Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-06
Contradicts Evidence of Witnesses
Flatly.
SAYS THEY DID NOT TELL TRUTH
Alleges That His Men Were Carefully
Housed and Were Not Abus ed-De.
clares His Company Was Always
Ready to Arbitrate Differences.


dependent coal operators, has answer
ed the demands of the miners. His
answer. which was submitted to the
strike commission, which reassembled
in this city today, declares the miners
We're always well treated, fairly paid,
carefully housed and cared for, pro-
vided with physicians and nurses, and
had no complaints to make against
the company until the extension of the
union into the collieries. He declares
the company has always been ready to
arbitrate with it's employees over any
grievance, and charges that his men
broke their contracts without giving
an opportunity for arbitration.
In reply to the evidence of witnesses
before the commission, Mr.. Markle
contradicts their statements fatty.
He says he evicted twelve families
men persisted in keeping miners away
from his Office after the strike ended,
when he wanted to make sure that
! his men would abide by the decision of
the strike commission.
Tells of Benefits for Miners. Il
Mr. Markle recites conditions and
the situations of his mines, states he
= employs 2,400 men, and then says:
Since 1880 there have always been
resident physician and assistant ply
sicians upon the property, until recent
ly with the exception of short inter-
val. The firm selected the head ply
sician, who chose his assistants, and
We collected rs cents month for the
married men and SO cents a month for
the single men over 81 and the amount
collected was paid over to the physi-
clan without charge or deduction
therefor This arrangement was not
compulsory upon the men or families"
Mr. Markle tells how his wife
brought trained nurses and introduced
the system of district nursing. He says
the men were not required to trade
at company stores.
BIames Mitchell for Strike.
Continuing, the answer says slid
ing scale of labor had been agreed up
on in 1875. In September, 1897, a
committee of miners presented de-
mands to the firm. An agreement was
then in existence between the company
and men to settle differences by arbi-
tration. The company replied to the
demand and received no further COM
munication from the miners. Work
at the mines continued uninterrupted
until the latter part of 1900, when
John Mitchell made his headquarters
I at Hazelton and endeavored to orga-
nize the Markle employees.
In September 1900, another list of
grievances was furnished the fEm, the
company's answer being that the Off
cials would be willing to arbitrate.
The next communication from the
men demanded arbitration, but the en-
ployes broke their agreement with the
company by striking before their
I grievances had been submitted to ar
bitration.
Finally, on October 27, 1900, at com
mittee of the men appealed to the firm
for an adjustment of the differences.
This was accomplished and on Octo-
ber 29,Swork was resumed at the
mines
Between 1900 and 1902" the an
swer says, many requests were made
for the correction of alleged grieve-
ances, which were all acted upon; but
never did the men make any COM
plant in reference to the method of
collecting the dues for the doctors or
prizes; nor was attention called to any
defect in respect to ventilation, Or un-
fair treatment at the store; nor as to
the size of the cars; nor as to the
slope cleaning, or the docking, until
April, 1902, and the men were easily
satisfied.
In the course Of the hearings at
Scranton, complaint was made of the
size of the cars, but in reality the size
has not been changed. 1t is also al
legged that the docking was excessive,
!, but the accountant will testify that it
was less than 2 per cent. Objection
was also made that the full 10 per
cent advance was not given. The ad-
+ vance was correctly calculated
Tells of Evictions.
The answer says that after the ap--
pointment of the strike commission
the company asked all their old men
to bring in their brass checks and a
rumor was started that the men were
to be made to sign an iron clad agree
ment. Mr. Markle admits he was un-
willing to take back the men without
an agreement that they would abide
by the finding of the commission. He