The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-08
SCALE QUESTION
 GROWING ACUTE MT. Maben Stands Pat on 2 1-2
 Cent Proposition WILL DO NOTHING MORE If That Proposition Is Not Accepted at Once MT. Mahen Says the Time for a Fight Has Arrlved--An-
 other Contract Signed.
WILL DO NOTHING MORE

The miners wage scale situation Is becoming acute.
 Another company outside of the oper- ators' association signed an agreement with the miners yesterday. making the sixth contract made between miners and operators since the expiration of the old contract. The concerns that have signed are numbered with the small companies.
 J. c. Maben. president of the Sloss- Sheffield company, presents the position of his company in forcible language, and matters are at critical stage.
 J. L. clemo secretary of the United Mine Workers of America, District No. 20. said yesterday that the Jenifer Fur mace company employing nearly one hundred men, had signed tentative agreement by which 1t makes an advance of 10 per cent on last years scale of wages. and further grants an eight-hour working day and a semi-monthly pay day.
 Mir. Maben Talks.
 President Maben, of the Sloss-sheffeld says that he was led Into the agreement to advance wages 2h cents per coal ton, on a misunderstanding From the first he contended against any advance, and when his better judgment had been over come in the matter, he stuck out for the advance on the maximum price only. Finally. an operator being present who claimed to unoffcially represent the United Mine Workers of America, he consented, he said, to the proposition to offer the advance of PIE cents. on the distinct understanding, he thought, that if the operators granted this concession 1t would bring about a speedy adjust ment of all differences between the two sides and prevent any cessation of work on July l.
 Furthermore he had no Idea, he said, that common laborers in the mines were to be included in. and benefit by this ad- vance, until he heard the proposition read out in the joint conference
 VIII Make No Further Concession.
 MT. Maben stated positively that the sloss- Sheffield company could not, and would not agree, in any event, to make any concessions, in addition to the 2h cents increase, and they would not even entertain any tentative proposition on the part of the miners, looking to any better terms than have already been offered by the operators
 While MT. Maben says he does not want to say or do anything that will in any manner precipitate trouble between the operators and miners he wishes 1t to be distinctly understood that the matter must be settled very soon and definitely on the basis offered by the operators, or the sloss- Sheffield company will withdraw the offer made already by the operators, so far as the Sloss- Sheffield people are con- cerned.
 MT Maben states that he has already been through one fight of this Kind in West Virginia and, as a consequence of the stand taken there by the company in which he was interested, there Is not a camp a camp of United Mine Workers of America in that state. He says that if a | fight must come in this district he be- lieves that now is the time, as the oper- ators will never be fin better condition for 1t.
 EairIev and Flynn Retieent