The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-15
Discusses Differences Leading
 Up to the Strike
ARGUES NUMEROUS POINTS
Operators Report Substantial Output and Estimate That the Furnace companleo Are Getting Out
 About 5000 Tons Daily.

by the union officials three weeks age that the output did not exceed, at that time, 1000 tonsta day. While the ouput of the Alabama mines this year will be larger than last year on account of the opening up of more new mines, an op- orator estimates that the ouptut of the furnace company mines normally Is be- tween 15,000 and 10000 tons a day.
 William R. Farley, member of the na- tional board of United Mine Workers of America, addressed the following letter to The Age-Herald last night:
 To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 Before arriving at a correct understands ing of the present miners strike, 1t is necessary to know something about the custom of making settlements in this district. For about ten years, the min CTS have assembled at some time in June and made up a scale which represented what they would like to have the oper- ators grant them in the way of wages and rules This was followed by meet ing with the operators at which time the operators, after hearing the requests of dhe miners, presented what they consid- cred proper scale to pay.
 l Ou cdn See lIldL uitueT lIlS HiCiiAOoo of procedure, the miners are quite apt to ask for Just little more than they can even hope the operators will con- cede and on the other hand, the operators offer less than they hope to have the miners accept; but everybody being in a good humor there Is a week or two or longer of bargaining and giving and taking, just as there is in all other large trading where so much is at stake, and heretofore, the result has been scale fairly satisfactory to both sides, and a continuation of work.
 Not as Usual.
 This year the miners met as usual and formulated a scale which asked for lit tie more in some particulars than they had been receiving. The operators, as a body declined to meet the miners, and the Operators association was announced to be dissolved In its stead, there ap- peared before the miners assembly Fur mace Operators association, which com prised all the furnace operators. with pos sibly one exception, and one commer- cial operator. This association, through its spokesman, presented to the miners a proposition changing the basis of the former scale and in addition reducing the minimum. the prevailing rate, 7Hs cents per ton and proposing to make some ether changes to which 1 shall refer again. Up to this time, there was nc material change in the usual procedure The miners did not, of course, expect tC have the operators grant them even tht small increase which their scale request ed, nor did the miners think for a min ute, that the operators expected to have the miners concede the reduction whicl they had requested.
 The miners believed that the usua period of trading and bargaining would follow and that in the end, scale would be signed which would fair to all. In this however, they were mistaken. In the negotiations, the miners quite promptly started the trading by saying that they would take off all the extras they had re- quested, and would settle on last years basis. This proposition would ordinarily have been followed by one from the op- orators making some concession from their demands, but in this case, the op- orators made no concession and for many days, presented all the argument they could to show that the conditions of the iron and coal trades were such as to preclude the possibility of their pay ing more than their offer of 40 cents, minimum per ton on $9 pig iron
 As the operators clung to this conten- tion all the way throuh, there was no good to be accomplished by any further offers by the miners, even if they had been inclined to make further compro- mise. and the matter ended finally in suspension of work, which was after wards made a formal strike. The dis trict and all the people in it are suffer- ing, the sate suffers. and the whole peo- ple suffer and there is either an unfor- tuuate condition which cannot now, and at no time, could have been avoided; or the miners and operators have not dealt frankly with each other, and with the public and one or the other, or both, are to blame for the unfortunate condi- ton of affairs.
 The Miners.
 Now, let us see what the miners have done: They offered to renew last year's working scale, and made the only conces- sion made at any time In the negotia- tions. No move having been made by the other side, they rested their case What was last years scale? Forty-seven and one-half cents per ton, Pratt basis on eight-dollar iron. How was 1t arrived at? By years of cutting and fitting through times which included the periods of the lowest priced iron, under s6, and the highest in many years, over s20 It was also the only scale ever made ir this district by arbitration, and while il may not have been a perfect scale, 1t was no doubt more nearly so than any oi those which had been made without the intervention of a third and disinterested party.
 What have the miners done since the strike order? Have there been more in. stances of violence and disorder than be. fore the strike? If so, the records do moi show it. It has been stated In the news papers that two killings have resulted from the strike. Is that true? And fl true. are the miners in any way to blame for 1t? Only one of the men killed be. longed to the miners organization, and he was killed in difficulty with a mine foreman, the facts of which are now un- der investigation by the proper authori- ties. The other man killed did not be- long to the organization, and was not working as miner. In any event. he was not killed by the union miners, but by the officers of the law, who are now under bond.
 As to Personal Difficulties.
 There have been other personal diffi- culties and there are personal difficult ties every day about many other matters besides the strike, and they cause little or no comment. There have been report ed three or four cases of dynamiting No one can depiore such things more than the miners themselves. Violence car do their cause no good. and it may dc much harm; but beyond and above that is the fact that it is a crime against society and the law and the miners or. ganization stands for the fair admins tration of the law. But you have doubt less noticed that many of the acts her. -~~-~---
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