Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-02

While the coal mines of Iowa are
Idle, pending the settlement Of a wage
scale effective for the next two years,
the miners TO the state yesterday
agreed to furnish sufficient men to pro-
tect their property from damage and
to make necessary repairs and i'm
provements during the suspension.
This, however, was not granted until
the operators agreed to pay these men
an increase of 555 per cent over the
old wage scale for day work. This was
the principal action of the joint con-
vention between the miners and opera
tors yesterday in des Motnes at which
H. L. Waterman, L. l.. Lodwick, Henry
Phillips. Edward Fowler and Samuel
Hawks of the city were present.
No coal Will be mined within the
borders of the state by the $4,000 union
coal miners for an indefinite period,
pending the settlement Of a new wage
scale for the biennial period beginning
today.
Negotiations for awaSo scale will be
opened at joint convention Of the
miners and operators to be held at
the I. o. o. F. hall in Des Moines on
Monday afternoon, April II. Judging
from experience in the past an agree
ment will not be effected for at least
three weeks.
The Joint convention opened yester-
lay afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Odd
Fellows hall. Upon a unanimous vote
of the two sides, H. H Garfield an
operator, was elected chairman of the
convention, and Frank Cameron,
miner delegate, was elected secretary
John P. White, president of the
miners, made the opening address, ex-
pressing regret that the joint conven-
ton had not occurred at an earlier
date and that the wage scale had not
been negotiated in time to preclude
the suspension Of work which begins
today.
His address was followed by one by
President John P. Reese Of the opera
tors, who stated that the delay in ne
gotiations had put the operators in a
peculiar position. He asserted that
those connected with the coal mining
Industry owe it to the state Of Iowa to
continue the work of producing coal at
all times and expressed the hope that
in the future contract between the
operators and miners may he effected
prior to the dates when old contracts
expire and make suspension of work
unnecessary. He followed his adj
dress by presenting resolution which
called for the furnishing of men by the
miners to protect the mines and keep
them in order during the period OF
idleness. The resolution provided for
the paying of the men furnished by the
fIa Ia IN,
Outlines Conditions.
President White took the floor and
In a brief speech outlined the condi-
lions under which the miners would
furnish the necessary men. He stated
that the action recently taken by the
United Mine Workers Of America in
convention at Cincinnati made it inn
perative that the operators must make
two concessions before any help could
be given them by the union. The con-
cessions he named were the paving of
the men an advance of 5.55 per cent
over the old scale on the day wages
and the significance of the operators
Of their willingness to negotiate fav-
prable permanent wage scale.
The second concession demanded by
the miners fairly took the breath away
from the operators for a time. They
took it as meaning that they must
agree to grant the miners any advance
In wages that they should propose and
must submit to having their hands
tied, IL they secured labor to keep their
mines in working order during the
period Of idleness pending an agree
ment. 1t called forth vehement and
impassioned speeches on the part Of
Senator Waterman Of Ottumwa and
President Reese.
Senator Waterman took the floor
first and stated that the operators were
willing to agree to the first demand OF
the miners which provided for an in
(Coutinued on Page 81