The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-23


 the statement that he was going to be bankrupted. That was the essence or what he said; that he could not carry on his busness-hs mines-and keep them in proper order at the present prices he was paying for mining, and remember that I retorted that If that be true, 1t was time the mine inspector made visit to his mines and got them in a safe condi- ton. Yet, to my surprise, gentlemen, not many months ago MT Pearson formed commercial coal company, capitalized at s2OO. GOO. And now it does seem to me that If he had not been making a pront on ms investment he has not shown the business judgment have always given him credit for. to sink $20O, 900 in some old hole in Alabama. However I anticipate that when he formed that company of $2OOOoO strong that he had every reason to be- lieve that he was going to get little more profit out of 1t than banks com monly pay on deposit.
 q want to say in justice to Colonel Bush, because I have never heard him get up to speak that I did not admire I fair. and believe he will do fair as far as he can see it, but confess that today he reminded me of a lawyer with bad case He was appealing to the jury and I fail to see the facts that was going to get a favorable verdict l have some times. MT Chairman, been in that unfor- tunate position myself, and I know how {z 4o try t0 n1ak thing out of nothing. l don't like it, and, therefore, Colonel Bush has my deepest sympathies in his attempt to make some- thing out of nothing. l want to say, gen. tlemen, that Colonel Bush did say some thing that was of some encouragement, and that was when we got this thing into the hands of the scale committee, that probably we might be able to thrash out the objectionable features, or rather understood him that way. l live in the same boat myself but want to say in conclusion, to the operators, and then I am done. so far as our side is concerned. In reply to the proposition of the oper- ators, and I simply want to call Colonel Bush's attention that l never cared to go into details of the contract until the money proposition Is disposed of, and that is the wage scale question, and that is the reason why I did not care to discuss our proposed scale any more, as thought my objections to your scale was sufficient reason for ours.'
 MT. Farley then took up the question again of the proposition of the operators to roala tha minimum 2716c
 He closed his remarks as follows;
 ''One more word l want to say now in regard to the iron proposition. I noticed Sa turday, l think 1t was, that Judge Gary of the United States Steel company speaks very optimistically SO far as the steel and iron trade are concerned; so much so that they have now contracted for 250, 900 tons of rails at s2S per ton. No reduction in the tonnage price for rails. He further says that there are active in- quiries being made for the last half of 1904. Two hundred and fifty thousand tons are for the first half of 1904. With all those facts before us is the reason I want to repeat It that the men are entitled to all they are asking for"
 Colonel Bush Replies.
 Colonel Bush replied to Mir. Fairiey He emphasized the various points, ex- plaining that for several years the com panies operated their plants at loss; that nine-tenths of all the money paid out for operations went to labor; that the semi monthly pay day would necessi- tate increased clerical force and conse-