Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-11-28
i COAL OPERATORS oRGANlZA-
TION


The meeting held in Chicago this
week by delegates from, the various
state coal operators associations in
the country with the exception of
those in Pennsylvania, West. Virginia
and Kentucky, was reported by cor
respondents generally as q move in
opposition to the union maintained by
the coal miners, with the object of
combating the union whenever oppor-
tunity should arise. This is not the
purpose held by great many of the
delegates to the Chicago meeting and
1t is reasonable to suppose that the
same is true of the majority Of the
operators.
There is no industry in America to-
day, employing so many men as does
the coal mining industry where the
employers and employees are on bet
ter footing or enjoy better relations.
This is the result, largely, of the or
ganization of the miners. Under the
leadership of men like John Mitchell
the union has obtained hearing with
the operators and it Is largely owing
to the example set by the miners
themselves that the operators have
become organized and are constantly
trying to increase the strength Of
their organization and its scope. AS
matters now stand, the miners have a
central or national organization, d.
vided into districts which are almost
but not quite in accordance with state
lines The operators have state or
CARNATIONS of kind, but no national
,f% To- ,S,,t
the meeting of Wednesday in Chicago
saw the beginning of one.
The miners, by their work through
their national union, have been able
to secure good wages, short hours
and good working conditions. The
union includes nearly all the coal
miners in the country. The operators.
with the state associations, do not al
ways work in harmony, and they have
realized this for several years. They
have now begun a movement which
will, they hope, result in a national or
ganization that will be as strong as
that of the liners. Their object is
not to tear down the miners union
but to strengthen ti-eir own.
The miners union has It's place in
the coal industry, a place from which
it can never be dislodged as long as it
stands for fairness. The operators
like to deal with their employees as a
union for several reasons. One Is
that the delegates sent to Joint con-
ferences to represent the miners are
generally the wisest, most conserva.
tive of the miners, and the men who
possess the best judgment. They are
- III bo% To- iyf,, nNnfrnI nf
the miners union, though their task
is hard one and slow of accomplish
ment, because Of the large foreign
born element in the ranks Of the or
ganization and the consequent thread
of socialism that runs through Its
makeup. However, each succeeding
year sees an improvement in the min.
ers' union and with that improvement
comes fairer view Of labor questions
in general. This is what the operat.
ors desire and they realize that it is
to their interest to keep the union
improving.
The miners union, as 1t grows
stronger, will see that the agreements
with the operators, when once made
at joint conferences, will be lived up
to by the employees. This has hither-
to been the greatest cause for com
plant on the part Of the operators.
The miners have singly repudiated
many of the agreements made by
their representatives with the repre-.
sentatives of the operators, and much
money has been lost by the operators
as the result. This should not be and
the conservative leaders of the min
orc 1-oa1ize tho fart
The operators want national or
ganization for two reasons. One, as
already stated, is that they may have
official knowledge Of what is going on
in every coal producing state. Another
is that they may possibly make ar
rangements whereby they can,in time
make a national wage agreement,
through a national association, with
the national miners union. The ex-
pense of annual or biennial joint con-
ferences in the several states is very
WABASH TIME TABLE.