Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-17
WOULD Me- LESS PAY
Two Years Agreement, However, Has
Another Twelve Monthsto Run, Haw
Ing Been Made Last sixteenth
Annual Convention Of Miners opens
at indianapolis. .1

indianapolis, Ind, Jan. 16.-The six.
teenth annual national convention OF
the United Mine Workers of America
was opened here today by President
John Mitchell. Nearly 600 delegates
are present, the largest delegations be-
ing from the central districts
Shortage Of Work.
Reports for the districts show q
shortage in work compared with prev.
ious years. 1t is said the present con.
ditions would tend toward further re-
ductlon in wages were there scale to
be fixed this year. The scale agreed
upon last spring, however, was for
two years. The convention this year
will probably be shorter than those OF
former years on this account.
Officers VIII be Reelected.
There is little doubt that John
Mitchell will be elected president Of
| the union to succeed himself for the
coming year and the same Is true OF
Secretary-T Wilson. AS Is
the case at each annual meeting Of
the union. considerable attention is
paid to the probable results Of the
elections in the various districts as 1t
affects the national organization. From
Iowa comes the news that Frank l..
Rice, formerly of Avery but recently
employed as national organizer in
Tennessee and now in West Virginia.
/, is candidate for the position Of ma
tional board member from the Iowa
district to succeed John F. Ream OF
4 Beacon. Mr.. Rice is well known in
Iowa and will no. doubt make good
|run. Mr.. Ream. who ID now a board
member, has held the Office for several
years and has given good satisfaction.
He is known as one of the strong men
in the miners union in the country and
lis pioneer of the movement In Iowa.
Tennessee Cases Decided.
4 Mr.. Rice has done good work for the
organization in Tennessee where d
strike has been in progress for some
months. He, with other organizers.
was found guilty of contempt Of court
for violating an injunction which
aimed at. restraining the union or
i ganizers from. tresspassing on
ground owned by the operators. He
was sentenced to term in Jail and
fined but appealed the case. Within
the past few weeks the supreme court
has affirmed the Judgment Of the lower
courts and the cases are now hanging
fire pending settlement which will
enable the men to pay their fines with
out serving the Jail sentences.
4 Commissioners to Organize. i.
The commissioners representing op.
, orators Of the different districts
, throughout the country will hold "a
meeting here during the coming week
to organize with view to bringing
about a better understanding and a
closer relation than even now exists
between the operators and the miners
all over the country. The commits.
sioners are employed by the operators
to look after their interests in the
several districts and to represent them
In adjusting grievances of local ma
: ture. The plan Of employing commits
:, sioners in comparatively new and ID
an outgrowth of the joint agreem ent
plan which has been in vogue In the
, coal industry for some years. John
: P. Reese, of Abba, the commissioner
: for district No. 13, was formerly presi.
dent Of the miners union of that dis.
trict and has done much there to pro-
and operators since he has been com.
!
the leaders in the scheme for forming
an organization of the comm issioners
! War to Knife In Germany.
!, Essen, Germany, Jan. 16.-The asso
, citation of mine owners, notwithstand
. ing the efforts of an important minor
ity, rejected the demands of the strik
!. ers this afternoon.
At meeting the miners delegates
here this afternoon declared general
strike throughout all the mines.
1t was thought this morning that the
coal strike would probably be settled
by the mine owners yielding small
part Of the workmen's demands now
thus allowing them to win moral vic
tory with the understanding that other
; portions of their demands would be
agreed to later If possible. The vote
of the operators, however, banished
u L, fxS.. -, .<SAl -. d