Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-16
NINE run PRICE
Commission Meets in Ottumwa to
Fix Miners Wages.
HAS TO DO WITH RUTLEDGE MINES
Joseph Sharp, Frank L. Rice, L. l..
Lodwick and John P. Reese Appoint
ed to Decide on Price to Be Paid
Miners by Phillips Fuel Co.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
A commission of four men, two rep
resenting the United Mine Workers of
America of District 10 and two repre-
senting the Iowa coal operators asso-
ciation is at work in Ottumwa arrang-
ing a price for mine run coal at the
Rutledge mines of the Phillips Fuel
Co. The commission is made up of
the following men, the first two being
the representatives of the miners and
the others the representatives of the
operators: Joseph Sharp of Brazil,
vice president of District ID; Frank l..
Rice, of Avery; l.. L. Lodwick, OF OF
tumwa, secretary of the Iowa Coal OPP
orators association; and John T.
Reese, commissioner for the operators.
At the annual joint convention of
miners and operators of Iowa, held at
Des Moines last month, no mine run
price was agreed upon for the second,
or Ottumwa district, but it was agreed
that where mines want to make mine
run coal price shall be arranged by
special commission appointed for
that purpose Accordingly. the two
organizations appointed this commits
/ sion to make scale for the Phillips
mines near Ottumwa The men were
in session last week but failed to ar
rive at conclusion, and yesterday the
out-of-town members of the organiza
ton came to the city again. This
morning the four went to Rutled5a
to the mines to ascertain the
facts regarding the miners condition.
Nearly all of tonight will be spent
by the members of the commission ar
ranging price that will be satisfac-
tory or if it is not satisfactory to all.
as near just as it is possible to have it.
1t has been agreed by the commission
ers that the average earnings OF the
miners for the past year will be used
/ to decide upon the amount to be paid
/ for the mining this year. and hence
! the books of the company will be gone
! over infinitely after the return of the
/ party from the mines. This will take
! several hours OF hard work bit it will
settle much mooted question.
Roseland Matter Settled.
Last evening John P. Reese. commits
sioner, visited the mines OF the Rose
land Coal Co., near this city, and con
ferred with the men regarding mat
ter that threatened to cause some little
trouble there. The company has de
cided to cut down it's force for this
work during the summer, and severa
men were laid off this week. The min
ers were not satisfied with the arrange
ment and asked that some of the mel
be returned to work on the grounds
that the right men had not been lai,
on. This was entirely settled in
satisfactory manner and the mines are
working today.
First District Price.
A commission will soon begin work
on the question of the scale price flo,
mine run coal along the track of the
Y. u. *. G. railroad in Iowa. This
is included in the first sub-district OF
District l3, U. M. w. A., and could not
be settled at the state convention in
March. The miners have appointed
on the commission F. T. Romesbere
OF Mystic, and William Heslop, of LIE
high. John P. Reese will be one OF
the operators representatives and the
other has not yet been chosen.
District Is Quiet.
: Vice President Joseph Sharp. of the
district miners organization, reports
that the miners all over the state are
| quiet and that work is progressing very
: encouragingly under the new scale
: The outlook for the Iowa miner is now
| the brightest during several goo6
years.
5 Are Moving State Office.
The state headquarters of the Unit
ed Mlne Workers is being moved from
Abba to Oskaloosa today. Edwin Per
ny and John White, respectively presi
dent and secretary of the district or
ganization, will remove with theil
families to the same city, where botf
OF them formerly resided.