Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-08
OPERATORS TO MEET
Coal Mine Owners Of Iowa Will
Consider Strike Question.
LOCAL MEN SAY THERE Is no DANGER
Have Faith in Their Men to Carry Out
the Terms of Their Agreement Made
in April-T. J. Phillips Confident
Iowa Will Have No Trouble.

Il do not think there will be a strike
of the miners in Iowa." said T. j. Phil
lips this morning, "but the operators
of the state do not all agree with me,
and there has been a call issued for a
meeting, which will be held at Des
Moines tomorrow, and at which the
question of sympathetic strike in
Iowa, along with other matters, will be
considered, and it may be that the OPP
orators will issue a statement to the
miners to the effect that if they go out
in sympathy with their Pennsylvania
brothers the operators of this state
will not meet with them next spring
to make an agreement for 1909. How
ever, am confident that there will be
no strike here. The Iowa miners have
gained too much to throw it over out
of sympathy"
Another member of the state opera
tors organization, when questioned
about the likelihood of strike among
the Iowa miners, said: THE majority
of the operators of Iowa have so much
faith in their men and in the United
Mine Workers that they do not believe
there will be a strike in this state. AL
though | hear that at Hiteman the mi
ners' union has Instructed its dele
gates to the national convention in
favor of a strike l and several more
operators are Of the opinion that the
majority will rule against going out.
1.-THE miners of Iowa have improved
their condition very greatly during the
past few years and if they should
strike they would lose many, if not all,
of the advantages they have gained
during that time. This they cannot af-
ford to do and the great majority of
them realize this. However, there is
chance that when the 1000 or more
delegates get to Indianapolis On July
II, in attendance at the special nation
al convention, some fiery unionist from
the east may convince them that they
can help the Pennsylvania men only
by striking. In that event those ia
voring a strike will outweigh those
against it and Iowa may be forced in
to strike against the will of such
men as Perry, Reese, and others who
do not advise a strike. These men
have been at the helm of the miners
union since its organization in Iowa.
They have fought the battles and gain
ed the points while the others were
reaping the benefits. They know
what hard work it is for them to make
these gains when each one means TAX
ing the money out of the pockets of
the operators and they do not favor a
strike on the part of the Iowa miners. .
Among themselves at informal meet
ings during the past few weeks the OPP
orators have discussed the possibility
of the big anthracite strike in the east
having it's effect upon the soft coal
miners of this section of the country,
but the belief has been general that
the western operators would expert
ence no difficulty as a result of the
strike that has thrown out practically
all the hard coal miners of the Penn
sylvania anthracite regions. 1t is GER
tain, however, that this matter will
come up at the Iowa operators meet
ing next Tuesday. BY contracting
with the Iowa mine workers as an as
sociation the operators have been able
in the last few years to insure to them
selves practical freedom from strikes
and other labor troubles, but the re-
peated rumors this spring that the
western miners would go out in SYM
patty for the anthracite diggers has
CduSGu Sldhy lSSlliiS ONOh III IVA
where the operators and the unions
are closer together and have better
contracts than in almost any other coal
mining state in the country.
Price Of Anthracite.
Speculation is rife among coal deal
ers in the state as to the probable eff,
| feet of the anthracite strike upon
prices Of hard coal in Iowa during the
coming fall and winter Already the
price has gone up considerably and
unless there is a settlement before
cold weather sets in hard coal prices
are expected to go clear out Of sight
Soft coal will probably take little
| rise Also as result of the scarcity OF
the eastern product.
| Operators in Iowa are expecting the
strike in the east to go on indefinite
ly," said dealer this mroning. Those
who are on the inside realize that the
fight that is being made this year
against the mine workers is fight for
the humiliation of the union. 1t is for
blood The mine owners knew that il
was coming long before the storm
broke, and they were ready. They car