The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-15
SCALE CONVENTION
 AT BESSEMER MONDAY.

Delegates from the different local un- Ions composing District 20. United Mine Workers of America, will come together in the fourth annual scale convention Monday morning at 10 o'clock in Odd Fellows hall at Bessemer. The convention will have important work to do. On its shoulders devolves the duty of devising a scale and working conditions that will best subserve the interest of the miners and -at the same time be acceptable to the -operators. Their scale will be presented in joint conference.
 The Joint conference of miners and op- orators will be held in Birmingham be- ginning Monday, June 2S.
 e At the last annual convention of Dis trict 20, an amendment was made to the bylaws, constituting the auditing com mittee, a committee on credentials and this committee completed it's work yes terday morning at 10 o'clock When the convention comes to order the report of the credential committee will be presented and the body will get down immediately to work. The auditing committee also checked up the secretary treasurers
 
 the convention.
 The scale settlement is of great inn portance to this district. Is not coal the Fundamental factor of all the prosperity of this district? Neither the operators or miners anticipate a greement Peace and harmony prevail and the industries are prospe1ung and the miners are enjoy ing wages that are an advance over old +N f,. al, fn what the demands will be. The S-hour day and two weeks pay is very much de- sired. The present scale of wages is based on the Pratt seam and Is 45 cents a ton minimum and 55 cents a ton maximum the average selling price of iron determ- ming the exact scale. In view of the fact that iron has been selling at an advance price during nearly the entire life of the last contract price which was first adopted two years ago. the mini mum has never been reached and from sO cents to the maximum has been the prevailing price.
 It Is interesting to note the history of the miners organization in Alabama. As this Is the fourth scale convention and one Is held every year. it Is easily seen that the present organization is not old. It Is related that at the time of its being formed coal was being dug for as low as 8 cents per ton and lower. Iron was also selling for a niggardly sum and the two industries in Alabama were in a bad way generally. Members of the union were few and the operators had to put ID with any. kind of service they could get The industries grew and the organ ization grew and today these enterprises that represent immense amounts of mon- sy are moving along smoothly and the miners and operators have strict rules to do business on. The result has been beneficial to both. The miners organiza- tion has about 12,000 members and there is but one camp in District 20 where the union Is not recognized and union rules enforced. When the scale settlement is made it endures for one year, and all differences are adjusted by arbitration according to the contract now in force. The district is in excellent shape, and for this much credit is due to the un- tiring efforts of the officers. President Edward Flynn, Secretary-Treasurer J. l.. Clemo, National Organizer Joseph Hallier and National Board Member Will liam Fairley.
 Arrangements have been made to en- certain the delegates royalty at Bessemer and in view of the handsome treatment Curing the annual convention last De- comber, the delegates anticipate a de lghtful time during the hours while the convention is rot Tn session.