Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-14
Twelve Thousand Miners
Are Idle In Illinois; Pro
duction Cut 10000 Tons a
Day; Union Officials
Lose Control.
COUNCIL OF DEFENSE
BLAMED FOR STRIKE

ting was provided today for Chief
Justice o. N. Carter, when he assum.
ed his duties as director of coal for
Illinois, an appointment received last
Friday from Governor Frank O. Low
fden after an agreement had been
Preached by him with coal operators
relative to fuel price-ixing at the mine
mouth.
Reports from over the state indi-
Gated that miners are on strike at
twenty different places, causing a sit
uation so acute that immediate ad.
justment of prices, such as was hoped
to result from the efforts of Justice
Garter, appears to be barred.
$4,000 MEN ON STRIKE.
4 1t is estimated that 10000 out OF
$4,000 miners in Illinois are now
striking. In order to attempt settle
ment of the differences meeting Is
being held here today between repre-
eentatives Of three mine operators
associations and the executive board
'of the miners union.
Justice Carter began actual work
looking to a reduction Of coal prices
today.
4 He held a conference with men rep
resenting the operators, the retailers.
the railroads, mine employees and the
state council of defense. Justice Carter
after the conference summarized Its
lresults as follows:
l.-public hearings to be held In
Chicago next Thursday or Friday.
c.-agreement of retail dealers
70 cooperate. They will confer
among themselves this afternoon.
Scaling OF . conference OF 4
s.r,-fAYYf6H0 Hen for tomorrow fore.
noon to discuss the transportation
angle OF the situation.
l.-determination that hearings
] shall be public.
CONFERENCE Is FRIENDLY.
/ Justice Carter said that the confer
Ience today, which was only quasi
d formal. developed friendly spirit
I eve agreed" said the controller,
,~that our conference shall not be in
lvha nature OF lawsuit, with every In
|4erest fighting for ITSELF but on the
contrary shall be conducted In friend.
" and conciliatory spirit with the good
OF the public always to the fore. Ine
hearings will be public.
Il was suggested that the hearings
should De private III 'NiCW VI tiiC PoS
s,bility. that the hearings might de-
yelop facts which should not become
public property, but 1t was determined
that the chances Of this were slight
and that the newspapers could be re-
lied on to cooperate in such a contin-
teency.
HEARINGS LATE IN WEEK.
"For the next few days, shall be
busy examining preliminary data
which those present today agreed to
provide at once. hope to finish this
work in time to start public hearings
BY next Thursday or Friday"
At the conference the retailers were
represented by c. r. Campbell, c. w.
Jackson, H. N. Kendall, A. A. Bunge
and I. l.. Runyan, who are connected
with the biggest yards in the city. 9.
III. Markham, president of the Illinois
Central and Claude G. Burnham, vice
president Of the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy, represented the railroads.
Samuel insult and Levy Mayer spoke
for the state council Of defense and
Harry Fischevich Of Springfield, foF
the miners. Ruch G. Butler, Ralph
Crews and Samuel Adams, lawyers,
were present, not as representatives of
\ the operators, but to give evidence OF
the good faith of the latter, who ex-
meet to name representatives to act
With Justice Carter tomorrow.