The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-29
FAILING TO AGREE ON 4 SCALE
JOINT CONVENTION ADJOJRNS
Continued from Fifth Paee)

Contlnued from Ftfth Pager
said that the iron operator don't get the
benefit of the higher prices for five or six
months. That is true. But he forgets
to put the other side of the question and
say that when iron falls, that the miner
gets the benefit of the fall Immediately.
"A prediction has been made that af-
ter January 1 there is going to be a fall
ing market in the iron trade. l don't
know where this information came from
l only know that the newspapers said
tho other day. and newspapers sometimes
tell the truth, that a Southern furnace
had contracted for 5000 tons at 1850 per
ton.
Colonel Pearson says there is no ne
cessity for strike. With that express
sion ! concur. There Is no necessity for
a strike in Alabama. But when we begin
to think ABOUT the high prices being OBJ
tanned for all products, the necessity is
brought about because the operators re-
fuse to do an act of justice to the men
they employ. He says the commercial
men cannot stand anything more; that
they are not able to stand UP under what
they are now paying One thing that I
remtmber-an,i presume that every one
In this room remembers the same oircum-
stances just as we'll as / do-and that ia
that when iron was selling at So a ton
the commercial operstor never squealed
when he got the beneflt of the iron scale.
but just as soon as the iron scale is in
our favor he begins to squeai never
heard them say when the miner dug coal
at 37h cents ton that the iron scale
wasn't the proper thing, but just as soon
as we get IS cents or ask for go cents,
then 1t is the improve r thing
There 10 one thing that is significant
to me in relation to the commercial oper-
ar TT Ia n etc ~.
Tennessee Company mined one-third of
the production In the state. or rather one
half OF It, The commercial mines must
have been profitable when the increase
in production of the commercial mines
are now fully one-half Of the 9.000 900
tons mined In Alabama. I don't think you
would keep on developing mines IL there
is nothing in It. From all that I can
learn. the man who has a few acres of
coal now Is trying to buy more and he
is developing 1t as fast as he can.
Now, gentlemen. we have asked and
we are willing to try to discuss this ques-
ton again. From Colonel Pearson's re-
marks he says the operators will refuse
to discuss this question further. and yet
he has the audacity TO say that the re-
spopsibility will rest upon the shoulders
Of the miners. He says the men are salts
fed. II we get into strike, and It looks
realize that more than a few will not
be satisfied. He says that the interest OF
the operators and miners are Identical. I
confess that 1 do not go that far. be-
lieve that capital and labor should be
allies. but for many many years l have
failed to see the identity, and l think we
have fair expr ession of that fact this
morning. because II seems that our int err
ests are not Identical, and 1t is always
hof NAV Thau orn NV
til we come to divide the profits, and
whenever we come to divide the profits,
our interests separate ana you expect to
get the lions share.
IT noticed In the paper this morning
that the Unit ed Stdtes Steel Company
has advanced wages 10 per cent and
swelled their pay rolls more than a. 000-
900 annually. They recognize the justice
Of dividing some OF the profits, and try
ing, IL possible, to make the interests
OF labor identical with them. And strange
to say that this s4,ooo.00o Is to be divided
among a class of laborers that we have
asked advances for In this convention,
and that is men doing work by the ton,
and day hands. And yet you tell us that
tho miners In this district are better
off than In any state in the Union. You
pay the lowest day wage of any state in
the Union, and will throw West Virginia
in on top of that. You are not paying
for day labor what common laborers
are getting and yet you tell us that we
are In better condition than any peo-
pie in the Union. And then you follow II
UP by saying that you have nothing fur
Their to offer.
You haven't submitted a single argu-
ment to defend your position. Colonel
Bush and Colonel Pearson have made
statements that they were not getting
the benefit Of the advanced price OF iron.
I have not questioned the truthfulness
of the statement because I believe It is
true. I would not question a statement
of Colonel Bush or Colonel Pearson, for
II they lied to this convention, we would
find them out. They have admitted
themselves that they would receive about
$12 ton for the balance of this year,
and ] want to call the attention of the
operators in particular. that when this
scale was made. that / happened to
have either the good or the bad fortune
to help make 1t. Eight years ago there
was q proposition put In that scale to
assist the commercial operator and that
Is. we cut ~ cents ton for every so
cents on iron until wages were 80 cents
a ton. After that Mr.. Chairman, after
we reached so cents a ton, we protected
the commercial operator, and gave a
bonus, II might use the term. to the
furnace operator. As have stated before
and am going to make very little refer
ence to 1t now. we have nothing to do
with that s12 iron. We did not enter into
that combination to keep down prices.
But with iron at $12 a ton. you can afford
to advance wages cents a ton
Now, Mr.. Chairman, 1t is said that we
can't compete with different districts in
Kentucky and Illinois. want to say
that I assisted in making contract In
the month OF May Of this year In western
Kentucky where you claim you get a
large proportion of your competition
western Kentucky. we advanced the
minimum wages Of day labor II cents a
day. In other words. we advanced from
Los to $1.2z