The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-03-18
MINE REPORTS MADE
Retiring officers Give Accounts Of
Their Years Work.

The reports Of officers were today
presented to the convention OF Dis.
trict No. 10 y. M. w. of A., witch con-
vened IN twelfth annual session at
Des Molnes Thursday afternoon and
they contain much Of general public
interest.
The president, w. w. White, in re-
porting 16S death claims paid during
the year classified them as follows:
Fatal accidents In mine, SO; railroad
accidents, 10; heart disease, u; con-
sumption, 81; pneumonia, 16; murders,
suicides and other fatal accidents out.
side Of the mines, Is; miscellaneous
diseases, So. The ratio of deaths on
account of diseases was the greatest,
being 81 per cent. Mine accidents
rank next, as 20 per cent.
Concerning membership, Mr.. White
states that tht district now comprises
80 locals, fiye having been organized
during the year and four discontin.
ued. The present membership is 15,-
887, an increase of 9S2 over last year.
Defense Fund.-
Mr.. White makes some pertinent
remarks concerning the funds in the
hands Of the district, as follows:
During the year the amount paid
this fund was only nominal ] here
by recommend that this fund be con.
tfnued ION the same basis as at pres
ent and that hereafter no strike, or
loclv0ut benefits be granted until af
ter "a mine has been idle for a period
of III least 80 days. My reasons for
these recommendations are that large
Numbers OF our members believe that
they are entitled to strike benefitsjust
asssoon as the mine is thrown die for
any cause. In order to cultivate in
cenIiyes for thrift and selfreliance
among the members, our local unions
should be Impressed with the necess.
ity of safeguarding this fund by throw
ing around 1t all the protection neces.
sary to prevent It's dissipation.
There are thousands Of our people
during the summer season that work
very little during that period, and
yet never expect any relief from said
fund; while on the other hand there are
others without resources of their own
that are not content unless they re,
ceive, what they term, strike benefits
If all our members could appreciate
the fact that the fund, equally appor
toned to each individual, only
amounts to approximately $1,000 per
capita, 1t would remove from their
minds some of the apprehensions to
the effect that. this fund would keel
the entire organization on strike in
definitely and pay strike benefits. Their
again, there is another element II
our ranks that is bitterly opposed Il
granting relief for strike benefits un
less all share alike This spirit seem:
to be more prevalent now than ever
before, and there is some justification
for the same" ~
The president recommends legisla
ton as follows:
l. Extension of mining laws t
gypsum mines. -. 49,.
2. Making four inspection districts
in stare.
8. Amendment to Assumption Of
Risk" law.
4. Amendment to the present pow
der law.
S. Raising of age limit of boys
working in mines to 16 years.
Vice-President Jacob Ritter pre-
sents succinct but comprehensive re
port of his years work for the dis
trict, telling of the settlement Of trou
bles at various places. Mr.. Ritter has
made an excellent official. He is popu
lar, is possessed OF a forceful charac
ter and IN his retirement from the
position the district loses valuable
man.
Secretary Edwin Perry makes hi
fifth annual report TO the convention
OF the affairs of the district. 1t !:
done in his usual clear.cut style that
win long remain standard in the
organization. ~
A summarized statement of the
finances tf,rhe district is as follows:
The report for the fiscal year ending
February LIST, 1908, showed balance
on hand of all funds to the amount
Off,. -. -. ..... $685., 346 20
Reed by tax to Feb. 15f '09 16,1OS.6S
Received by defense fund. 49,. 90,092.7I
Received by fines. ......... 1,085.6S
Received by interest. ). 49,. n,668.51
Received by miscellaneous. 1,910.5t
Total ........ 80. .$456, 212.Ss
Total disbursements. 80. 40,l07.5f
Balance on hand. ......... SAG, l04.Ss
Mr.. Perry in leaving the Iowa dis
trict TO take charge of the higher of
fee of Secretary Treasurer of the
national body has the following con
clusion to his report:
'In sevefing my official connection
with Distric- No. IL, / do so with more
or less reluctance, but have the con.
ISOLATION of knowing that whoever may
be the successful candidate thai the
interest of our district will be just as
jealousy guarded by him as they have
been by me in the past. Having been
T,o,orad for n tt,pn har NJ WARS RI the