The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-12
TENNESSEE COMPANY HAS VIRTUALLY RECOGNIZED
 THE UNION, SAYS FARLEY
in Card He Makes Statement About Signing the Contract Of l901-No Change Yesterday m Status of Strike and
 No Disorder is Reported from the Mines.

under the Tennessee company from whom the company has not deducted the dues and assessments without asking the in- dividual miners consent. I therefore re- gard this as virtual recognition by the Tennessee and other companies of the United Mine Workers of America, and emphatieally declare that we have not violated the contract of 1902 by suspend ing work in preference to working with non-union men.
 MT McCrery says he does not believe that any of the Blue Creek miners were advised by any of the officers of the Ten nessee company to pay the assessment under penalty of being discharged. He puts 1t very adroitly. He does not be- lieve.' But does not say it was not done, for we have proof in our possession that the officials of the company at Blue Creek did so.
 MT. McCrery says, The Tennessee company has no desire to wage war on organized labor employed in it's various industries, neither has it displaced union with non-union men at lower wages. In recent labor troubles the company has not been the aggressor. The places of men who quit were filled with other men. No questions were asked whether they were union men or not, and everything Is working satisfactorily. The company will however, insist on retaining pos session of It's properties and directing the operation of same
 Union Men Discharged.
 'In reply I will say that the Tennessee company have and are maklng war on all labor unions at their plants to the extent that all union hacksniths, boiler smiths, machinists, bricklayers, holders, patternmakers have been discharged and non-union men employed At the present time plank boarding house To- cated near the Linn Iron works is in full operation boarding the non-union men who work at the Linn IT 5n works. Those men are guarded from tha boarding house to their work at the Iron works and back, notwithstanding the fact that no violence has been committed or attempt ed by the union men, and therefore It is futile for MT. McCrery to attempt to make the public believe that the company is not fighting union labor. Non-union men have been brought from the north to their mills to displacs union men here. I have never known deputy sher- ifs employed to protec- union men roing to and from their work, and therefore MT. McCrery must know that he Is pro- tecting non-union men.
 MT McCrery himself made the state ment some few weeks ago that the Ten nessee company and another company in the Birmingham district, whom I do not care to name, entered into an agreement in July of this year to discharge all union briclSlayeTs at their furnaces and steel plants. The Tennessee company carried out its contract and did discharge all ! union brieklayers and have none but non-union men employed at their plants as bricklayers. The other company took the sober second thought and are yet em- ploying union bricklayers.
 naa. NIo% NVan+ Doeaaeeinn
 q have no desire to take possession of the Tennessee company's properties. The task would be more than my capacity; but we have determined that we will not work with disoyal members. whom we l have expelled from our organization.
 T again repeat that we do not regard | the suspension of work as violation of | the contract, and express the hope that MT. McCrery will keep his temper, be- cause assure him my equanimity is un- | disturbed.
 "The situation is serious to the public | All other companies have made satisfac- | tory arrangements, and hope that wiser 1 counsels will prevail than have heretofore been exhibited in this matter by the Ten nessee company, so that work may be resumed on terms that will be satisfac- | tory to both sides of this controversy"
 F'alrley said that an officer of District | 20 returned from Johns mines this morn | ing and reports that less men were al work today than yesterday.