The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-30
SAYS PRESIDENT BACON IS NOT CONSISTENT, AS COMPANY DE. DUCTS EMPLoYEs' MONEY FOR DOCTORS BILLS, ETC. ,.r

The situation in the mining camps of this district was the same yesterday that It was last week. The 300 United Mine workers at the Tennessee. Coal, Iron and Railroad company's No. Pratt slope and the 400 at the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad company's West Pratt or Blossburg mines who quit work several days ago are still out. Rumors circulated to the effect that the men at Palos and the men at all the mines at Blossburg had been called out were without foun- dation
 w R. Fairleys Alabama member of the national board of the United Mine Work CTS, gave out this statement yesterday at noon:
 FalrIey's Statement.
 Tt seems strange that the Tennessee company would permit No. 3 at Pratt City to, stop work, where 299 men had agreed to pay the assessment out of total of 800. In all cases, In legislatures, ln congress, or any other organized poules, the rule of a majority Is enforced. ahls particular case the minority, com posed of one man, sets up in defiance the will of 299 men. In discussing this Ques ton last week with the general manager or the Tennessee company and other com- panles 1t was suggested to us that we ought to discipline our own members, and that 1t was no business or concern of theirs. The remedy suggested was that if one of themselves were members of a club, such member refusing to obey the rules and resolutions of that club, why they would expel him.
 With that suggestion I am heartily In accord but that method of disciplin-
  nessee company permit their mines to be laid idle because one man out of 300 re- fused to obey the rules and resou- 'tons of the organization, and we expel him, will the Tennessee company dis charge him if the men refuse to work with non-union men, because that would be the logical result of the expulsion. That question of union or non-union has been live question among the Ala abama miners for some years. It has been kept in the background for the simple reason that the policy of the Alabama operators in the position has not required settle ment of that question. Wiser councils have prevailed, and while the issue of union or non-union has. not been raised because we accomplished those matters without that position being clearly decld- ed. If organization cannot enforce assess ments legally put on by the organization and expel the refractory members for this refusal the question can only be solved by eXpelling members and drawing the issue whether we work with non-union men or not.
 High Ground.
 The high ground assumed by President Bacon requires answer. He states to the public that he has no legal or moral right to deduct from any mans wages any sum without his consent. I know that a state ment of that kind will appeal forcibly to the public mind, but parties who assume that position should be sure that they do all their business on that plane.
 President Bacon compe1s all men to pay for blacksmithing. He also compels at some of the mines operated by the Ten nessee company the miner to pay the doctors, notably so at Blue Creek. I am advised that a list was signed by ninety employees at the Adger mine who refused to pay money to a gentleman of the med ical profession by the name of Dr. Dun lap. These men sent committees to the officers of the Tennessee company in Bir- mingham asking for the removal of pr. Dunlap making several charges, that, if true, were not creditable to any com pany who refused to grant the request in removing the aforesaid doctor. The men at Adger are until this hour compelled to pay $ when married and 50 cents when single to this doctor. Many of those men have such objection and so lit- tie faith in Dr. Dunlap that when sick