Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-21
MINERS Win
VICTORY IN
CONFERENCE
DEADLOCK OVER THE USE OF MA
CHIMES Is BROKEN TODAY AND
THEY WILL NOT BE USED FOR
TWO YEARS.

Des Moines, April 20.-The min
ers won victory In the joint con-
ference today when they broke the
deadlock over the use Of machines
In sub-dstrict No. by refusing
the operators offer OF an advance
of four cents a ton for mining and
forcing the agreement that ma
chimes will not be used the next
two years. Tho conditions for
mining screened coal were made
the same as the past two years.
The price for mining was fixed
for 81 ton for lump coal and
from slxty-nine to seventy-four
cents for mine run coal. All Of
the old mining conditions were
adopted with the exception that
drivers and box car men will re-
cieve $2.o1 day.
Des Moines, April 20-Failure on the
part Of the coal miners and operators
Of the joint scale committee to reach
an agreement on the machine mining
scale it is feared would CAUSE
a rupture between the two par
ties and result in the ending Of all
attempts to negotiate a new contract.
President John p. Reese of the Iowa
Coal Operators association and Presi-
dent John p. White of the district min.
ers union were authority for the state.
ment.
So wide were the differences of the
miners and operators on the question
that the meeting Of the joint scale
committee yesterday afternoon lasted
only a few minutes. In those few min
utes, however, We're recorded some OF
the hottest speeches Of the convention.
Seeing their inability to make any
headway;, the meeting was aa aioHrneds
| The two parties spent the day t1f hold
| ing secret caucuses, the miners In the
morning and the operators in the aft.
ernoon. From the statements Of the
leaders Of each party last evening,
they were no nearer an agreement than
at the time when the question was
first opened.
An Old Question.
Machine mining in the first subdis-
trict has been mooted question with
the operators and miners for the past
ten years. More trouble has been ex-
perienced over the subject than any
other one in the entire agreement. Be
ceuse Of the most recent disagreement
machine mining in that district has
been abandoned since May 6, 1909.
At that time, in accordance with the
agreement in the last contract, the
question was submitted to board Of
arbitration, consisting of Judge w. H.
McHenry Of Des Moines, Judge w. d.
Tisdale of Ottumwa and Judge L. T.
Richmond Of Abba. Operators and min
ers presented their different claims
and the matter ended with the decis-
ion of the board to grant an increase
amounting to about II per cent to the
loeders, who work with the machines.
This was regarded as a decided victory
for the miners.
The operators refused to abide by
the decision, however. and withdrew
their machines from the mines. They
have not been In operation since. The
operators are anxious to get them to
work again because it increases large-
ly the output Of the mines where they
are used. The miners are willing to
operate the machines, but refuse to
relinquish the advantage given them
by the board Of arbitration.
The position of the miners as stat-
ed by President White, was that they
would effect an agreement on the ma
chine question on the basis of the de-
cision of the board of arbitration to
which was to be added the fiat increase
of cents per ton demanded by the
national union in its convention at
Cincinnati.