Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-28
j. 3. Sax in behalf of the hospital as.
soclaIion was as follows:
OttumWa HosnitaI Assnciatinn

or oltumWds ld., July Ii, 1905.
Hon. John P. Reese,
Dear Sir-I am very glad to submit
70 you the question involved and de-
sire in the briefest possible manner to
Drlng before you the facts as we feel
they actually exist.
In the latter part of 1903 the chart
table citizens of Ottumwa decided to
erect new hospital building. All the
people were invited TO contribute to
this cause and it was subject of gen.
eral qualification to all to observe with
what willingness and liberality the la
boring men of Ottumwa entered into
the cause.
Shortly before the subscriptions
were solicited a committee headed by
Mr.. Ktto brought resolution to the
notice of the executive committee
which would pledge the hospital asso-
citation to employ only union men, I'M
ion material and union contractors in
it's construction.
The ways and means committee
| pointed out that this would embarrass
the association and the point was made
and fully accepted that no subscrip-
| ton could be accepted or considered
which had any strings tied to it in any
| form.
Cali were pleased at the fairness of
the Trades and Labor assembly in
yielding their point for this charity.
Later on resolution was adopted by
the association as recognition Of the
favors which the laboring men ex-
tended, to the effect that preference
should be given at the same price to
| a M l,o rs Joxy
union labor and material. Unfortunate
ly the bids Of the non-union contractors
were some $1,000 lower and the build
ing committee felt that 1t had no right
to award the contract to any but the
lowest responsible bidder.
Since that time there has been but
very little paid by the mem
bers of the Trades and La
Dor assembly, and to my knowledge no
member Of the ways and means COM
mittee has made the slightest charge,
either publicly or privately, charging
Reputation or bad faith.
"The foregoing is by way of explain
alton.
"The matter you are asked to arbi-
trate is whether the money held by
Henry Phillips should be paid back to
the men who paid it, or whether it
should be turned over to the hospital
building fund. Inasmuch as the hos
pital association is not conducted for
gain or profit. therefore they would
not care to press this matter too tena-
ciously if any bad feeling resulted
| from it. 1t seems, however, that when
they instructed Mr.. Phillips to deduct
| from rfoir
to be turned over to the hospital build
ing fund without any condition, and we
understand that said order to withhold
a certain amount to be turned over to
the association had no condition what
ever connected with it, there is no
good reason why it should not go to
the charity for which these men so
generously subscribed.
| THE building committee relied upon
the representations of the Trades and
Labor assembly through it's officers
that certain sum had been subscribed
and these sums were taken into con-
sideration largely when it was decided
to go ahead and erect the building.
after all available subscriptions
have been collected there will be a
deficit of several thousand dollars, and
| it seems as though the amount in con-
troversy, meaning but little to each
man, not over a dollar or two, would
be great help to the association.
eve desire to state furthermore that
the chairman of the ways and means
committee offered to call meeting of
it's members for the purpose of acting
upon the request of Mr. kitto and 9TH
ers 70 have Mr.. Phillips turn back this
money to the payers, but no such meet
ing was ever asked or demanded
1--WE do not desire to take up too
much space or time as this at best is a
charity, and believe the foregoing will
briefly explain the situation and we
respectfully leave the matter to your
decision.
eve only desire to add that the new
hospital is now in operation and ready
to care for any man, no matter how
humble, and give him the best nursing
and attention even though he be I'M
able to pay one cent for such care.
Respectfully,
81. B. Sax,
Chairman Ways and Means Commit
Letter of Mr.. kitto.
The letter published in the Courier
in November. 1904. and submitted to
Mr. Reese by j. w. Kitto, in behalf of
the miners was as follows:
ITO the public-Being informed that
the union men of ottumwa are charged
with repudiating their contract when
they discontinued their payments to
the hospital fund. we deem it neces-
sary to make the following statement
to the public:
when organized labor of Ottumwa
was invited by the promoters of this
enterprise to assist in raising the nee
essary funds we inferred they recog-
nized that labor organizations are a
distinct body and their fundamental
principle entitled to due respect.
"The invitation was gladly accepted
and the hope that springs eternal in
the human heart led them to believe
that it was the intention of the hos
pital association to employ only union
men in their building. A resolution
, IA