Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-06
Total balance on hand ..s17,654..
Presidents Annual Report.

Total balance on hand ...s17,654.49
Presidents Annual Report.
The annual report of President
John p Reese is very exhaustive
one, and includes an itemized account
of his work and that of the executive
board during the whole year. 1t took
one hour to read it and hence it is i'm
possible to reproduce it in full. The
essential points, however, are as fol-
lows:
Unions Organized.
Mr.. Reese reports the organization
of new locals at the following places
in the district: Newmarket in sub-dic-
trict No. l.; Buxton, Fishville, Olivet,
Danreath, Knoxville, Bear Creek,
Douds, Pella, jamestown and Chart
ton in sub-district No. 2; Sewers in
sub-district No. 3; Angus and Van Me-
ter in sub-district No. 4.
Unions Disbanded.
Against this excellent showing
there are only two locals reported as
disbanded during the year, one at
Coalville and the other at Summit.
Official Changes.
G. III. Underwood, of Mystic, who
was elected last year at Ottumwa as
one of the auditors of the district, re-
signed and went to Oklahoma, writing
to President Reese and expressing his
thanks for the honors given him at the
hands of the district union. The re-
port mentions the appointment of
John o. Staley OF Des Moines to sue
coed Mr.. Underwood The report also
mentions the election of John F. Ream
of Beacon as national board member
to represent District 10 of the United
Mine Workers of America. Robert
Cowan of Des Moines and John Coch-
ran OF Cleveland succeeded John
Braniff anC Hugh Reed as board mem
| bers.
The Years Business.
The report includes copies of sever
al circular letters issued during the
| year regarding local and district con.
! ditions and the full reports of the sew
eral board meetings and joint board
meetings which have been held during
| the past year. These meetings were
for the purpose of settling troubls
which arose at several of the mines
throughout the district on account OF
differences between employers and
employees, and all of these were set
tied as described in the report of the
president. Every case is reported III
detail and the report is one which in
cludes everything the president has
done for the union during the entire
twelve months since the convention in
February, 1901, at Ottumwa
| Mr. Roocn a1S0 rpndprS n his nniDr
a report of the doings of the nation
al miners convention held this win
| ter at Indianapolis. Indiana, and tells
of the way the interests of the miners
are affected by this convention.
recommendations.
The following recommendations are
made by President Reese for the con
sideration of the convention and Of the
union of the district
That the time for holding the cleo.
ton for the national board member be
changed to February from December
That the convention establish an Of
| flee for the organization.
/ That the vice-president be placed on
salary.
i That the secretary be permitted tt
devote his entire time to office work
except to attend conventions and
board meetings.
That levy be assessed against thu
members of the union in the district
for the benefit of the widows and or
phans of the miners killed in the Los
Greek disaster.
That the terms of Office of all dis
trict officers be changed SO as to ex
pire March 81 instead of immediatel,
after election of new officers.
That the secretary-treasurer be EN-
powered to buy badges for the dele
gates to the annual conventions.
Lost Creek Explosion.
The report deals extensively wit
the Lost Creek explosion and tells il
detail of the action taken by Presi
dent Reese and Secretary White wit
regard to the awful disaster. A dc
nation of $1,000 was sent to these pee
pie by the national organization.
Closing Statements.
In closing, President Reese states
that he has done everything in hi
power for the benefit of the miners
union, devoting all OF his time to tina
work He talks encouragingly of TIL
future before the organization, and OF
fers no apology for the work done b
him in the past, saying that if he hal
it to do over again he w5lld take tn
same action he has already taken.
The report also tells OF. the benefit
derived by the miners OF the stat
since the organization of the union i
, 1898 and thanks the union for it's SUI
port of the president during the teri
f just closed.
: Edwin Perry's Report.
Vice President Perry report wa
brief and to the point. 1t follows:
ITO the officers and representative
!, of District 10, now assembled. Gree
, ing:
. Brothers: Once more we have me
!, in annual convention to review tn
past and to legislate for the futur
success and welfare, and | sincerel
hope, and have ever reason to eXpec
that your deliberations at this CONVEX
ton will be characteristic of harmon
and desire to promote the best il
terests of our noble organization
| Its triumphal march to uncroWned vi