The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-02
EARLY AGREEMENT
 IS NOT IN SIGHT Miners and Furnace Operators
 Still Far Apart
  A SUSPENSION OF WORK  Miners Convention Adlourns, But the Joint Committee Meets Again Tues day-Fairley counsels Or
 der in Event of Strike.
A SUSPENSION OF WORK

der in EVene or SirfnS'
 The miners and furnace operators are both standing firm for their respeetNe scale propositions and an early settle ment is not insight The joint scale com- mittee held a session yesterday morning and adjourned until Tuesday.
 The miners convention adjourned yes terday after authorizing the district ex- ecutive committee to deal with the wage question. Many of the commercial opera tors have signed the miners scale and all, or nearly all, it Is thought will sign next week, but the gerat majority of the United Mine Workers in this district are employed by the iron companies and will therefore be idle unlI the furnace men and the miners officials reach an agree ments
 Four of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company's furnaces at Bessemer went out of blast yesterday and President Bacon announces that the fifth Bessemer furnace and the Oxmoor furnace will go out of blast later, The Tennessee com pany will be able to get out enough coal at it's mine worked by conviets to keep the Ensley furnaces and the steel plant going.
 The Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron com pany works convicts at it's Flat Top mines and will get out coal enough to supply one or more of its furnaces.
 It now seems probable that all but few furnaces in this district will be idle by the middle of the month unless the miners and operators should sign a scale before that time
 The Convention.
 President Flynn called the miners con- vention to order yesterday morning at 1110 o'clock. "ls the scale committee ready to report?'' inquired the president.
 MT. Fairley: "rhe scale committee is ready to report, MT. Chairman"
 President Flynn: "Well, present your report to the convention"
 MT Fairley: MT. Chairman and gen. tlemen of the conventions I might say in the beginning of the report of the com mittee that since the last adjournment of the convention your committee has met with the operators committee in two short sessions. The one yesterday was necessarily very short in consequence of he~death of MT Strongs brother-in-law in Michigan. However, before adjourn ment we voted on the operators proposi- tion for new scale and voted it down '-fth but two exceptions, and they were:
 '1. The clause relating to boys not be- ing employed in the mines when they are under IA years of age
 ..2. The rules governing machine min ing at Lewisburg.
 Both sides voted in favor of these two clauses. which are just the same as they were last year. These were the only propositions agreed to. We took the po- sition that while 1t might be desirable to discuss their scale and ours in the en- tirety, still nothing could be accomplished until wage scale had been agreed to- The operators committee agreed with us in this, saying that it would be futile to continue discussions. We then adjourned until this morning.
 No Settlement In Sight.
 ''The session this morning lasted for hal- an hour, and both sides took firm stands on the wage proposition. Now we have adjourned until Tuesday, July 5, for further consideration. At the first. gen. d strike could not be averted, and I am now more firmly convinced of this than ever before. We decided that if the two committees should again fail to agree on Tuesday that a meeting of the joint committee can be called by the chair man at any time upon the request lof one or more members. Gentlemen, l am frank to say to you there Is not any set- tlement in sight.
 Now, gentlemen of the convention 1t is for you to decide what is best to do. If we are compelled in protection of our interests to strike, l want to sound a note of warning to you all now I hope there will be no violation of the law. and l feel sure that such a thing will not even be considered by any member of the United Mine Workers of America (Applause.) If we have to wage a con test wage 1t peaceably Keep within the pale of the law. There is nothing 10 gain by getting mad and violating the law. Our very existence depends upon our good citizenship and we must show the general public that if we are forced to fight fight that we will do so within the pale of the law
 NO intimation was made to us by the operators committee as to what thev vii, do or what proposition they intend to present at the meeting Tuesday,"
 Mr. Kirkpatrick.
 Delegate Kirkpatrick: We have waited with patience, gentlemen of the conven- ton, in this natter, and in my opinion we will have to wait longer patiently. We cannot afford toN break off aegotiations n f this time. l must say that I have at tended many conventions, but that this one baffles me. If the iron operators ex- rect us to sign this scale, will repea a remark that recall was made, in 1897, wnich was I will first see grass growing between the street car tracks of Bir- mirgham.' The operators scale is unjust in prices and in conditions. I move you. therefore, that we now adjourn, subject to the call of the officers of the organiza- tion."
 President Flynn: Don't be in such a big hurry to adjourn. You now have more time than you have money, anyway"
 Mr. Fairley: T might also add that I told fte members of the orera fprs' com