Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-06
SITUATION UNCHANGED
The Miners National Executive Board
Holds Meeting Today But the
Transactions Are Kept Secret ~
Iowans Have Some Hope Of a Settle
ment.

The Iowa men who attended
the conventions Of the coal miners
and coal operators at Indianapolis
last week returned to their homes
in this state Saturday and Sunday.
John P. Reese of Abba, commits
sioner for the Iowa operators, and
John P. White of Oskaloosa, presi-
sdent of the Iowa miners, passed
through Ottumwa Saturday after
noon en- route to their homes. Both
expressed a hope that the difficult
ties between the miners and oper-
ators which caused the break in
the Indianapolis meeting on Fri
day will be amicably settleI before
April 1, when the agreement now
in force will expire, but neither
can advance theory upon which
the settlement may be made. The
miners and the operators are firm
In their different stands and, judg-
ing from the present outlook the
mines in Iowa will close on March
B1 for an indefinite period, to-
gesher with the mines in every
Dther state where coal is one Of the
products. The Iowa miners will
hold their annual convention as
usual at Des Moines, opening early
In March.
indianapolis, Feb. 5.--The ma
tienaI executive board ofsthe Uni
ted Mine Workers of America ad-
journed today. President Mitch.
ell refused to discuss the work Of
the board.
Chicago, Feb. s. Because of
the possibility of strike Of the
coal miners number Of the
wholesalers in this city today ad-
vanced the price of soft coal
25 cents per ton.
Pittsburg, Pa, Feb. 5.-Wall stree
nd the anthracite operators are no,
ccused Of responsibility for th
reak in the indianapolis conferenc
which is expected to result in th
,reatest strike of coal miners in th
history. One Of the lars
st coal operators in the Pittsburg di
rict said:
EARLY. in the year we began to fin
hat Wall street interests were an:
ous to break up the power of tn
United Mine Workers of Americi
While it may be to the interest of th
coal operators to rid the
mines of union labor, we. in the
luminous field of the Pittsburg di
rict would rather work in harmon
With the union miners. There is a
of bituminous Goa
md new mines can be opened so rea
ly that we would be glad of concer
ID shut down SO as to keep up til
,rices.
Wall Street Wins.
1--WE do not want to shut down o,
mines at the same time that the a,
hracite operators do, but from the p
ition the coal miners are taking W
ire forced into line, and the minel
it their convention did exactly VIII;
he Wall street financiers wante
hem to do, just as if some of til
eaders had been paid to do so. Tt
operators early in the ia
made the boast that they would forc
is into strike whether we wanted |
,r not. 1t looks as if they knew VIII,
hey were talking about, as we di
lot believe it at that time.
"The price Of bituminous coal ,whic
ldvanced so rapidly before the, hol
lays, declined to 81 with the begi
ling of the year. Saturday the prie
unlped again to S1.30, and it will E
higher. The coal operators will NAL
more money through the idlene.
han In the operation Of their mine
because the price of coal has bee
90 cheap to the consumer"
Big Stocks Stored.
The anthracite coal operators ha,
stored millions Of tons Of coal in nu1
srous coal pockets in eastern Pen
,ylvania and the companies by rus
ng, work expect to add 100000 tol
% their stocks by April L. This CO
will be doled out so that the stril
ian be carried on for a year if nece
,arss During the last anthracite stril
he operators advanced prices al
,hus raised a public protest 5 mol
cal influence was brought to pss-. 4
he operators to stop the strike. It
said that 1t is the intention to mai
ain prices equally during the stril
period SO as to keep the public sat
led as it is the intention to break /
he miners union rather than NAL
any money out of the fight.
Bituminous coal operators start,