The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-18
REPORT OF MINERS
DEMAND INCORRECT
Association Did Not Adopt Scale
of Prices,
ACCORDING TO Mr.. YOUNG
Who Was One of Delegates from This
District Only Few Recommends
tions for Relief of Certain
Districts Were Made.

The dispatch sent out from Chattanooga
Tuesday night to the effect that the repre-
sentatives of the United Mine Workers of
America, from the states of Alabama, Ten
nessee and Kentucky, had made out new
scale of wages for each state, and that
they would demand that the mine operat-
ors make this raise, seem to have been en-
tirely unfouuded.
The Alabama delegates who returned
from Chattanooga yesterday said that
nothing of the kind was done by the con-
vention, and that only few recommended
looking toward relief in certain mining dis
tricts, were passed. They said that one
of the Chattanooga papers had published
that the convention was preparing to or
der a general strike, unless certain de-
mands of the miners were complied with.
That anything like this occurred in the
convention, is denied emphatically. George
Young, of Blocton, Jake Lillich, of Belle
Ellen, William Kirkpatrick and S. L.
Brooks, of Pratt City and - Murray of
Belle Sumter, were Alabama's five dele
gates, and Mr.. Young, who is president of
the Alabama district, was authorized to
speak for them.
Mr.. Young stated in the first place that
the Chattanooga conference or convention
had been called last January when the ma
tional convention was in session in Pitts
burg. Mr.. Farley and other officials of
the national association were expected to
be present at the Chattanooga meeting,
but they had been called away to different
parts of the country where there was
trouble among the miners. The Chatta-
nooga conference had nevertheless, pro-
ceeded with its work of discussing the
mining conditions that existed in the
states of Alabama, Tennessee and Ken
lucky.
Average Price Paid Miners
Figures were compiled showing the av-
erage price paid miners in the three states,
and they were as follows: Alabama, 5915
cents per ton; Tennessee and Kentucky,
53A cents per ton. These figures give the
average amount paid by all the mines in
each state, including those where only
screened coal is mined, in some of which
as much as 10 cents ton is paid. 1t was
also found that the average price for driv-
ing entries in Tennessee and Kentucky was
s20S per yard and s2.41 in Alabama. For
driving air courses, $1.05 in Alabama and
80 cents in Tennessee and Kentucky.
These were the figures sent out by the
press, as being the new scale which the
miners were going to demand
1t was found on comparison that the day
men in Tennessee and Kentucky that is
the drivers and coal handlers, get 121k cents
less than they do in Alabama, and resolu-
ton was passed recommending that the
wages in those states be equalized with
those of Alabama, if possible. But there
were no demands. about the resolu-
ton.
Nearly all the mining districts in the
three states were reported in good condi-
ton, with the exception of one or two
In Tennessee. Jelico was reported to be
the best region in that state
Some day it is hoped to get the same
scale of wages for Alabama, Tennessee,
Kentucky and possibly other southern
states, just as the miners of Illinois, Ohio.
Indiana and Pennsylvania now have. but
no effort of a definite nature was taken
toward this end.
AS stated in yesterdays Age-Herald,
resolutions were also passed favoring semi
monthly pay days; condemning those cor
porations which refused to recognize or
ganized labor, and favoring the buying of
union made goods by laboring men.