Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-03
Between the Miners and Operators of the Bir.
 mingham District.

Birmingham, Ala, May 29, 1896.
 The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company and the duly authorized repre- sentatives from the miners of Blue ] Creek, Blocton, Pratt mines West Pratt and Henry Ellen have this day agreed upon the following contract fixing the price of mining coal at the five places named above from July l, 1896 to June 80, 1887:
 The price of mining at Pratt mines to be a minimum of 40 cents per ton when No. foundry pig iron nets the Tennes- See Coal, Iron and Railroad company $S.50 per ton or less f. o. b. cars at the fur mace and for every advance thereafter of 50 cents per ton in the net price re- ceived for No. foundry Iron there shall be an advance of 212 cents in the price of mining coal until the net price received is $10.50 per ton, when the price of min ang would be 50 cents per ton. Thereafter h the price of mining shall advance 2A { cents for each $1 advance in the net price Lreceived for No. l foundry iron. The l'priee of mining at the other mines of the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad com fpany In Alabama Is to be based as at tpresent, on the price paid at Pratt mines. ! But in the big seam at Blocton, when / the size of the coal is reduced to or below i 4 feet there shall be an advance of 212 :. cents in the price of mining, and if the i coal is reduced below feet the price of mining shall advance cents above the scale in that seam.
 The coal is to be weighed during the continuance of this contract at all the mines where 1t is now being weighed and check weighmen are to be allowed as in the past; at other mines coal is to be paid for by the car as is the case at this time.
 The price of iron to be determined as 1 follows: The miners to appoint one or ' more duly authorized representative or representatives to meet the representa- ! tive or representatives of the company not later than the 9th day of each month and at such meeting to examine all ' books, sale contracts or other evidence ! in the possession of the company as \ might show the actual average price at ] which the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail- road company sold No. foundry iron in the previous month, and such price. when determined, to be announced by the rep resentatives to both the miners and the company, and to be binding upon both.
 If the representatives of the miners and the company fail to agree as to what was the selling price of No. 1 foundry iron for the month, then they are to agree upon and call in another person, who Is not miner nor an employe of the company, who shall, upon Investigation of the actual sales made, determine the price, and such determination shall be binding upon both parties to this con- tract.
 The expenses of the representatives of the miners to be regulated and paid by them, such expense to be prorated by the committee at so much per miner . whose name appears on the roll and to be collected by the company and turned over to the committee.
 Dead work and day labor in mines and house rent of miners to be governed by the scale as at present.
 The question of pay for room break throughS to be inyeStigated at once and decided upon it's merits, but break throughs to be paid for based on 40 cents per yard for 20 feet wide and 90 cents per yard for feet wide in any case