Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-12

Va Iowa.
Entered as second class matter October
rs,dsoS; at the postofice, Ottumwn. Iowa.
1879. Act OF congress OF March o.
THE COAL INDUSTRY.
Inc Joint conference of the Iowa
coal operators and miners met in Des
MONIES this afternoon after an over
Sunday adjournment and the discus
Sion OF the possibilities of making n
scale OF wages for the coming two
years was renewed. The work on
which these men are engaged is i'm.
pnrtant and they cannot give it too
much attention and sober considera-
ton. 1t should not mean to them a
stubborn sholding out. one side against
the other, for a surrender by one or
the other. 1t should mean a genuine
\ effort on both sides to arrive at a
y satisfactory and uniformly just set.
z tlement, a way out of the difficulty
that presents itself in the form of a
stoppage OF operations In every coal
mine in Iowa.
There are several facts which must
be taken into consideration in the
present case by the Iowa coal operat.
ors and the miners. In the first
place, both sides should do everything
they can to preserve the system Of
joint meetings and agreements in a
body. This is a condition which few
industries have reached and in order
to keep it in existence both operators
and miners a well afford to sacri-
nee some minor points. This is the
great reasc- why both sides, for both
are benefited by the system, should
make every possible %effort7to continue
the system.
As for the operators, they can i'll
afford to see the miners union broken
asst necessarily would be if no agree,
ment should be signed in Iowa. If
the owners Of the coal mines of Iowa
were dealing with employees individu-
ally there woIld be different rates of
pay for nearly every different mine,
according to the kind of coal, the sys-
TEN OF mining, the condition of the
mine, the character of the roof and
bottom, and the other details that en-.
ter into the mining of coal. With
such a state of affairs there would be
\ a constant changing Of miners from
u one locality to another, a shortage
& AtCEO Ghu GIL ONOlpluo CAOlO.
Awould be a consequent raising and
~9l6Wering aof wages and the accompa.
Atnying lack of certainty on the part of
fYoperators e. to the value Of any sell
ling contracts they might make. There
would be strikes and grievances ga.
lore, with no regular method Of set.
Il tlement. There would be disorganiza.
tiol among the miners and among the
Notice employees. There would be no
Nbasis on which the owners and man.
Nagers of coal mines could make sell.
Ting contracts with any certainty of
realizing a profit. The operators,
Therefore, cannot well afford to see
Kthe system of joint agreements cease.
TN ON the other hand, the miners OF
NIowa, who are of a higher class OF
intelligence than their brother work.
ers3 in any other state, can i'll afford
to see the system go to pieces. Their
union is built up by the cooperation
Al Of 1.-THE operators. The check-off sys
tenn makes it possible for the miners
III to be always in good standing in the
NJ union, for the operators, by that sys
TEN, hold out of each miners pay the
amount due the union, paying the
whole sum to the unions officials
This is the backbone of the union
This system furnishes it with it's cap
ital and its power to remain in ex
istence. While 1t could be conducted
without the check off system, it could
v be as strong at it ls and could
never hope to keep within it's ranks
ali the miners in a community.
The results of a strike or a disagree
ment and it's attendant withdrawal Of
emergency men from all the mines
would be very disastrous to the own
ers of the works. At present, and un
til a scale is signed Or it is found i'm
possible to make one, the miners
union is furnishing men sufficient tt
keep all the mines in repair, so thai
the operators need lose nothing BY
water, cave-ins and the other, disad
vantages of idleness. If a disagree
ment is reached by the joint confer
ence all these men will be withdrawn
and Of our the miners will do al
in their power to prevent new meI
from going to work in the mines. Az
a result, every day Of idleness will
mean thousands of collars loss to the
owners Of Iowa coal mines.
In addition to the loss a disagree
ment will mean to the operators anC
miners themselves, there is to be con
sldered the duty these men owe tt
society. If the coal mines close, ever
the Iowa coal mines alone, there will
be only a little time until there will
be a shortage of coal in every line o
industry. Railroads, ! manufacture:
and power plants will be idle or run
ming on a reduced basis. The result
ant idleness of thousands of men EN-
pIoyed by these concerns will bring
want and poverty to families that art
now happy and prosperous. At pres
ent there is work for everyone and la
Dor is we'll paid. But remove the sup
ply Of coal and idleness with all it.
miseries will be upon us. This mus
be considered by the coal operator.
and miners of Iowa and. e if the!
are willing to accept the burdens
stoppage will place upon themselves
kL1., xo,,c& Ha c1Ouy hot fCroino bord