Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-19
Long Discussion Over Inside Day
Wage Scale.
NO OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Communications From Northern Iii
nois Fields Explanatory OF Scale in
Those Resons-Price for smithins
Was Considered at Monday Session.

Des Moines, March 17-(SpeciaD -
After a half days debate on the part
of the miners and operators who COM
pose the joint scale committee, All adj
journment was taken last evening
with nothing done further than fixing
the wage for double shifting in entry
work in the first district at twenty-five
cents per yard extra over the scale
price. The day wage scale was dis
c,Issed for over an hour, as was also
the question of the charge TO be made
for blacksmithing at the mines OF the
first sub-district, but the committee
could arrive at no satisfactory con-
clusion. The operators held a secret
caucus last evening at the Kirkwooi
hotel
Double Shifting Price.
The question of double shifting en-
try work was discussed at length last
week and finally laid over for settle
ment this week. Yesterday it was ia
ken up for the second time. The mi
ners maintained that they should re-
ceive thirty-five or fifty cents for this
work, stating that the night work in
mine is doubly as hard as day work.
Various arguments We're brought
up by the miners. but were
met by the operators with
the statement that throughout the
history of the change in the scale, al
though the price of mining has been
changed repeatedly. this item has al
ways remained the same and there
was no reason for changing it this
year that they could see or would rec
ognize. Finally yesterday. vote was
taken upon the question, and the mi-
ners gave up their stand and accepted
the twenty-five cents extra.
Inside Day Wage Scale.
The inside day wage scale is caus-
ing much discussion among the mem
bers of the scale committee and yes
terday afternoon, though it was argued
for long time, no settlement was
reached The miners have borne out
their statement to the effect that they
are asking for the same prices that
were made a short time ago for The
men in the long wall mines of north
ern Illinois. and in fact all over Hi
nois, and the operators admit that this
Is the case though they did not be-
lieve it until they received letter
from the authorities of the operators
association in Illinois The matter is
explained by them, however, in new
way 1t seems that last year, drivers
were hard to get in these mines, as
We're also some other classes OF labor,
such as trip riders, cagers. etc. Some
employers paid premiums for the men,
going at times as high as $40 per day
although the scale was but $40.
When the matter came up in the scale
committee that body raised these
classes of labor to the level of timber
men, making all 1928. The increase
of 1915 per cent was then added to
this maximum and the new price, $2.56
was reached thus.
Figured from the former price for
some OF these classes of labor in north
crn Illinois. $40, the increase is one
OF about % per cent. and this is the
reason for the miners first demand
for that increase in the day wage
scale for inside labor in sub-district
No L. Yesterday these matters were
talked over very fully but neither side
could be brought any closer to an
agreement than last week, the miners
standing out now for s2.44 fiat adj
vance of % per cent on the former
piiSt. TS pei udy, III uilNsIS, anu lHe
operators offering SIPS, the 1915 pei
cent increase. This price includes driv,
ers, cagers and general inside day la
bor
Discuss smithing Price.
Some time was also devoted yester.
day to the discussion Of the price to
be paid for smithing by the miners OF
the first suj-district. The operators
still maintain that. they are entitled to
rs per cent Of the gross earnings OF
the miners, in line with the increase
the latter class receiving, but the min
ers say that they give this increase
when they pay one. per cent of their
gross earnings, which includes theil
increased wages. or will include the
increase after the scale shall have
gone into effect this spring.