The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-02
MINERS RECEIVE
ANOTHER ADVANCE
Now Getting Highest Wages
Ever Paid in District.
So IL CENTS PER TON
Examination OF Books Was Not Made
the Operators Admitting That
Miners Were Entitled
a.,= to an Increase
So IL CENTS PER TON

ff44H W dl lllCI 6dS6
AS predicted in yesterdays Age-Herald,
the miners of the district received another
advance in wages yesterday, owing to the
increase in the selling price of iron during
the month of June. The advance was 2ls
cents, making wages now amount to 5212
cents per ton the highest ever paid in the
district
Although the official examination of the
company's books by the miners committee
was put off until next month, the officials
of the Tennessee and the Sloss companies
admitted that the miners were entitled to
another raise of 212 cents, and the miners
will be paid accordingly from now on. The
miners received a 2h-cent increase on the
first of each OF the months of March, April,
May, June and July, total increase of
12h cents, or over 81 per cent more than
the 40 cents they were receiving up to the
LIST OF March.
G. B. Mccormack, general manager of
the Tennessee company, and W. r. Fair
ley, member of the national executive COM
mittee of the United Mine Workers, wal
leave today, it is understood, for the min
iiiS ulSlIiCl VI ltHHtSSee, WHeIe lilS idl-
ter of wages for the coming year in that
section will be taken up and settled.
Copy of Contract
The following is verbatim copy of the
contract entered into between the Sloss
company and their miners. This contract
and those of the other companies differ
only in minor details which are made
necessary on account of the varying con-
ditions which are found at every mine. The
long list of the scale of wages paid to the
various kinds of day laborers is omitted
from the contract. The contract is signed
by the officers Of the company, the scale
committee, the local committee of Sloss
miners and the officers of the Mine Work
follows:
The Sloss Iron and Steel company, and
the duly authorized representatives of their
miners have this day agreed upon the fol-
lowing contract, fixing the price of mining
coal at the places named above, from July
1, 1899, until June 80 1900:
1.-The price of mining at the above mines
to be a minimum of forty-ffye cents per
ton or car, as now paid for, when all
grades of pig iron net the company IS or
less f. o. b. cars at the furnaces in Ala
pdind, anu IOr every advance OF NIFTY cents
per- ton in the net price received for all
grades of pig iron, there shall be an adj
vance of two and one-half cents in the
price of mining, until the net price received
for all grades of pig iron reaches SO per
ton, when the price of mining would be
fifty cents. Thereafter the price of mining
shall advance two and one-half cents for
each dollar advance in the net price re-
ceived for all grades of pig iron until the
mining price reaches (55) fifty-five cents per
ton, which shall be the maximum.
1.-THE term all grades of pig iron means
all grades except silver-gray and white.
"All coal in Pratt seam under feet 2
inches shall pay 2@ cents per ton above
scale shown.
1.-The coal is to be weighed during the
continuance of this contract, at all miners
where it is now being weighed, and check
weghmen 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
1.-The price of iron to be determined as
follows: The miners to appoint one or
more duly authorized representatives to act
for them, and such representative or rep
resentatives to meet the representative or
representatives of the company, not later
than the 9Th day of each month and at
such meeting to examine all books, sales,
memoranda, other evidence in possession
of the company, as might show the actual
average price at which the Sloss Iron and
DlSSl COHlpdny SOiu SIduSS VI plS lTpH
in the previous month, and such prices,
when determined, to be announced by the
representatives, 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 all grades of iron for any
month, then they are to agree upon
and call in another person, who is not
miner or an employee of the company, who
shall, upon investigation of the actual sales
made, determine the price, and such deter
mination shall be binding upon both par,
It's to this contract.
1.-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 coll
lected by the company and turned over to
the committee.
Dead work and day labor in the mines.
the house rent of miners and the selling
price of powder, to be governed by the
mining scale as agreed this day. Mining
rules to be the same as at present, except
as changed this day.
mo discrimination is to be made in the
distribution of work against the colored
miners, but all competent colored men are
to have an equal chance at all work.
"All present and future miners laborers
are to be given a set of checks EACH and
are to be given also q full miners turn
each.
Boys turns are to be regulated as may
be mutually agreed Setween the represent
tatives of the miners aSd the company.
"a square turn in the mines is to be kept,
except where it is shown to be necessary
to be otherwise.
"Blacksmithing to be reduced to one cent
on the dollar earned.
Miners may shoot at M, but this
does not apply as to quitting time of men
inside and outside"