The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-03
ON THE BRINK
 OFNBIG STRIKE Birmingham Laboring Men Are Quiet. NOON TODAY IS THE HOUR Citizens do not Look for General
 Tie Up. Many Unions Have Declined to Re- spond to an Appeal for . Sym
 pathetic Contest in the
NOON TODAY IS THE HOUR

coming of tomorrow Is aax!s.sly await ed in Birmingham. The great sym pathetic strike is scheduled to begin at noon, and ti remains to be seen how many of the union men and their friends will obey the call issued by President J, E. Jacobs of the Birmlng- ham Trades Council.
 Conservative citizens do not look for a general tie-up. The ardent union men believe that the wheels of industry and commerce in the district will be so badly cripplid that 1t might have been complete tie-up.
 The contest will be waged to dem- onstrate the strength and power of the labor unions of the Birmingham dis trict, ESQ 1t Is put by some men, and in- asmuch as it had to come some day, 1t might as well come now as at any other time. The union men will make effort to demonstrate their sympathy for the locked-out street railway m- ployes who were discharged for join ing a local union that had been form ed. or went out in sympathy for the men who had been discharged.
 Jemis0n is Firm.
 President Robert Jemison of the Blr- mingham Railway, Light and Power Company announced at the start that he would not consent for the street railway employees to form a union or forming a union they could either be- long to the union or continue in the employment of the company. As or dered, the men were either to turn In their union cards or their badges of employment.
 mass meeting was held last Sum day afternoon by union men and wo- men of the entire district and gen. era1 protest raised against the action of the railway company. Efforts were made to get the president of the street railway company to change his atti- tude but he remained firm. The labor organizations called another meeting for Wednesday evening to which only men holding union cards were admit ted and after considerable speechmak- ing It was decided that if by Monday noon the street railway company had not reinstated the men discharged or in other words If there was not a re- cogniiton of the union, "the president of the Trades Council should call a general strike In the district in sym pathy."
 From the very start the Birmingham Railway. Light and Power Company made preparations to operate the cars and other plants owned and controlled by them number of strike break CTS from Chicago and New York were brought in and together with the Iof- mer employees who did not join the union there has been service main- tained though not as good as former ly for a couple of days. sufficient to show that the people would be ac- commodated.
 The company called on the mayor. the sheriff and other officials of the icty and county for protection in oper- ating the cars and dozen of deputies were sworn in and otherwise taken in- to service and have since been riding on cars and protecting the property of the company. But few, If any. overt acts weer reported the first week. The local unions held meetings and adopted resolutions offering sympathy to the locked-out car men and made dona- tions in sume ranging from $25 to $100 These locals also adopted resolutions forbidding their members riding on cars. using gas or electricity etc, a regular boycott as 1t were, being or- ganized.
 Demonstrations by Labor.
 The first mass meeting was so large that an overflow meeting had to be arranged for immediately. No less than from six to eight thousand men and women turned out and the speeches weer cheered, especially when American liberty and rights were men toned.
 The second mass meeting filled the little Majestic Theatre. no less than one thousand men and women being there. The speeches were all along the line that Tt is now a matter of life or death for the union," and the reso- lutions adopted provided for the ap- pointment of a committee to secure a conference between Mayor Ward, the president of the Board of Trade, and AAn t,ar haV1n pafT way, Light and Power Company.
 The Mayor and the president of the Board of Trade met the committee named by the laboring mems mass meeting. but the president of the rail way company wrote q letter to the Chai nan of the labortng mems com mittee that he did not see how any good could come to his interests by attending a conference. The Board of Trade named a committee to call upon MT. Jemison and present the resolu- tions adopted at the l4borlng mems mass meeting,' but MT. Jemison was firm and gave the gentlemen to under stand that he did not intend changing his opinion.
 NOW Up To Unions.
 The president of the Biard of Trade announced MT Jemison's determination not to recognize the union at the con ference which took place between the Mayor, the Board of Trade president. and the committee of the labor union. Then the strike order was promulgated and 1t is now up to the unions to obey the same It Is figured that there are 1900 union men in the district. It Is not believed that half of this number will go out on strike. Some of the locals must await instructions from their international headquarters be- fore then can go out on strike.
 All the talk heard today was on the lines of the strike Monday. The sher- if has a large number of deputies un- der him, while the city has gotten spe- cial men for the occasion Sherin Hig- don and Mayor Ward are determined tat there shall be no disorder during the strike All offenders will be promptly arrested.
 Care was taken today that there be no violation of the Sunday laws and the saloons and drug stores did not dare dispense any liquors. There is no doubt but that orders as to closing now issued by the city must be strict l.. the IOse of license do