Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-29
MAKE STATE MEN 7
Members of Miners Union Talk o
Phillips Mine Trouble.
SAY PRICE HAS BEEN CHANGED
Employees Claim That the Company
Reduced the Price of Entry Driving
at Shaft No. 5-Union Takes No Of
fetal Action.

From Fridays Daily.1
Local union No. 152, United Mine
Workers of America, held a meeting
last evening in this city and discussed
the matter of the entry yardage at
shaft No. 5, owned by the Phillips
Fuel Co., over which considerable trou-
Bile has arisen. The union did not
take any action in the matter as a up-
ion, but left the settlement of the af-
fair to the men who are working in
the mine affected.
Union Mems Statement.
After the meeting three members of
the miners union gave out the follow
ing statement:
While we do not intend to violate
any of the rules governing our organ
ization, nor to unjustly criticize the
action of the joint board, we wish it
to be understood that we are work
ing under and in accordance with the
Des Moines agreement.
THE grievance originated under the
Ottumwa agreement, which states that
the price for 12-foot entry shall be
$3.50 per yard, but in no case shall a
reduction from present prices be
made What is the proper interpre-
tation of present prices? 1t means
the price paid by the company any
time during the life of that agreement
and the only price paid at this mine
for 12-foot entry was $1.70 per yard.
''The present price does not mean
the price paid a year ago or a year
hence; it means anytime during the
life of the agreement.
There was no demand made of Mr..
Phillips. He paid the s1.70, but later
reduced the price to $1.50. The strain.
ed condition which this affair was said
to have assumed Tuesday at the shaft
is all imaginary The men who were
about to take the places Of theil
brothers were simply informed of the
situation, and it will remain for the
future to reveal what impression II
any was made.
"In Thursdays paper Mr. Phillips
is quoted as saying that the trouble
was with the men working at No. 4
while the truth of the matter is that
there is not mine in this sub-district
mo. p that is not anXiously watch
ing and waiting to see the result O.
this struggle.
"The miners driving 12-foot entries
at Keb, Appanoose, Roseland, Ladds
dale, Spring Hill, the mines on tn
South Side, and others in this distric
are receiving $1.70 per yard, and if tn
| attempt to reduce the price in No.
is successful, an attemp. will b
made toward uniformity in this diret
! ton all along the lines next year"
Uncertain Condition.
Just what will be done by the mil
ers working at No. 8 remains to
seen. Since the local union has faile
to take official action it is now up t
the miners working at the mine affec
ed to handle the situation. 1t is state
that they have received no instrut
lions from the local and that they wi
be expected to go ahead and solve tn
/ problem in way that to them seen
best.
Hard on Reese.
The recent action of the coal ope
ators of the second and third sub-di
4 tricts of the state, in their meeting ;
Oskaloosa few days ago,is about on
u of the hardest, propositions again
which John P. Reese, president {
]. District No. 10, has been pushed fc
some time. The operators. accordir
to reports coming from the meetin
issued an ultimtaum to Mr.. Reese
the effect that he must see that tt
Des Moines agreement, into which tt
miners and operators of the state r
!; Gently entered at the state capital,
lived up to by the miners.
:. President Reese brought this que
-, u, 1T In watt n
; meeting at Des Moines in Marc
When it became apparent that ]
could not get the changes in the sea
which he wanted and which had bee
, demanded by his constituents he a
nounced to the operators that If IL
agreement should be reached he won
F not be responsible for the action of Il
miners regarding it. He assured IL
operators that he would use ever
honorable means to get the men
observe the rules laid down in I'll
agreement, but that, in view of Il
fact that some Of the desired chang
were not made, he would not guara
tee that his constituents would carr
out their part of the contract. TIL
matter was discussed in the joil
scale committee and the operate
agreed with Mr.. Reese that he cou
/. not be expected to make every min
in the state live up to the agreemer
and it was tacitly understood betwe,
all concerned that as long as M
Reese did all in his power to get tt
miners to live up to the agreement
complaint would be made on the pa
of the operators.
Just what the action of the mir
owners at Oskaloosa means Is hal
to say. Whether they have thong
better of the leniency with which thu
regarded Mr.. Reese's duties, or ha'
come to the conclusion that he is nj
devoting much effort to have the mi
| ers live up to the agreement as
said he would, is pot known. Howeve
it is very probable that the first sol
ton is the correct one, as everyol
recognizes the fact that the state pre-
: ident of the miners union has few i'd
moments, and everyone who know
Mr.. Reese knows also that he has
WAYS thus far worked hard to ha'
the agreement observed at all tim'
by both sides, thinking that in TIL
way and that way alone could friend
relations be preserved between er