Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-06-02
JOHN r. WHITE. JUST RETURNED
FROM DENVER, TALKS OF
SITUATION.
MINERS MAY JOIN
AMERICAN A FEDERATION
If This is Done the Outlook for
Peaceful Settlement of the Difficulty
Is Good, Say Those Who Are Ac.
quainted With Conditions.

The strike of miners in Colorado.
which is convulsing an entire state
has caused political ouarrels galore
and is attracting the attention of peo.
pie III every part of the United States.
stands a better chance now Of being
settied amicably and quickly than ev--
er before during it's existence. Such
IS the deduction that may be drawn
lrom the statement of John P. White
VI oskaloosa. who has just returned
from Denver, where he attended the
annual convention of the Western
federation OF Miners, to which the
strikers belong.
Mr. White is president of the Iowa
branch OF the United Mine Workers
Oh America and represented the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor at Denver.
Ills principal object in attending the
convention was to make an effort to
induce the western miners to affiliate
with the American Federation of La
Dor with which the United Mine
Workers are affiliated.
Mr.. White is very hopeful as the re-
suit OF his Investigations in Colorado
and stated in this city yesterday that
he regards chances for affiliation with
the American Federation as very hope
ful-more SO than ever before
Ii this condition prevails there is
every chance for a settlement of the
great strike, for According to socialists
the light in Colorado iS>more Ia fight
I OF the operators against the Z s5ci!)lle2
! than against their miners. This sta to-
ment was recently made by the Appeal
TO Reason. a socialistic organ publish
ed at Girard., Kans. s .,
wen known socialists have also said
that il the Western Federation of Min
ers were to repudiate the Western
Federation of Labor, which is said to
be in the hands of the socialists. and
would join the American Federation
OF Labor, the strike could be brought
to an end in few weeks. A we'll
known and we'll informed labor union-
list OF this city stated today that the
settlement could, he believed. be-
brought about within three weeks aft
er affiliation with the eastern organi-
zation, which is decidedly against So
| cialism.
II believe the western miners are
coming around to see this matter in
the same light in which 1t appears to
us" said Mr. White There are. to
my mind, more promises that the
western organization will come into the
American Federation soon than there
has ever been before. feel sure that
| it will mean much to the western men
and there can be no doubt that 1t will
strengthen the larger organization in
that 1t will make it larger. For sever
al years there has been persistent
effort to secure affiliation by the West
ern Federation of Miners with the
American Federation Of Labor Al
ways these attempts have been unsuc-
cessful, various reasons being respon-
sible for this. Now, however, condi-
tions have worked around to such o
point that the missionary workers
from the east have begun to see re-
suits and to hope for the success of
their efforts Of years.
Local Trouble Settled.
| Edwin Perry of Oskaloosa, secretary
of the Iowa mine workers union was
in Ottumwa yesterday in connection
with slight disagreement which
arose at the coal mine of the Ottum-
iva Brick & Construction Co. west of
the city. A new set of track scales
| did not, according to the miners en-
ployed at the mine, work satisfactorily
and demand for an inspection was
| made. The company granted the de.
mand and Mr. Perry stated before
leaving the city last evening that the
matter had been settled amicably and
| that there is to be no stoppage of work
on account of it.
|