Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-05
MAY RAISE iIlIEg:
SALARl : :
Miners Consider Propos1u1on
to Increase District Off
GERS Pay.
is WARMLY DISCUSSED
Committee on Resolutions Makes Par.
tiaI Report to Convention in Which
Question of Establishment of Co.
operative Store is Touched.

&uSStioH OF EStapIiStiIHent OF Co.
operative Store is Touched.
Des Moines, March 5.-(SpeciaD
The question of raising the salaries
of the district officers claimed the at
tention of the delegates during this
morning session of the miners con-
yention and will come up for consider
alton at the afternoon meeting A
large number of resolutions on this
proposition were submitted to the
committee on resolutions from the
various local unions of the state The
question OF the establishment of de-
fense fund also received some atten-
this morning and will be taken up
again by the delegates,
Officers Salaries.
From the many resolutions present
ed to the resolution committee with
regard to the question of raising the
salaries of the district officers, the
committee condensed proposition,
which was submitted to the conven-
ton this morning. This proposition
included the following schedule of sal
aries for the officers:
President, $100 per month
Vice president, SIS per month.
Secretary and treasurer, $100 per
month.
Members of the board and auditors,
$3.50 per day each when working.
Stenographer in district office, $50
per month.
This schedule is offered by the COM
mittee in place of the present sala-
ries, which give to the president and
secretary of the district $75 per
month, to each of the other district
officers SO per day when working and
to the stenographer in the district of
flee $40.
Warmly Discussed.
The proposition submitted for in
creasing the salaries of the district
officers was subjected to severe dis
cussion on the part of the delegates.
During the discussion an attempt was
made. to set aside the section of the
constitution regarding the salaries of
the officers. On roll call the vote stood
2o31a to 26H in favor of the suspen-
sion of the section.
The question of increasing the sal
aries is being taken up with regard to
the salary of each officer separately.
Many of the delegates have expressed
themselves as favoring the increase,
though some of them have been in
structed against the proposition by
their local organizations.
Will Demand Correction.
1t has come to the notice of the del.
egates of the convention that the Des
Moines papers have announced that
President John Mitchell of the nation.
al organization is coming to Des
Moines Friday. No word has been re-
ceived by the members of the conven-
tion with regard to this visit of the
national president and a committee
was appointed this morning and in
structed to see to it that the state.
ment was retracted.
Defense Fund.
One of the most important questions
that took the attention of the conven-
tlon this morning was that of the es.
adjustment of defense fund. 1t is
the purpose to have this fund for use
of the miners in case of strikes, lock-
outs or accidents. A large number of
resolutions regarding this matter was
referred to the resolution committee
that it might consider the question
and report to the convention further
concerning the matter.
Perry's recommendations.
In regard to the matter of defense
fund the committee on resolutions this
morning made a report favorng the
recommendations made by President
Perry in his annual report President
Perry in this document proposed that
each member of the United Mine
Workers OF America should contribute
one-half of ] per cent of his net earn
ings, to be paid to the state secretary
for, this fund. This question was fina-
lily tabled pending the report OF
the committee.
Boone Brickmakers.
Representatives from the Boone
Brick and Tile makers union were
introduced to the convention this
morning and addressed the delegates
asking that the miners refuse coal to
non-union tile and brick yards. This
attempt, however, proved to be unsuc
cessful and the question was referred
to the executive board of the miners
for consideration.
Report of Resolution Committee.
The committee on resolutions made
partial report this morning in which
it took position against the com
pany store and favored the establish
ment of cooperative store by thu
miners. This report was the cause o
heated and thorough discussion 0
the question. 1t seemed to be the gen
eral sense of the delegates that th,
company store was a bad institution
but few of them were in favor of th
establishment of a cooperative stor,
on the responsibility of the miners
union
Some of the delegates to the con
vention seemed to favor the establish