The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-09
MINERS REFER THE WAGE
SCALE TO LOCAL UNIONS
COMMITTEE OF MINERS CALL ON
OPERATORS AND ASK THAT
THEY BE READY TO MEET THEM
ON THURSDAY.

The United Mine workers. convention
has referred the wage scale question to
the locals. This action was taken at
yesterday afternoons session, and at
o'clock the convention adjourned until /.
Thursday.
committee of miners called on the
operators association. which was in ses-
sion for the purpose of hearing from the
convention and reported what had been
DONE and asked the operators to be
ready to meet the United Mine Workers
Thursday The locals will meet today
and decide whether the report of the
joint scale committee shall be ratified or
rejected.
While many of the delegates were In
favor of going ahead and taking the re-
sponsibility of acting on the report the
majority took the ground that it was
matter for the locals to deal with.
The convention yesterday was still
divided as the question of two weeks
pay day. This is the only one of the orr
ginal demands of much Importance that
any considerable number of delegates
seemed disposed to fight for.
1t is known that the operators ASSOC
citation in making concessions to the On
tied Mine Workers in the matter of the
day labor wage and In one or two other
matters did so in spite of the protest
of a strong minority, but 1t Is said that
the association is practically unanimous
in the stand 1t has taken against two
weeks pay day.
II feel very hopeful that the mine
workers and the operators will reach an
agreement Thursday but If the dele
gates come back from the locals with a
demand for change in the pay day sys-
tenn, there will be no use In consuming
time over a fresh discussion of the
question. l am trusting in the conserv-
atism of the men, when the issues are
up for final settlement. I believe con-
tract will be signed and that the miners
will return to work not later than Mon
day.
1.-The operators. in agreeing to advance
the day labor wage, have done what will
cost them in the aggregate fully 100000
in the course of the next twelve months.
That is what 1 call a big concession to
the men, when their present wages are
taken into consideration.
Zone of the costly features of these
delays in settling the wage scale is in
the money loss that idleness entails. The
United Mine Workers of this district
have lost, by not working. something
like $500, 900 in the time they have been
out This is a large item in itself to say
nothing of the loss incurred by the OPP
orators"
President Ed Flynn and National Com
mitteeman w. r. Farley were as re-
ticent as usual yesterday when they
were asked for news and views concern
ing the situation. With the exception of
the bare fact that the convention had
referred the report of the scale commit
tee to the locals nothing was officially
given out.
Ensiey Mass Meeting.
The Age-Herald's Ensley correspondent
sent the following special under last
nights date:
The miners OF Pratt City, Wylam and
Ensley will meet in mass meeting In the
AUDITORIUM of the city hall at Ensley to-
morrow "wednesday morning at $3.50
o'clock This will be meeting similar
in all respects to those held throughout
the State at the different mining camps.
It's object being to decide whether or not
the scale as agreed upon by the joint
committee would be accepted for the en-
suing year.
In this meeting all the miners through
out the State will instruct their delegates
as to whether or not the arrangement
as agreed upon is satisfactory and will
be accepted. This instruction will be
In the hands of the delegates before noon
of Thursday. by which time they will be
enabled to act In a matter of settle
ment In accordance with the wishes of
the great body of mine workers. BY
noon of Thursday these delegates or a
committee selected by them will meet a
committee of the operators association
and report or make known what their
Instructions have been; they will then
be authorized to sign the scale. thus re-
Stunning work throughout the State or to
declare general strike throughout Dis
trict No. 20.