The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-18
SCALE COMMITTEE
/ MAKES ITS REPORT
United WINE workers in Execu-
tive Session
TERMS ARE NOT DISCLOSED
Proposed School for Mining at Uni
versIty of Alabama Was Endorsed
BY onventlon-officlaIs of
other Districts Arrive.
TERMS ARE NOT DISCLOSED

President Edwfrd Flynn at the first days
session Of the seventh annual convention
| of District No. 20 United Mine Workers
of America, announced when the after
noon session of the convention was called
to order yesterday that 1t was ready to
report, and the body then went into exec
utiye session. The scale committee has
been hard at work for several days but
nothing is given out as to the terms of
the scale.
A number of officials in the national
organization have come to Birmingham to
confer with the delegates and Of
ficers Of District No. 20 relative TO
the new working scale, and others are
expected to follow. Yesterday afternoon
Joseph vasey. member of the national
executive committee from Tennessee and
President T. !. Smith of District No 10,
composing the states of Tennessee and
Kentucky arrived. Herman C. Perry,
president of District No. II of Illinois, is
expected to arrive this morning.
Blocton Miners.
It was announced yesterday afternoon
that the convention in executive session
had endorsed the action of the district
board several weeks ago in advising the
miners employed at Blocton who were out
on a strike to go back to work pending
an attempt to SETTLE differences that ex-
listed.
Proposed School,
President Flynn called the convention
to order yesterday morning shortly after
o'clock Under the head OF misceila-
neous business 1t was announced by
President Flynn that he had received
letter from Professor Kay of the univer-
sity of Alabama relative to the establish
ment at Tuscaloosa of a school of mining.
The president expressed the opinion that
the convention should consider the prop
ositicn.
He then read the following letter from
Professor Kay:
"Tuscaloosa, Ala, March y, 1904
Mr.. Edward Flynn, President United
| Mine Workers of America, Birmingham,
| Ala:
my Dear Sir-The writer has been in
| recent correspondence with Mr. Jonn El1-
| chell, president of the United Mine Work
ers of America, relative to plan Tor the
establishment of a school for the educa-
ton of miners and miners sons, to ut
them for mine bosses, foremen, superin-
| tendents and engineers, as well as TO give
them the training for a higher educatlon
| in the art of mining and mining engineer
! ing. Such school has been chartered TO
| be located at Tuscaloosa, and tho CniVer-
sity of Alabama offers a very great IN
drt ement for the development OF such
school The cost of tuition is very mod
| crate for people outside of the state, De-
| ing only 500 per year, and IS Tree LOT
| all residents of the state. Other members
| OF the university faculty, as well as the
writer. are anxious to get this prepara-
tory school of mines in working order,
and are willing to give our time and to
| teach courses In the school free, and the
university will doubtless give ample facli-
! tiles for class room work. we nave
thought that IL we could interest your
orga nization In this project wa could then
! interest financial concerns or phliantnrop-
| lists to aid us. Dr. Smith, state geologist'
will likely, call upon you in day or two
| 10 talk over the project and when you
| have talked with him | will be glad TO
| have from you an expression OF your
views on the feasibility Of your organiza-
ton taking hold Of the matter, and OF
| your own cooperation in getting this
school started Mr.. Mitchell, in his last
letter to me says: L am much interested
in the subject of the educat II of miners
| and their children. and doing all
| I can to promote that woi & Mr.. Nit
chell also suggests that / write you,
| which was my purpose before nearing
| from him. Trusting : may have the pleas
ure of meeting you soon and of hearing
| from YOU. I remain. very truly yours,
EDGAR D. KAY"
Committee Appointed.
President Flynn stated that on account
of press of business 1t was impossible FOR
| him to confer with Professor Kay and Pro-
! fessor Smith when they called to see him
| recently about the school of mining. He
| gave the proposition his endorsement,
however, saying that he thought that 1t
was feasible, and that 1t would be good
thing for, the mine workers and their chill
| dren. committee headed by Fred Lem
non of Johns was then appointed to frame
resolutions endorsing the proposition. The
committee will report back TO the conven-
| ton at later date.
| The report of President Flynn as a del
| egate from the Mine Workers to the an
| nual convention of the State Federation
| of Labor, which was held at Gadsden' IN
| April, was then presented He said that
he had been elected as delegate to the
| American Federation of Labor, which
will be held in the late summer at Sar
| Francisco President Flynn reported fur
Their that the state federation was gain
| ing strength
Grievances Tabled.
| A further report from the committee
on grievances and appeals was made. The
| local at Johns reported that boiler and
| stable men have to work twelve hours q
day, while others only work ten hours un-
| der contract President FLYNN announced
| that IT was customary to work twelve
hours a day and the grievance was laid
upon the table.
The grievance from Palos against fire.
men firing more than one boiler ana en-
4 gineers looking after more than one en-
zine was referred to the district executive
Committee The convention then went into
executive session. to discuss the grievance
from Blocton.