Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-05
GOAL SITUATION is in THE
BALANCE; OUTLOOK
HOPEFUL
EMERGENCY MEN WORK
rhe Miners Agree to Furnish Labor to
Keep Mines In Repair Until the Is
sue Of the Present Negotiations Are
Known-Indicatlons Encouraging.

Irwin, Pa, April 4.-Last night
was one Of disorder and terror at
the Edna mine of the Pennsyl-
vania Gas & Coal Co., where sew
eral hundred men are on strike
for recognition Of the union.
From dark until daylight the strik-
ers kept up a continuous fusillade
Of firing, but no one was injured.
1t is considered unsafe to intro
duce strike breakers and serious
Z trouble is feared If an attempt is
!. made to do so.
Springfield, ILL.,, April 4.-The
state board of arbitration today
offered their services to the coal
operators and miners Of Illinois,
+ in an endeavor to settle the differ
ences between the two bodies.
President Perry Of the United
Mine Workers of Illinois stated
that the miners are willing to ac-
cept the offer Of the state. board.
Columbus, o., April 4.-John H.
Winder, president Of the Ohio Coal
y Operators association, gave out a
part of a letter he received from
President Roosevelt today. The
President writes: aTo appoint a
commission to meet with the min
ers and operators as you request
would uecessftate action on the,
part Of congress. AS yet / am not
prepared to say what action per-
sonally will, or can, take in the
+ matter"
Wilkesbarre, Pa. April A..
There was considerable disorder
at the Fernwood mine of tho Erie
Coal Co. at Yatesville today. A
number Of Italian miners tried to
prevent the pumpmen from going
Z to work, but a detail Of state con-
stabulary dispersed the crowd.
a Unemployed workmen prevented
& the operation Of washery at
Mocanqua.
Scranton, Pa, April 4.-Word
was received in this city today
from New York that when the an
thracite operators and miners
committees reconvere tomorrow
the latter will present to the oper-
ators a new set of dem ands greatly
modified from those which the
mine owners have SO determinedly
rejected. The information eman-
ates from a source that speaks
II from complete knowledge of what
the miners will do.
Des Moines, April 4.-(Spe-
cial. The State Center and Mis-
souri, Valley water plants today
wired to Des Moines for coal.
They are entirely out.
Des Moines, April 4.-(speciaD
rhe Iowa mine workers and operator
are still far from settlement of tt
scale When the joint session WE
called at IL o'clock the operators as
ed for further time.
Must Await Developments.
The morning was spent by the ope
.ators in discussing the grant of
wage scale, without decision. At tt
conclusion Of the meeting a memb'
Of the operators scale committt
said: I'VE have no expression of a
operators on the question yet, and IL
til we do we cannot decide or vot
We are taking time to watch develo
ments in other states. Choosing d
ferent schedule from those would r
suit in the financial ruin Of every O
orator in Iowa"
Most of the operators are believe
to favor a compromise.
The miners met this morning al
adjourned to await a meeting with Il
operators this afternoon. When ii
joint conference reconvened in ii
afternoon an adjournment was take
until Thursday morning at o'clock.
When the outcome of the negoti
tions in other states is known II
work Of arranging a scale for low
will begin in earnest.
This work is delegated to
joint scale committee composed
twenry-six men, thirteen miners ar
thirteen operators. These are Il
strongest men on each side of IL
questions and their colleagues depe1
upon them to arrange scale that w
be satisfactory and equitable Tht
are, of course, bound by instruction
from their respective conventions, b
this is true only to a degree. tt
miners, for instance, are instructed
accept a settlement on no other has
but the 1903 scale, while the operate
are determined to insist upon a strict
adherence to the scale than has BET
the custom in the past.
Meetings Are Secret.
This morning the operators al
fContinued on Page A.