The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-29

sponsibility rests upon you. The operators have done the very best they can do. We would regret the condition MT. Flynn suggests. We are not working for de- lay We mean exactly what we say. It Is because of the condition of things that we have come to the con clusion that we can do no more, and If there is strike, the responsibility will be upon you. Public opinion will not justify 1t; your own people will not justi- fy 1t; your own consciences will not justify 1t. I suppose, if a strike comes, the operators will have to stand 1t as best they can. The railroad companies l understand have several months sup ply of coal ahead. The Louisville and Nashville I understand, has three months supply ahead: the Georgia Gen. tral has three months supply. and all of the other railroads have. It will be an unfortunate state of affairs and I don't want to see 1t. But if 1t Is to come, we will have to meet 1t as one of those hard and uncertain things that you and I have met all of our lives I don't be- lieve there Is any necessity for 1t. I be- lieve you can live another year under the prosperity you have had. l believe you can do 1t as well as the miners in Illinois and Kentucky and other states. I do not believe 1t is right and profitable right now to precipitate recklessly and without due consideration a strike and bring on a state of affairs here the same as in Pennsylvania and West Virginia I don't believe the miners have gained anything by their acts up to date.
 "Now, I am instructed to say. and hope you will believe it, that the oper- ators have entered into this thing with the very best of friendly feeling and good will to all of the miners and all of the men in their employ. They are not doing anything rashly. They haven't taken this position In spirit of fight or pique. They have gone into this with due consideration; they have gone into 1t sorrowfully, and we have done the very best we can and nobody can do more"
 Colonel Pearson was warmly applaud ed by the operators side of the house. The miners smiled good naturedly.
 Fairley Replies.
 MT. w. R. Fairley. member of the na- tional executive committee of the Uni ted Mine Workers of America, man of extraordinary influence with the mine workers association, and probably one or the best, if not the best speaker in that brotherhood, replied to Colonel Pearson. saying:
 T want to say in the outset that throw back to Colonel Pearson his re- mark and that Is that we are not respon- slble if a strike begins in this state. The responsibility will rest where 1t right fully belongs-with the operators in Ala bama. This statement of Colonel Pearson is rather amusing and l don't think this Is the time for amusement.
 "Colonel Pearson says the commercial operators are not making cent on their investment, and yet at the self same time, Colonel Pearson and others are opening up new mines for commercial purposes I have never known a man to continue to develop property on which he is losing money and that Is what Colonel Pearson says he Is doing now.
 T stated on the first day of the pro- ceedings, and I will repeat It now. that the commercial operator in the State of Alabama is 16 cents ton lower than any other operator in any other state in the union that Is mining bituminous coal He says that everybody in every state has renewed the contract this year with out change and he continues and says that we are in better condition than they are enjoying in those other States. If Colonel Pearsons means that ten hours a day is a better condition than eight. then he is correct If he means that monthly pay is better than a semi-month- ly pay, then he is correct If he means that day labor at nearly 100 per cent lower in some instances in Alabama is better than in other States, then he Is correct If any man will tell me that 1.10 will buy as much food and raiment as $2.25. then he will teach me something in arithmetic that I didn't know before. It has been -~-------~-~--~-~-~- ~-~--~------~-~---~-~-~--~
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