Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-04
Joint Scale Committee at Dos
Moines Adjourns Suddenly.
DEADLOCK IN FIRST, SUB-DISIRlCT.
Operators Refuse to Grant Increase in
Southern Field and Miners Are Tn.
willing to Accept the Old Scale or
Lower the Prices. ..4 q
Ew,gaMn-

Des Moines, Feb. 2S.--(SpeciaD-
! The convention Of the scale commit
tee of miners and operators came to
an abrupt close at 10 o'clock last
night after the operators of the first
or southern sub-district had announc-
ed their decision not to agree to any
proposition of the miners that would
add one iota to the expense OF produc-
ing coal in their sub.district. Through
out the afternoon it could be seen that
this was to be the end of the conven-
ton unless some radical change made
itself apparent, and, after the declara-
ton was made as above stated, by one
OF the first sub-dfstrictf operators,
President Reese, of the miners union
presented motion to adjourn and re-
port on March II to the joint miners
and operators convention in this city
the inability of the committee to come
to an agreement. H. l.. Waterman OF
Ottumwa, representing the operators,
moved as substitute that the ad-
journment be only until 8 o'clock this
morning, but upon learning that the
miners were as strongly in favor of
an increase in some of the parts of
the scale as the operators were oppos-
ed to it, he withdrew his substitute,
and the motion made by Mr.. Reese
carried.
Not Necessary Trouble.
The fact that the scale committee
failed to come to an agreement does
not necessarily imply that there will
be trouble such as strike or failure
by the operators and the miners to
make an agreement in the end. Both
miners and operators agree with the
statement made by President Reese
last night after the adjournment, to
the effect that when the matter is sub
mitted to the joint convention March
IL, it will probably be referred back
to the same scale committee or an.
other one, and will be settled by that
committee all in good time. When
the big conventions get together it is
not improbable that some of the mem.
bers on one side or the other will see
a way out of the dilemma and that the
committee will be instructed accord
ingly.
An Operator Talks.
Alex Dargavel, superintendent of the
Centerville Block Coal Co., in CONVEX.
Sation with the Courier representative
CT ICS NlolhSS last liloul, dllSI Tie SUI
den adjournment of the scale commit
tee meeting, stated that the operators
in the first sub-district would gladly
have given the miners an increase in
the prices as they asked, but that they
could not have afforded it because OF
the fact that the extent Of the market
into which the coal from the first sub
district is going is getting smaller al
o,,I ,,,i,, J.;
not paying as much now as they die
before. He said, however, that he
and the other operators from the first
sub-district were entirely willing to &c
ahead and see what could be done in
the way of adopting the scale, but that
in justice to themselves, they coulG
not pay higher prices than they were
paying at present.
What the operators need and must
have" said Mr.. Dargavel. lis the aid
Z of every operator in the state. We neeC
stronger organization and when We
get 1t we will be in better condition
to conduct a settlement with the min
ers on satisfactory grounds"
Reese's Views.
John P. Reese, after adjournment
last night, gave out the following
statement: Il am sorry that the com
mittee could not agree, but since i
could not do so think it was the bes
thing to adjourn and report disagree
ment without spending money ant
time uselessly. l am disappointed il
the new plan for holding the meetings
which was adopted last year and triet
as an experiment last year. l hope
of
and has the condition reported to il
by the scale committee, some plan viii