The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-10
Union or Non-Unlon.

"This was pointed out very clearly to MT. McCrery. He was told that the aues- tion with us was union or non-unlon, and that we proposed to preserve our organ ization at all hazards, and also to keep expelling members and to continue to work with them meant that we would only make allies for the operators at some future time; and therefore we would call a halt at once
 "The Tennessee company is trying by pretense to delude the public on the real issues at stake in this matter. They take the position that they will not compel any employe to pay ths assessment against his will, while the facts are that at Blue Creek on last Saturday October 4. we had reliable information that they informed certain of our members who had refused to pay the anthracite assess ment that they must pay that assess ment or they would be discharged. The reason for their different action at Blue Creek on the anthracite assessment as compared with their action at Pratt mines and West Pratt is clear and evil dent. They expected that when all the men at Blue Creek had signed the list to pay the anthracite assessment that we would be unable to induce 4hem to stop work.
 "In other words. it is not the assess lneHl tudl IS cduSillS lI6 tTOuDle between the Tennessee company and it's em- ployes. The real reason is that the ac- tion of tho Tennessee company for some time past has been to destroy all labor organizations in the district. In proof of that statement they have discharged all union bricklayers. blacksmiths, boiler makers and machinists at the furnaces and employed non-union men in their places at lower rates of wages. It is only of ffr11a 1rYlff1 thp attack would have. been made on us; In fact, 1t is made on us now, because no self-re- specting trades unionist can work with men who have been so disloyal that the organization has been compelled to ex- pei them.
 The New Contract.
 "In further proof of the intention to destroy the United Mine Workers of America in Alabama, they submitted a new contract Monday evening to the Blue Creek miners calling for reductions in the day scale, which contract the men promptly refused to sign. They (the Ten- nessee people, have, however, submitted a second contract offering the same rates of wages for two years, but with condi- tions of the contract very materially changed so far as the United Mine Work CTS of America are concerned and in di- rect contradiction to the contract en- eeIeu iheo oi o"ts +t oA sii9
 "The following clause of the new contract reads: No collection to be made for any purpose except at the re- quest oe the employee
 "The assessment clause in the contract entered into between the operators and miners on July Il, 1902, reads as follows
 The expenses of the representatives of the miners to be regulated and paid by them, such expenses to be prorated by the committee at so much per miner | whose name appears on the roll and to be collected by the company and turned | over to the committed
 "The difference between these two clauses is so great that it requires no comment from me further than to say that the public will readily understand that the change is a direct attempt to destroy the miners organization. l VI repeat that this suspension is not to