Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-31


Des Moines, March -(Special.)-
With no more prospects of an early set.
tlement of the mining conditions than
on Tuesday, the miners and operators
OF the state are still in Des Moines,
hoping against hope that a settlement
can be amicably reached. Some of the
cooler heads among the miners are
trying to create a sentiment In favor
OF accepting the proposition made by
the operators last week and arbitrate
the difficulty which stands as. q bar
rier between the joint conferEY = Z
a settlement Of q, wage scale ~
coming two yeats Ir Is useles. sd0r
the members of the scale committee
to meet and thresh over and over again
the issues, which are so clearly drawn
that every one in attendane at the con-
ference knows them by heart.
Reese Talks Of Condition.
John P. Reese commissioner for the
operators, had little to say last night
upon the outlook Mr.. Reese insisted
that the operators had already made
as favorable terms as ought to be ex-
pected, and that the whole difficulty
arose from efforts on the part Of the
miners to avoid or nullify the terms
OF the Indianapolis agreement which.
Mr.. Reese said, the operators were en-
tirely willing to carry out.
The indianapolis Agreement.
The indianapolis agreement, out Of
the Interpretation of which most Of
the trouble has come, provides the OPP
orators claim, for certain reductions
in the wage scale, which were agreed
to by the Iowa miners at the time
the agreement was recommended by
President Mitchell. The reductions
which the operators claim should be
made from the present scale are
cents per ton on lump and 3 cents on
mine run. A reduction Of 555 per
cent is also provided for by the terms
of the agreement on all day wages, ,en.
try and deficient work, and room turn.
ing.
Miners See Differently.
The miners. SO far as the reductions
claimed are concerned, do not deny
the terms ON the agreement, but claim
that there are certain Inequalities
the reductions shall be made. The in
equalities claimed by the miners are
in the wages paid to drivers, cagers
and trip riders in the first and fourth
districts of the state, where they say
the wages have been too low. They
claim that the scale must be SO adj
justed as to allow these men, after
the 5.55 per cent reduction has been
made, daily wage of $2.42. The op-
orators say that the wages have been
high enough and that the reduction
should be made upon the basis of the
present scale, which would cut the
wages of this class of workers to $2.30
per day. This is one of the main
points of difference.
Other inequalities which the miners
insist must be adjusted before any re-
duction is made in the wages paid
what Is known as top labor, or outside
work, all over the state They also
demand a change in the working time
OF engineers and reduction in the
price of powder.
Want Powder Reduced.
The reduction demanded by the min
ers in the price Of powder is 25 cents
per keg. AS one keg of powder is
usually sufficient to blast sixteen tons
of coal. the reduction demanded is
equivalent, the operators say to an ad.
vance in the mining price of y cents
per ton. This. the operators say, can
not be thought of and the more so be.
cause the price of powder to the op.
orators has been advanced about 10
cents per keg.
Can Give Prizes:
! Washington, d. c., March 30.-The
house committee on ways and means