Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-17
PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL MIN
Frs UNION TELLS FOL-
LOWERS OF HOPES
JOINT MEETING MONDAY
The Miners and the Operators Will
Hold Session Next Week in An Eff
fort to Arrive at An Agreement As
to A Wage Scale for the Coming
Year.

Indianapolis, March 15-The ma
tional convention of the United Mine
Workers of America opened at III a..
m, today with over 1000 delegates
present The convention was called
by President Mitchell to consider ac-
ton which may result in an agreement
with the coal operators that will pre-
vent a general strike on April 1 that
would bring 100000 men from the
mines. A conference with the operat-
ors will begin here next Monday.
Mitchell Hopes for Peace.
President Mitchell in his address to
the convention outlined at consider
able length the principal incidents and
causes that prompted him to call an
extraordinary meeting, which included
conferences with coal operators and
labor leaders, He said:
"As the result of these meetings we
came to believe that there had been
such changes in the coal trade or at
least in the attitude of many OF the
operators, as to justify the hope that
there was possibility of reaching an
agreement provided the joint conyen-
tons were reconvened.."
quotes PreStdents Ietter.
Mitchell quoted letter from Presi-
dent Roosevelt addressed to him
(MitchelD and to Francis L. Robbins,
president of the Pittsburg Coal COM
pany, as additional justification for
making another effort to reach an
agreement, and continued:
Reports Not Credited.
While of course many conflicting
and inharmonious statements en1anat-
ing from various sources purporting
to reflect the views of the operators
seem to indicate the entire absence of
unity and concord among them in re-
gard to the question of advancing
wages, am nevertheless hopeful that
If not already fully convinced of the
urgency t,t ,, aDd seriousness Of the situa a.
ereatssyli95Ie wa was s shoW the matter
of wages and Conditions as will enable
us to join them in the rehabilitation
of our Joint movement and the perpet-
uation of the practical relationship UNI
der which we have worked with mu-
tual advantage during the past eight
years.
FOlnIS TO Responsibility
"And to this end feel it incumbent
upon me to say that very large de-
gree of responsibility will rest upon
us if these proposed negotiations lead
to success"
In conclusion President Mitchell ex-
pressed the hope that acrimonious de-
bate during the deliberations of the
convention may be entirely eliminated
and that harmony and unity may pre-
vail.
Long Credentials Report.
When the credentials committee
had concluded it's report, the reading
of which occupied several hours, Pres
ident Mitchell formally called the cen
vention to order.
Following the appointment of the
committee on rules the convention
took recess.
Strikes in Two States?
A strike of miners in the anthracite
field and in Illinois, with promises of
peace in the remainder of the btu.
minous districts, is the outlook for
April /. This is the opinion prevail.
ing among many coal operators now.
The partial rift in the clouds came
unexpectedly with the gathering OF
the delegates from the various soft
coal districts. They brought the news
of reported changes in the local situa-
lions which are counted upon to lead
to an almost complete settlement be-
tween the miners and operators, exclu-
sive of the anthracite field
A strike in the hard coal field is re-
garded as practically certain. That a
walkout will take place in Illinois also
is viewed as extremely probable. The
absolute refusal Of the miners de-
mands by the anthracite operators is
felt by the leaders to be final In Illi-
nois the shotfirers' law is believed to
furnish an obstacle to peace which
cannot be removed.