The age-herald., 1898-03-23
CONWCTS NOT EMPLOYED In a Single Blast Furnace in
 This State. ONLY A FLlMSY MAkESHlFT Adopted By England and Canada for Ex- cluding Alabama lron-Thought That
 Flo Spch Law Will Pass.
ONLY A FLIMSY MAkESHlF

Within the last few days press dispatches have been sent all over the world to the effect that England was endeavoring to pass measures to prevent the importation into that country of the pig iron of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad com pany, the Sloss Iron and Steel company and other Alabama furnaces on the ground that it was a product manufactured by convict labor.
 Such talk as this is an absurdity Ev- cry inhabitant of this district who knows anything at all about it's mineral indus tries knows that there is not a furnace in Alabama employing convict labor in the manufacture of pig iron. Furthermore, no furnace in Alabama has ever used con- vict labor for this purpose Again, there is not an iron ore mine in the state that is operated by convict labor. So that there is no convict labor whatever used in the mining or the smelting of iron in this state
 The assertion, which perhaps forms the basis of England's kick against this dis trict, is that the two companies mentioned above do use convict labor in some of their coal mines at Pratt mines and at Coaburg Only about one-fourth of the coal mined at these two places is dug by convict labor.
 All of the small coal of these two places, whether it be from the free or from the COuNlcl ullH6S, IS lI1lI1leuldtely S60t lO WdSn- CTS to be washed and there it is all mixed together making it impossible to distin- guish the free from the convict coal This is afterward burned into coke and used exclusively in the Ensey and North Br- mingham furnaces. Outside of these fur naces, there is not a furnace in Alabama using this convict mined coal, so that if there is any objection attached to the burning of this coal, the Bessemer, Ox moor, the Sloss city furnaces, the Woodward, the Pioneer and all the other furnaces in this district as well as all the other furnaces in the state, are entirely freed from this objection.
 But it is mere folly to urge such objec- tions as this against Alabama iron. For, If the iron of this state is to be excluded from England on this ground then the product of every minor industry, such the boiler shops, blacksmith shops, the cotton mills and in fact every plant that happens to use convict mined coal under its boilers, should be excluded for the same reason.
 There has also been considerable discus sion in Canada over this same question. A MT. Atkinson was sent to this district two or three months ago for the purpose of Investigating for the Canadian govern ment this reported manufacture of pig iron by convict labor.- He was shown every courtesy by the local furnace men while in the city and was given every opportunity to learn the facts. He went away without expressing an opinion on the subject. His report to the Canadian government has never been issued, though the iron men in this district have been watching for it constantly.
 It now seems, however, that Canada threatens to exclude Alabama iron from her borders and is endeavoring to induce England to do the same. If that country does not wish United States Iron to be im- ported, why does she not fix a higher prohibitory duty and In this way exclude 1t openly instead of through the flimsy pre- tense of convict labor?
 But even if Canada should enact any such measures as this 1t Is not thought by the iron manufacturers of this district that England will follow the foolish ex- ample set by her province.
 It can be said also that the local opera tors are tired of this continued threats of "exclusion of Alabama iron on grounds which are wholly without foundation.
 In the meantime Birmingham will con- tinue to do business at the some old stand l that of shipping "coals to Newcastle" figuratively, and iron to Birmingham, Eng, literally