The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-16
SCALE COMMITTEE
 PRESENTS REPORT
Considered by Miners Conven-
 ton in Executive Session
TO BE GIVEN OUT LATER
Other Committees Disehareed-Special Committee Makes Critical Com ments on inspectors Rules.
 Resumes Monday.


 The most important business of the fifth days session of District No. 20, United Mine Workers of America, which was held yesterday in Gelders' hall, was the hearing, the discussion and the &C., ceptance of the report of the scale com mittee. This means that the wage scale for 19o6-O7 has been adopted by the mi- ners convention.
 The committee having thls matter in charge was composed of the following delega tes:
 c. Jackson, Hargrove; B. Black, Coal City; G. w. Ellis. Altoona; A. P. Lawley, Maylene; E. E. Huston. Aldrich; Thomas English, Brookwood T. ". Bowers, Searles; J. R. Kennemar. Piper; R. S. Jackson, (colored), Braehead; Jake Bar rett (colored). Lewisburg; D. Griffith, (col- ored). Stout Mountain; B. W. Robinson. (colored), Kimberly.
 The proceedings were held while the convention was in executive session and will not be made public until after the joint conference of the miners and oper- ators, which will be held Monday Off- cials of the union when asked as to the requirements of the new scale stated that they have nothing to give out at present. It Is understood however, from the discussion of delegates. that it does not differ essentially from the one In force during the last year.
 Previous to going into executive ses- sion the convention heard from several of the committees appointed at the open ing of the deliberations last Monday.
 The resolutions committee made short report and was discharged with the thanks of the convention.
 Concurs In Report.
 The committee on appeals and griev- ances then made It's report, which was a continuation of the report made Thurs day Among other things brought up was a communication from the local at Le- high complaining of the quality of goods furnished them by Drennen & Go. This occasioned a warm discussion, and many delegates took the floor to testify as to the excellent quality of the goods which they had purchased from the same com pany. The concensus of opinion was that this firm furnishes satisfaction to those who trade with it, and. on motion, the convention concurred with the commit tee in their non-eoncurrence in the com plaint of the Lehigh local. Other complaints that came up were tabled or referred to the executive com- mittee for adjustment. The committee on appeals and grievances was then dls- charged.
 The committee on constitution announc- ed that 1t was not ready to make re- port.
 At the afternoon session the special committee appointed Thursday to draft resolutions on the letters received by President Flynn from Chief Mine h. spector Gray made report as follows:
 Protest Against Rules. Birmingham, Ala, June IA. 1906. To Officers and Delegates of the Ninth Annual Convention, United Mine Work CTS of America, Assembled;
 We, your special committee appointed to examine set of mining rules sent py Chief Mine Inspector Gray. addressed to President Flynn of District 20. Alabama, United Mine Workers of America, to be presented for the consideration of the convention of miners now assembled beg leave to report as follows:
 ""That after serious and careful con- sfderation, and realizing the necessity Of every precaution being exercised Tor the protection of life and property in the coal mines we protest in the strongest manner possible against the adoption and enforcement of the rules promulgated by Inspector Gray. Practical experience has demonstrated, beyond a possibility Of doubt that many of those rules would be totally ineffective for protection of life, or preservation of property.
 I've further protest against increased responsibilities being placed on the miners which rightfully belong to the operators, and which are provided for by the min ing law of the state of Alabama, with the necessary penalties in case of failure to comply with the provisions therein contained, nor do not hesitate to question the right of the inspector to seek to en- force any set of rules not provided for by the mining law.
 "As he Is not the law-maker, but the executor of the provisions of the law as clearly defined and his duties set forth. which, according to his own report. he failed to observe by instituting legal pro- .eedings against certain companies, com p2llinR them to carry out Lne pfoNlslOfS of the law, we take exception to data compiled by Inspector Gray. as the fig ures submitted on fatal accidents for the year 1905 in the coal mines of Ala bama are misleading and unfair. where he states that at the union mines .713 per cent occurred, and where only 29 per cent of the coal was produced. Of course he includes the Virginia mine disaster in his computation. palpable injustice to the union miners, as by their inclusion he charges the responsibility for that dis ster on the miners employed at that mine. in the face of the fact that he had warned in writing the management of the Virginia mine that under their sys- tenn of management and the elements of danger so evident that there was every possibility and probability of an explosion.
 ''The correctness of that warning and the awful calamity resulting from neglect to observe 1t, is too fresh in the memories of the miners of Alabama to be easily for gotten, when III men lost their lives, and many widows and orphans left to mourn the loss of their bread winners in con sequence of failure to carry out the pro- visions of the law.
 Figures Presented.
 Leaving out the loss of life at the Virginia disaster, which we deny the re- sponsiblity of. the loss of life at union mines was Il 35-100 per cent. as compared with 2 1-l0O per cent at non-union mines demonstrating beyond question the extra t,,, t,at, tnf