The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-18
OPERATORS ISSUE
 AN OFFICIAL CARD Say They Will Not Receive Pro-
 position from Union BACON AND MABEN TALK FalrIey Replies to Operators Card. Says EmphatlcaIIy That He Never
 Circulated Report That Con
 ference Was to Be Held.
BACON AND MABEN TALK

nam district held meeehS yeSNSio oi9 , and as a result sent the following com- munication to the Age-Herald:
 Birmingham, Ala, August 1T, 1904.
 The reports that are being circulated to the effect that the pig Iron producing | companies of the Birmingham district, whose coal miners are not now at work, are considering settlement with the union are without foundation. Under no circumstances will we enter into any con tract with or receive any proposition from the United Mine Workers of America.
 Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Co.,, by Don H. Bacon, President.
 Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Go, by J. C. Maben, President.
 Republic Iron and Steel Co.,, by w. H. Hassinger. Vice President.
 Lacey Buck Iron Co.,, by c. E. Buck, l President
 Tutwlier Coal. Coke and Iron Co.,. by E. M. Tutwiler.
 Maben and Bacon Explain.
 MT. Bacon of the Tennessee company and MT. Maben of the sloss- Sheffield company, who were together in MT. Ma ben's office. explained that reports had been received to the effect that persons, believed to be emissaries of the union of- ficials, had been among the miners tell 1 ing them that conference had been ar ranged between the union officials and the operators. They further explained that these reports were evidently intend- ed to make the men who nao expressed desire to go to work to refrain there from as a settlement might be reached. and they would be thrown out of em- ployment.
 You see," said MT. Maben, how such reports could easily make the men timid about going to work. With information that a conference was near they would naturally fear to go to work believing that if a settlement was reached they would be thrown out Of the union and could not return to work under new contract.
 .'We are very much pleased at the sit- uation." said both MT. Maben and MT. Bacon and the outlook is even more en- couraging than we expected at this time. The output of coal Is gradually increas- ing owing to the fact that every day adds more men in the mines. There IS nothing new in the situation We are simply going ahead with our work and are meeting with success
 Farley Replies to Operators.
 William R. Fairley, member of the national board of the United Mine Work CTS of America, was shown the statement issued by the operators and later he addressed the following communication to The Age-Herald.
 Birmingham, August II, 1904. To the Editor of The Agc-Herald:
 A letter has been handed me signed by the presidents of all the furnace compa- nies whose miners are now at work, claiming that reports are being circulated to the effect that the pig iron producing coinparies of the district are considering a settlement with the union. As this is a covert insinuation, notwithstanding the public denials in the press of the district .'iE,frs and myself, 1 deem 1t necessary t) make emphatic denial.
 The Lrmness and loyalty of our mem- 1 bers las been sufficiently tested since Jdly to make it absolutely unnecessary to tescrt to any such flimsy subterruge or to resort to such methods as are adver- tised ir negro newspaper called "rhe Hot Shot," which has an article in the issue Of August 13. and published in Chat | tanooga. The caption of the article read l Why Remain Idle When You Can Make 1 $i and $5 Per Day" The mines where those wages can be earned. 1t states, are those of the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad company, Sloss-Sheffeld Steel and Iron company, Republic Iron aed Steel company, Tutwiler Coal, Coke and Iron company, Lacey-Buek Iron com pany and the Woodward Iron company.
 If we were paying as much attention to ,umCrs as the furnace companies of the ] Birmingham district evidently are we 1 might, without any stretch of imagina- tion ask if the article in the Hot Shot 1 already referred to was not in- spired by the pig Iron producing com panics (but God forbid the thought) who operate the mines, where the article states tho rn.ners earn 4 to 8 per day.
 It was quite unnecessary for the fur mace operators to advise the miners, who are now not at work. that under no cir cumstances would they enter into any contract with, or receive, any proposition from the United Mine Workers of Amer ica. The notices posted at the various mines of the aforesaid companies are suf- ficiently plain and clear on that point that a blind man may read and under stand them as he runs.
 We accept this threat and all it means with equanimity and possess our souls with patience and fortitude and leave Time. which is the great arbiter. to de- termine what the policy will be at the end of this unfortunate conflict
 ". R. FARLEY.
 Mr. Fairley said positively that he had never started reports to the effect that conference was near or probable. ..In every speech I have made" said Mir. Fairley, 'I have told the miners that we were facing what I believed would be a long struggle. I have been quoted fre- auently in the newspapers on this point Even as late as this morning you will see where I said that I saw no early probabil- ity of a conference and emphatically de- nied the truth of the rnmor which had been circulated by some one. know not who to that effect.
 eve are very well satisfied" continued Mr. Fairley "Our men are remaining firm and loyal and so far l have heard of but very few of them returning to work. In most of the places the miners have remained firm to the man. It would be difficult for me to say when think the strike will end. Time alone can tell that"