The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-11
WAGE QUESTIONS
 AGAIN DISCUSSED Frank Nelson, Jry Defends His
 Resolution WORKING FOR BIRMIN CHAM Ed K. Smith. an Officer of the Bir- mlngham Trades Council, Makes
 Reply and Takes Issue
 With Mir. Nelson.
WORKING FOR BIRMIN CHAM

shake his hands, of the resolution offer ed by him at the meeting of the Com merclal club last Friday afternoon, with reference to wage scales in the Birmlng- ham district. The resolution as offered by MT. Nelson was adopted by the club
 When asked for an interview with re- gard to the criticisms on the resolution, Mr. Nelson said that the matter was not a personal one with him, but that he introduced it as the chairman of the man ufacturing committee of the Commercial club of Birmingham.
 Continuing he said
 "Eyerythlng that hurts labor in Blr- mngham, hurts Birmingham. Everything that helps labor in Birmingham, helps Birmingham. l do not agree with H. N. Randall. district organizer of the Ameri- can Federation of Labor when he says the action of the Commercial club has preclpltated a fight between organized 1a- bor on one side, and the Commercial club on the other: nor do I agree with him in statement that high scale here and the low scale in Atlanta is justified because Birmingham Is a hustling, up to date magic city, while Atlanta Is an an- cient hoosier town, whose character Of industries does not require the high class of skilled labor indispensable to the con- struction of a great commercial city, etc. Tt is very nice of MT. Randall. while crlticizing the Commercial club to throw boquets at Birmingham, but hardly think he either realized. or believed what he was saying and I am quite sure the At lanta wage earner does not believe It.
 Favor High Wage Scale.
 T believe that fully 95 per cent of the members of the Birmingham Commercial club are in favor of as high wage scale here as Is possible not to be prohbitive. but the club in it's active and earnest eff forts to build up a great manufacturing city by adding to that which we al- ready have, many more manufacturing plants and with greater diversity of products, thereby adding to our wage population and the upgrowth and prosper ity of Birmingham have been greatly re- tarded by that which we consider Is an unjust wage scale. against Birmingham and in favor of the cities named.
 "The club has found 1t practically im- possible to induce manufacturers to lo- cate here so long as the union scale Of wages for other cities in this section is lower than the scale fixed for Birming- ham, In other words the situation Tn it's last analysis, or as l view it. is this:
 Organized labor says to the manufac- turer in effect, You may go to Atlanta, Nashville. Knoxville. Chattanooga. Au- gusta, Macon and Montgomery, and we will make for you wage scale for oer- tain work of, say $3 per day, but if you locate in Birmingham, you must pay 90 cents per day more. or s350 per day. Now how, ask you, can the Commercial club, or any other body Of men, acting for the interest of this entire, immediate section, in the face of these facts which confront us and which are not controvert- ed or even denied, induce those who are seeking favorable locations for various manufactories to establish their plants In and around our city? And why should a resolution attacking no one and adopted by a representative and patriotic body O. citizens. with no other aim in view or work in hand but to enhance the great ness Of our city and the property of all of It's citizens, be construed into a de- claration of war against labor?
 No Ulterlor Motive.
 T had no ulterior motive in offering the resolution, nor do I believe a single member present had in voting for it. With the ligths before me it is hard to think of a resolution that could be framed which would meet the approval of the varibls labor leaders. The only para graph which caused discussion in the Commercial Club was the paragraph that MT. Clemo, the secretary of District No 20 of the United Mine Workers of Amer lea in Alabama, seems wonderfully pleas ed with The other labor leaders, writing on this question, take exactly the oppo- site view, so 1t would be hard to please them all
 "The bulk of my individual interest here would be helped greatly by high wages. so that I am in favor of as high a wage scale as is possible, so long as 1t does not retsrd the material advancement of Bir- mingham and put her out of competition with other places thereby not only pre- venting her legitimate increase of wealth, but lessening the number and diversity of pursuits for her artisans. to which by natural resources. by her railroad fa- elites and geographical position she is | entitled. suppose the Hoden Grocery company, the Moore X Handley Hardware company. Goodall, Brown and company and others of our many enterprising job- bers should, through their travelling sales men, say to the customers, we must nave higher price for our goods than Att lanta Is asking because it costs more to live and conduct a business In Birming- ham than in Atlanta? Do you think they could sell their wares? Not muchl
 NO, the situation here is just this; Bir- mingham has the promise of a great fu- ture, 1t can be made wonderful city In every phase of greatness, but it requires harmony of spirit, concert of action and the combined energies of her citizenship. She will become through the exercise of all these not only great in her manufac- lures, but commercially so, and added to these she will possess all that goes to constitute a great metropolis; but none of these growths and attainments will be hers so long as she Is discrimnated against either within or without the territory tributary to her; nor so long as endeavors are constantly put fin motion by any men or set of men which tend to letter public speech on any or all mat | tera touching the general adVancemapt