Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-07-23
John P. White, President of
Mine Workers, Likely to
Succeed Him
REMARKABLE RISE OF REEcE
Climbs From Coal Miner to Presi-
dency Of Mine Workers of District
No. 13 = Railroads Find Way to
Avoid Ant-Pass Law Details OF
Army Maneuvers
Special 70 Times-Republican.

Special 70 Tines-Republican.
Des Moines, July 23.-John P.
Reece. agent of the coal mine operators
of Iowa under salary of $4,000 a
year. has become interested financially
with Sam Mcclure, of Ft. Dodge, rom
Carpenter. of Des Moines, and others
in coal lands near Angus and is about
to resign his position as agent Tor the
operators. If he resigns John p. White,
president of the mine workers of Iowa,
will undoubtedly be elected to his po-
sition as agent of the operators. 1t Is
said, in fact that the resignation OF
Mr.. Reece hangs largely on the ques-
tion of whether or not White will &C
cept the position.
The change that is about to take
place in the coal business is interest
ing because it is a step in the rise OF
two of the most prominent coal men in
the state. John P. Reece few years
ago was a coal miner and from thai
went to the presidency of the Mine
Workers of district No. 1S, which is
the state Of Iowa. He is now worth
$4,000 TO $4,000. From president OF
the Mine Workers union he went to
the position of commissioner for the
operators. AS president of the mine
workers union he got $75 a month and
as commissioner for the operators S4,-
900 a year.
The salary of the president of the
mine workers has now been raised to
S1,50O in the hope of retaining John
White one of the best men the miners
have ever had. Recently Mr.. White
resigned from the office of president
and told the miners that he must quit
the office They raised his pay, and at
the special election to elect his sue
cessor, he was the only person voted
upon He is still in the office. They
may eventually raise his salary to $4,-
600 to meet the operators and retain
White.
Changes of Importance are about to
take place in the coal industry aside
Mcclure and Carpenter have acquired
extensive holdings in the Angus field
and propose to develop the property
The White Breast Coal Company,
which is the Burligton railroad, is to
abandon the Iowa field. 1t has in time
held extensive coal lands in the state
and has worked them successfully but
it owns better paying properties in IL
linois and Colorado and will devote its
attention to these. Another reason for
it's leaving the Iowa field is said to he
the fact that in Iowa it has been un-
able to keep out of the courts and that
there are now damage suits totaling
100000 in the courts against the
COMPANY. It's properties at Enterprise
were recently sold to G. H. Morris. 1t
still has properties about Hilton which
will, however, be abandoned soon and
it is claimed that as soon as the mines
at Cleveland in Lucas county, have
been worked out the company will
leave the state.
The Northwestern railroad tina:
owns the extensive coal lands at Bux-
ton is sinking another mine there and
will shortly have it ready to operate
The company has four other large
mines In that region, besides two
smaller ones. and the output of all
of these has been considerably in
creased this year. 1t Is understood
that the output Of the four principle
mines there the past year will amount
to about 100000 tons, which is per-
haps the largest output by any one
company in the state of Iowa.
Ever since the anti-pass law
passed the legislature and received the
signature of the governor, 1t has been
a question of speculation among those
who watch public matters how the
railroads would get around it. 1t was
never thought that all Of them would
quietly acquiesce and obey the law.
The first intimation Of the means OF
evading the law was discovered today.
The railroad man desiring to pass
his friend over the road for political or
other reasons sits down and writes a
letter to his friend in which he ex
plains to him that the anti-pass law
makes it impossible to give al pass,
which he regrets very much. But" he
1ellS MS 1Tlenu, you VIII HllQ euClOSeu
my personal check, which I think the
ticket agent will accept in lieu OF
cash." OF course, the ticket agent rec
ognizes the signature of the check and
readily accepts it as cash. The trans
portation is issued and the check
turned into the company by the agent
and the company turns it back to the
official who sent it in the first place.
The political or other friend gets his
free ride over the road. the account OF
the man who sent him the check is
never reduced ore penny. and there
is left not a scratch of pen or the
slightest evidence on which to work a
conviction.
1t is known that this has been done.
but there is not evidence for prosecu-
ton in the courts. The act is clearly a
violation of the law, for it says that
no ticket or free transportation shall
be ISSUED directly or indirectly" and
certainly the transaction amounts to