The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-16
sSWERED BY MIR. PERCY
Attorney Says the System is the Proper One.
The Board Win Probably Be Ready by Next Saturday to Deliver Award-The Miners Feel
 Confident.

Birmingham. Aug. Especial. )--The Beard of Arbitration considering the diff ferences between the coal operasors and miners will hear testimony from the op- orators on Monday until noon. then the miners have two days. after which both sides have one day each to present argu- ment. The Board will probably be ready by Saturday next to deliver the award. The miners feel confident that they are going to come out ahead
 The sixth day of tine hearing of the Arbitration Board was taken up with further presentation of evidence by the operators.
 The usual large crowd of interested spectators was in attendance. ]. H. Ad- ams. assistant district manager of the Republic Iron and Steel Company, who went on the witness stand yesterday af- ternoon, continued his testimony. He said that the eight-hour system would increase the cost of production; that fur mace laborers work twelve hours per day and that tipple work, washing and the like at the mines were such that the out put could not be handled in eight hours. Many Sharp Questions.
 Judge Gray, chairman of the Arbitra- ton Board, asked the witness many sharp questions regarding the commis; sary or company store system. He want | GU LC hllOW II lS WVUtN ti0t 0u G% NM MAJ " issue a laborer a i've dollar biu as to give him & five dollar chRck WAtueaz Adams testified that his company did not discriminate on account Of color in the employment of laborers and that ii had as many negroes as whites Revert l ing again to the commissary system, which seemed to interest Judge Gray more than any other feature of the in- vestigation, the chairman asked if Il 6akR IA a1r kf, 1n anF more frequently than to have him stor on from work to draw checks,
 The witness gave no direct reply to this question, but said that the gtores of the ! company had originally been establiahed at. the request of the miners.
 fye-aIt foaks Aafd. 2, said JadSD Gray, ''fOl man to work for $I00 per month and get only s7S becaase of this store chsch | system.
 This statement referred to the method of discounting store checks for cash The witness said that negroes drew checks to get money for gambling and for drinking. Judge Gray inquired if the present system did not encourage these immoral practices.
 Immortality Not Encouraged. In answer to Judge Grey's question the witness said that he was of the opinion that issuance of checks did not encourage immortality as the best class of miners as a rule kept their checks and by buying others secured their groceries at a dis | count
 l Judge Gray then made a lengthy state ment in which he practically foreshadow- ed his decision on the question of semi. monthly pay days. He said that the pre-. sent system of issuing checks to miners and discounting them for cash was vicious in that 1t forced miner to lose l % per cent of his earnings if for any | reason he desired to be paid before the end of the month, He further said that he thought the system encouraged i'm morality in that 1t gave opportunity to the thriftIess to gamble their money away He waso of the opinion that semi
 monthly pay day should be tried. at least as an experiment.. If it would do away with the check system he was heartily 1 in favor of #. f .' s-t He further said that if a check system
 was still allowed under the seTni-montl1lS pay day that under no consideration
 would he vote for the system unless ths checks be made payable to a certain miner and that no other person be allow ed to use it in any way whatsoever. This he said. would prevent the harmful trad ing
 Percy Answers Gray.
 This statement by Judge Gray created a sensation among the operators as wei as the miners and Attorney Walker Percy representing T. c. I and R. R. Co, made a lengthy reply. He reviewed tho history of the system and explained that 1t firs originated during a season of depression
 when the companies could not meet theii
 pay rolls. They could not raise money
 he said, but they had credit for merchan
 disc and in this way they managed tt carry the miners over the trying period Since then the system has spread and fl many places Is welcomed by the mon. H, said the industrious miner could get hl.
 groceries and other necessarles at a dls count by frugality while his thriftles.
 brother lost part of his earnings by reck lessness and extravaganza. MT. Percy
 said he believed it would be a great dis
 aster in mining circles if the system wa!
 abolished.
 MT. Percy's statement Is regarded b,
 both sides as one of the most Sorcefu statements ever made to an arbitration
 board and 1t created a profound impres
 sion upon Judge Gray and other member
 of the commission.