesterdays Cou-
rier, in which it was alleged that the
agreements between the bituminous
operators and miners were practically
Of no avail, are given in synopsis this
morning in a Washington dispatch.
In the reference to the work in the
bituminous fields that statement has
aroused considerable interest among
the operators and miners in Ottum.
wa and the vicinity. In the Washing
ton intelligence it is stated that the
operators absolutely refuse to recog-
nize the organization of the United
Mine Workers of America and it fur
Their says:
Evidently by agreement they have
united to resist to the utmost every eff
fort to make the recognition of the
union an issue before the strike COM
mission appointed by President Roose-
welt.
Following the lead of President
Baer of the Reading, five of the ope-
rators have filed answers to the state
ment of President John Mitchell, and
each answer dwells with marked en-
phasis upon the refusal to recognize
or treat with the union.
The replies made public are those
Of the Delaware and hudson, the Della
ware and Lackawanna,t the Lehigh Val
| ley, the Pennsylvania, and the Scran-
ton Coal company. Each bitterly at
tacks and arraigns the union, charging
| that it has caused all disturbances in
the anthracite fields, and each refuses
absolutely to recognize Mitchell or
the united mineworkers in the arbitra-
ton proceedings.
Resist All Demands of Miners.
The six operators are unanimous in
resisting the demands of the miners
for an increase of pay for piece work,
for a reduction of hours in time OF
work and for the weighing of coal
The answers follow that of President
Baer SO closely as to show that the
operators are replying by agreement
| Recorder Wright left Washington
for the anthracite field today, taking
the replies of the operators with him.
The reply for the Delaware and
Lackawanna company, signed by w.
H. Truesdale, who objects to making
the recognition of the union one of the
issues to be considered by the COM
mission, saying that in the proposition
made by the company for arbitration
one of the express conditions was that
'sthe findings of the commission should
govern the conditions of employment
between 1t and its employees" He
adds: .ng
This company q unequlvocaliy as
serts that it will under no condition
int
with the association known as the
UNITED Mineworkers of America or
any branch thereof Nor will it per-
nit said association or it's officers to
dictate the terms and conditions I'M
der which it shall conduct it's bust
ness"
Says Men Were Forced to Strike.
Mr.. Truesdale save he is reliably in
formed that so per cent of the com
pany's employees We're opposed to the
strike, but were forced to enter upon
it by a majority vote Of the mine
workers in other fields Mr.. Trues
dale follows closely the lines of Mr.
Baer's argument. He declares that il
is impossible to adopt uniform rate
to be paid to the miner for unit Of
coal mined at all mines.
prior to the Introduction of agita
tors and mischief makers" he says
the anthracite workers were on al
average as prosperous, comfortable
and contented as any body of worker!
in similar employment in this coun
try
Mr.. Truesdale resists the demand
: for reduction of 20 per cent in hour!
of labor, saying no such branch of bus
) mess, employing thousands of men
can hope to compete successfully il
the markets of the world ii it's hours
Of labor are restricted. He declares
that there is no unjust Discrimination
5 in the weighing of coal, as it il
measured rather than weighed, and h
r asserts that the demand is ''out of al
= reasons, and its effect, so far as thi
3 company is concerned, is demand TO
an additional increase in the wage
now paid miners of from 5 to 40 pc
cent" The present method of measure
:, ment is declared to be the result @
e long usage and fair to all concerned.
e ELEPHANT Says Wages Are Adequate
: President Olyphant of the Delawar
!. and Hudson company in his reply de
q clares the wages paid by his compan
il are just and adequate. He also say
6 that those of its employees who pc
!. form contract or piece work as ma
q ter of their own yolition work only 81
IS hours 4 day and take numerous no
W days, without the consent or approx;
It of this respondent, and their earning
by hours of actual work, are, therefor
t. much higher than those in any sim
l1 lar employment
Denial is made of all the allegation
lie in Connection with the demand fc
he shorter hours. and it is commended tn;
It such reduction necessarily would i
crease the price of coal.
lg President ELEPHANT also takes e
is ception to the proposition to arbitra
the question of the recognition of IL
n miners union. This position is place
at on the ground that the organizatic
seeks to control the entire fuel supp
n of the country; that as the union
u. llnincorporated it is incapable of ma
as ing a binding contract and that ii