Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-05-12
1.-THE MIN Err"

John p. White, President Of United
Mine Workers, District 13, Speaks.
John p. White Of Oskaloosa, who
was the next speaker, said In part:
My subject The Miner lies near
to my heart. It occupies the hours of
my daily toll At that occupation
spent many years, and today II were
to leave my present position, would
probably return to it.
"The miner and his cause has so
occupied the American stage for the
past seven or eight months that it
hardly seems necessary to have as
signed this subject to me this evening,
for the matter has beeen SO fully and
completely discussed and aired. The
operations of the vast army of mining
men have been and are today suspend
ed to such an extent that. in places
danger to the peace and prosperity of
the community is feared unless there
is an adjustment.
MANY years ago before the days of
organization, spent my days in worry
over the condition of myself and my
fellow laborers. Working in the sub
terranean workshop, at great risk of
life and limb, life under the conditions
Of that day was almost unbearable.
Finally there came the time when we
saw the value Of banding ourselves to-
gether for the purpose of contracting
for our labor with our employers.
Meeting Held In ottunwa.
"The first meeting was held in this
city. A few men representing the
miners of the state gathered here and
pleaded with the operator to meet with
them to discuss conditions. At this
time. when we were weak and strug-
Cling, the trades unions assisted us.
We finally succeeded in carrying away
trial peace in this line of work in the
state Of Iowa.
To-day many men are idle, but it Is
seemingly the honest difference that is
the cause of it. There is no wish on
either side of rushing into the matter
forcibly. have also reason to believe
and l feel certain that in the not far
distant future peace will be established
and the industry will again be on a
peaceful status.
"Since the dawn of organization, the
miner has steadily progressed. His
hours have been lessened, his pay in
creased He has secured from the en-
ployers contracts that are usually mu-
tually satisfactory. Under these con-
tracts $4,000 men in this state have
worked and no serious dispute has oc-
CURED to mar the peace of the COM
monwealth
A Hazardous Occupation.
"The miner has the right to expect
the best returns for the labor he ex-
ponds. His is hazardous occupation
and as long as coal is mined, human
life must be yielded UP in It's quest
In the coal mines Of this country, $685.
900 smen are employed, and when these
are laid idle it threatens a national
calamity It ties up railroads and fac
tories. BY organization and not by
force the miner has been able to COM
pei the employer to recognize his
rights and to contract with him for his
labor.
"By conservative methods the miner
has accomplished much and has added
to the stability of the coal mining in
dustry. And with the aid Of organized
labor and the sympathy Of large
mass of the public at large the miner
has abeen able to establish what be-
lieve to be permanent peace in the
coal industry.
Even at this time when the rela-
lions are strained I think that the
miners have reason to congratulate
themselves on the status of the contro-
versy. 1t is as l stated before merely
an honest difference. / believe and
hope that no great conflict will take
place or bitterness be injected into the
contest and that all will be settled in
time"