The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-07-20
BEGINNING OF END
ALMOST IN SIGHT
Miners and Operators Hold An
other Meeting Today
ARBITRATION IN THE AIR
Operators Meet at 10 O'Clock This
Morning to Prepare New Propo-
sltIon to be Presented to the
Joint Conference.

Today IS one of great Importance IN the
miners wage-seale controversy and will
probably see the beginning Of the end Of
the struggle.
The operators meet at 10 o'clock this
morning to prepare an arbitration PROPOSE
ton which they hope to make acceptable
to the miners.
At o'clock In the afternoon joint
conference of miners and operators will
be held in Fox's hall. at the corner Of
Nineteenth street and Fourth avenue
when the proposition of the operators will
be taken up and an effort made to get
matters In shape to refer to the miners
locals for ratification.
A General Topic.
The mining situation was the general
topic of conversation whenever two or
three men got together yesterday. There
were no general prayer services especially
directed toward the arbiters of the mining
situation, but 1t Is safe to say that an
unuttered prayer went up from almost
every man and woman who has the vel
fare of Birmingham at heart, that there
may be no strike.
A prominent wholesale dealer said yes
terday in discussing the situation; 1t
hardly seems possible after Saturdays
proceedings that there can be any serious
trouble In store. The matter will now be
settled.
Il have known the leaders on both sides
for many years and l am sure that they
would do nothing to mislead the public
and that they are fully In earnest when
they say that they wish to arbitrate. Now,
as both sides have proposed practically
the same solution of the existing difficult
ties for one am not SO pessimstic as to
believe that any minor question can bring
about an unbridgeable breach between
the parties
Il have been told. and believe though
I am sorry to be obliged to do so. that
there are men on. each side who for their
own selfish ends would welcome strike
OF these persons I can only say that no
punishment is too great for men who
would reclklessly. or from selfish purposes.
plunge the community in such disaster
No Great Loss Sustained.
"As yet I do not think that any great
loss has been sustained by anyone out
side the two sides directly Interested. If
the outlook for early resumption of work
should change. and matters become
threatening the effect WI be Immediate
Collections from the small outside store
keepers are very slow as it is, as they
want to hang on to every cent in their
MT
stream will again begin to flow into their
tills. Should serious difficulties arise and
the end seem far off there would be
hard times for many interests outside the
ranks of the strikers Collections in GER
tain lines would be practically impossi-
BILE, and sales would fall off rapidly. Just
stop and think of it. A low estimate
places the wages paid to mine workers
in this district at $4,000 per day. At
least 60 per cent of that sum goes into
the business of the merchants in this
district That means that every week
of idleness would take from sec, 900 to $75.-
600 out of circulation among the business
houses of the district Even If that was
the full extent of the disaster, it would
be serious.
Indirect Results.
There are, however. results that
while indirect would still be cLargeable
to the strike should one occur. Many
orders have been taken conditionally.
These would lapse. Hundreds Of thous-
ands and probably millions of dollars of
capital that will otherwise be invested
in this district during the next year
would go elsewhere. or at best lie idle
awaiting move stable conditions. Real
estate values would fall. Mortgages
would be foreclosed and in hundreds OF
channels unconnected with the troubles
between miners and operators. the dire
consequences of the conflict would fall
on innocent heads"