Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-08
Iowa OPERATORS MET
Coal Mine Operators of the
State in Conference at
Des Moines.
Will Warn the Iowa Coal Miners
to Stand by Their 1902
Contracts.
Hopes Entertained Thatthe Iowa
Miners Will Not Approve OF
Sympathy Strike.
,cial to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, July S.-The coal opera
tors of Iowa are in session here today.
The conference is for the purpose OF
taking action in connection With the
miners convention of July IL at In
dianapolis The Indianapolis conven-
ton will settle the question of SYM
miners and its possible action is of SUI
rreme interest to the Iowa operators.
There seems little left for the Iowa
operators to do They will in all iikeli-
hood adopt a resolution directed to the
miners OF district 13, which includes all
OF Iowa and the north part of Missouri.
Informing them that the operators will
expect them TO stand by the 1902 con-
tract and stay out of the strike or TO
forfeit all claims TO its conditions when
the strike is settled and they return to
work.
Iowa operators are hopeful the min
ers in this state will not join the strike.
President Reese, of district 1S, is OPP
posed to a sympathetic strike. The
with the Iowa operators to dig coal for
stated prices and under stated condi-
tions until April i. 1903. There are no
grievances in the Iowa field of moment
and President Reese and the cooler
heads want the miners to stand by their
contract.
In the Iowa district the operators AMI
the conservative miners have card up
their sleeve which it is believed will be
played to prevent the strike extending
10 this state should it be voted. 1T Will
be remembered that for the last three
years the Iowa operators and miners
have sought to secure admission TO the
rational conference and to participate
in the making of the annual scale. The
miners have voted to admit the state,
hut eastern operators have feared the
III huence of the Iowa field and kept the
state out. AS a result all the contracts
made between Iowa miners and opera
tors for three years have been made
without reference to the national agree
nlent and at joint meetings arranged
for between themselves. These agree
ments have been observed by both par
ties almost to the letter. But little Diff
ficulty has been experienced in ADJUST
ing the slight differences that have
come up from time to tiiIe Because o..
the manner In which the agreements
have been made the Iowa miners are in
q position to claim that the national
organization has no jurisdiction over
them, that they have n contract With
operators of their own, and that they
should be permitted to carry it out.
Operators in the Iowa field have rea-
son to hope that Iowa miners will take
his stand and that the national organl-
Iation will not object StrenuouSly to
their position. They saw that there is
TO prospect that they will be called up
or to supply coal to the district that are
or may be affected by the strike ana
they express a Willingness to agree
with their miners not to supply Iowa
coal to consumers in strike districts.
Some of the operators freely expressed
themselves yesterday as to what Will
occur if the Iowa miners do join the
strike. They say that the operators Will
fight it out with them and in the flu
ture will refuse to recognize the state
or district organizations and insist up
.cn dealing with the men directly. They
are of the opinion, tho. that the Iowa
miners will be counseled by Reese and
the cooler heads and will stay out of the
strike.
Meantime the railroads and big con-
sumers of coal. fearful of the worst. are
laying in supplies Of coal. For three
weeks the railroads have been taking
and storing every pound of Iowa coal
they could secure and they will contin-
ne so to do until the strike question is
settled.
Retailers stocks thruout the state are
re ported short and Il strike will proba-
bly, cripple many industries. There is
practically no hard coal in the STATE
and will ruling prices and the strike
there will be any, so that bituminous
coal will be the only supply during the
approaching winter season.
Operators feel that If Iowa miners re-
main in it will be on the condition not
to supply coal for companies affected
by the strike, but do not anticipate
there will be any objection to supplying
the added local demand that Will be
created by the short stocks and high
prices of hard coal.
1t is not expected the mine workers
will be represented n the meeting to-
cav. However. as soon as their execu-
tive board is advised of the action of
the meeting it is likely meeting o.
delegates from the state locals will b.
held to determine upon the position to
be taken by Iowa in the Indianapolis
convention on July IL.