Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-26
Dubuque Citizens Grateful to
Governor For His Interest
In Recent Strike
LOCAL POLITICS MUCH TO BLAME
False Pride on the Part of contendine
Factions Attributed by Cummins as
Chief Obstacle to SettIement-Good
Time to Condemn Fishway Right
Over Bonaparte Dam.
pecial to Times-Republican.

4
Des Moines, June 26.-The settle
ment of the Dubuque strike is regarded
as quite a feather in the cap of Gov
error Cummins. He did not take a
hand with any view of advancing him
self. politically or otherwise, but he
had the courage to go into the matter
ana bring about an dagreement. State
Labor Commissioner Brigham and
President a. l.. Urick, of the federation
of labor, were called to Dubuque to do
what they could. They soon found
that If the governor would come the
opposing parties could be got together
for conference The governor went
and he held conferences for two days.
finally securing from the strikers an
agreement which the street car own
Then the street car people went back
on it, They had learned that the gov
ernor had intended going east next
day. and they insisted on putting it off
until the governor had departed, so as
10 rob him, IL possible, of any glory
over the settlement But the governor
mad put the magnates on the defens-
i've and the next day the citizens made
1t so warm for the recalcitrant ones
that they had to give in. The governor
had told the citizens that If there was
any trouble the responsibility would
rest entirely on the street car owners
He would withdraw the troops at once.
1t appears from information which has
come here that the police officers were
sympathizing with the strikers and the
sherfff's force with the car company
and neither would do anything that
there was good deal of local politics
mixed up In the affair, that the gov
ernof reached the conclusion that there
was no reason for the calling out of
troops, but that he told the Dubuque
people plainly that they ought to nave
been able to care for the whole situa-
ton. But he found that the chief OBJ
stacle to "A settlement was a little mat
ter of pride on the part of the contend
ing factions-neither wishing to appear
TO back down. When the settlement
was affected the Dubuque labor leaders
passed a hearty vote of thanks to the
governor for having come to Dubuque
and interested himself in the trouble.
The laboring men, at least, felt that
Governor Cummins had done well, in
fact, the strike would not have been
settled but for him. The governor has
received letters from number of the
leading men of Dubuque thanking him
heartily for his work there.
state officers that this would be an ex-
cellent time for the state to condemn
fish way right over the Bonaparte
dam in the Des Moines river. The dam
is in state of bad repair. The re-
cent flood washed away a large sec
ton of the dam and the water is pour
ing thru the gap in disorder The
dam is $50 feet long and nearly 500
feet of the surface was damaged. There
are, in fact, three parallel dams, but
they We're not strong enough to resist
the largest volume of water in a half
a century. The statement is made that
Meek Bros are going to work at once
to rebuild the dam and that they will
make the surface solid concrete. which
is the modern method of building a
dam. The state has never paid the
100000 awarded under previous con-
demnation for the privilege of putting
a fish-way over the dam, which would
lot in fact have harmed
the dam in the slightest,
The attorney general appealed the case
and it has never yet been tried. Ef-
forts have been made to secure a new
condemnation. and this may be done. |
1t is improbable that another jury, even
of Van Buren county fishermen. would
ask the state to pay $4,000 for fish
way over a ruined dam.
A. +. Holder. deputy state labor COM |
missioner has an able article in the |
last number of the American Mechanics
Monthly, published in Washington on
How Shall we Save our Children?' |
Mr.. Holder presents some original ideas |
and the article has already been widely |
quoted and made the subject of much |
comment. Mr.. Holder declares for COM
pulsory education and for child labor
law not based on the age limit but on |
qualification. He would /
forbid employment regularly in any |
factory of any child who has not ascer-
tanned educational qualification. He |
would place confidence In the teachers
and have them issue certificates show /
ing that the child had passed certain I
grade say the eighth. before they could |
be employed regularly.