The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-06-21
WAGE SCALE HAS
 BEEN AGREED ON Miners and Commercial Opera tors Make Contract ALA CONSOLIDATED SIGNS Same Agreement as Last Year Win Exist-col. T. Bush Makes
 Address to the United
 Mine Workers.

has been in session in Birmingham since last Monday week. has adjourned sine die. The scale agreed upon is the same as that now in force It was signed by the Mine Workers through their officers and by B. F. Roden and G. R. McCormack representing the commercial operators and President T. G. Bush of the Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron company yes terday at noon.
 The attendance was quite large when President Edward Flynn of the Mine Workers called the convention yesterday morning at 10 o'clock in the Knights of Columbus hall. The organization lost no time in getting to business. National Committeeman W. R. Farley reeited to the convention the facts concerning the point conference between committees from the Mine Workers and the operators appointed to arrange a scale This con ference was held Monday afternoon, and the scale agreed on at the conference was readily adopted. MT. Fairley stated to the convention that the commercial operators expressed willingness to sign the scale at the outset. The convention then unani- mously adopted the working scale as pre- sented by the joint committee.
 Strike to Continue.
 The miners adopted resolution declar- ing the relations between their organiza- ton and the furnace operators shall re- main the same as they have been dur Ing the past year, unless the furnace op- orators agreed to yield to their demands. This resolution continues the strike against the open shop furnace companies.
 MT. Farley told of the committee wait ing on Mr. Roden MT. Mccormack and H. l.. Badham, representing the operators. He said that the commercial operators agreed to accept the old scale for the en- suing year, and that the committee then waited on Colonel Bush and met with the same success. He said that neither effort to take advantage of the other, and that 1t was simply "clean cut'' agreement.
 Mir. Farley further declared that the agreement was to the effect that the commercial operators and Colonel Bush, on behalf of his company. would renew last years scale only for one year. with the understanding that if conditions or contracts are made some time in the future with other people the union miners are now fighting that 1t would be a mat ter for them and the union, that if this contract be disadvantageous to either. it should be a matter of conference and con sideraton between the two sides. 'The contract will be made if you agree to it for one year, in writing" said MT. Fair ley, without that stipulation being in writing. don't know that have any thing more to do or say, and if my col- leagues have anything to say, they have now that liberty. The operators may have something to say. If so, they also have that liberty, so far as l am con- cerned. I might add for the benefit of the convention. that Colonel Bush is very desirous to make 1t two-year contract However. you know our instructions are one year"
 Colonel Bush Talks.
 Tn a short address Colonel Bush paid high tribute to the executive officers of the United Mine Workers. He said that it appeared to him that the organi- ration should be congratulated upon mak- ing it's proposition in a more business like manner than ever before. He said that it was not covered with all sorts of demands and appeals which the mine workers could not expect to receive. The prompt acceptance of the scale, Colonel Bush said. was the reason for its imme- diate acceptance.
 He declared that the contract was in the proper form and that he would not change it, if 1t was within his power to do so. Colonel Bush said that the rela- tions between the union miners and his company during the past year had been most cordial He said that he wanted the miners employed by his company to call 1t their company, and that if they would work hard prosperity was sure to follow.
 Colonel Bush referred to the statements made in the report to the directors or the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad com pany by MT Bacon, with reference to the Gamble mines. He said that he has read in the papers throughout the coun- try that MT. bdcoH ldS icPoi teu Hi"e thV tonnage has increA~e one and one-half tons at the Gamble mines since the com pany commenced to employ non-unlon men. He said that he would not say that the Gamhe miners were better workmen than the United Mine Workers or that they work over hours. Colonel Bush declared that the members of the miners organization were the best work men, because they have had experience.
 MT Fairley Again Talks.
 MT. Fairley asked permission of the con- vention to make a few remarks with reference to Mir Bacons statement con corning the Gamble mines, which was granted. He said:
 MT. Bacon said in his report to the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad com pany directors that since he worked non union labor at Gamble mines that the ef- ficieney Of the miners was such that they had increased their output 1K tons per day. We have since denied the state ment. I want to say now, MT. Chairman, that the statement is misleading and ir,- correct Tho actual fact of the matter is this: Prior to the strike the average ton mage per man at the Gamble mines was nine tons per day. Every man at that time run his own check. Since the strike the sub-contract sytem has been intro duced and with all that the average out put is only five tons. or four tons less than with union men. so that desire to