The age-herald., 1900-06-28
OPERATORS MAKE
 4 PROPOSITION Are Wiling to Pay Miners the
 Present Scale. INTERESTING DISCUSSIONS Both Sides Seem to Want Har- monious Settlement. MINERS lND0RSs THE AGE-HERALD Resolution Was Passed Upholding the Position of The Age-Herald in
 an Editorial on Labor
 Question in South
MINERS lND0Rss THE AGE-HERALD

The coal operators and the miners held a joint conference yesterday, but did not come to any conclusion as to a wage schedule for the next year. The joint con- ference began about 10:30 o'clock yester- day morning, and at 12 took recess until ?, when the conference continued.
 George w. Young, president of the Ala bama District of the United Mine Workers was elected chairman of the meeting, and J. w. Adams, manager of the Republic Iron and Steel Company, was elected sec- retary
 The operators did not go to Seals Hall unLl after 10 o'clock, and pending their arrival the miners put in the time singing and making short speeches It was agreed that if the operators had but one spokes1 man then the miners would have but ones but if more than one operator spoke, then as many miners as desired could do so.
 While awaiting the coming of the opera- tors at the morning session, the United Mine Workers adopted the following reso- 1Gtion:
 Age-Herald Endorsed
 fWhereas, 1t has come to the attention of your committee that an article ap- < peared in The Age-Herald of June 13, 1900, a special by N. F. Thompson of Huntsville Ala, Secretary of the South ern Industrial Convention, before the National Industrial Commission, in Washington D. C.; and. Whereas, MT. Thompson has att tackled the trade unions in general as the greatest menace to the government that exists, and that the theories our organizations teach should be held as ' reasonable in their character and our leaders worse than traitors to their country; therefore. be it Resolved, That this convention de- nounce and condemn the utteranceS as unjust, unfair and an unwarrantabe at tack on the citizenship of organiza- ton. Resolved, further. That the editorial in The Age-Herald of June II, 1900, be* appreciated as an honest expression of public sentiment in the South opposing the extremist position of MT Thomp- son.
 The editorial in The Aee-Herah yester- day bearing on the conference between the miners and operators was heartily en- dorsed by the miners. Secretary Clemo, in speaking of it, said 1t was the best editorial he had read in any local paper and that it was entirely just and proper.
 The editorial commented on by sev- eral of the miners and they all expressed their appreciation of The Age-Herald's stand.
 The operators arrived about 10:3O and among them were the following: T H. Ald- rich, Sloss-Sheffield Iron and Steel Com- pany; G. B. Mccormack and Erskine Ram- sey Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad Company; F. M. Jackson, Alabama Consol- dated Coal and Iron Company; R. H. Pearson, president Pearson Coal and Coke Company; Pete Thomas, general manager Southern Cahaba Mining Company L. D. Burns, president Bessemer Land and Im- provement Company; J. ". Adams, mana ger Republic Iron and Steel Company T. G. Bush, president Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron Company; Mack Drennen, Palos Coal Company; J. H. Stevens, of Stevens and Price; Col. A. NJ Shook, of Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad Com- pany; Captain w. H. Graves, of Graves Mines; T. H. Aldrich, Jr., of the Brilliant Coal Company; President Nat Baxter. Jr.. of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company; Henry Matthews, of the Graves, Mines.
 President Young of the miners suggest ed that the election of q chairman of the
 
 nominated MT. Young and he was elected. J. w. Adams was elected secretary.
 Operators Pror ositIon
 President Baxter of the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad Company, read the prop- osition of the operators. which was as fol- lows:
 Whereas, one year ago the operators of this district, recognizing the improved con- ditions in prospect for the coal and iron trade, not only conceded to their employees an increase in wages, but higher scale than ever before prevailing in the district. the increase in the wages of the miners amounting in cases, to 70 per cent over the lowest scale in operation during the depressed trade conditions, and in all cases to over 40 per cent; and
 Whereas, the miners and other em- ployes have presented to a scale for the coming year which will further increase the cost of mining from 20 to 40 per cent;
 ''Be it resolved, That as the conditions of the coal and iron trade do not justify any advance in costs and in view of a rap- idly declining market, we cannot agree on any advance on last years prices, and
 Therefore, We propose to pay the next year the same scale of prices now being