The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-29
Striking Miners Tak
 Or Mary Lee Conditions
Present Strike Is Costing United Mine Workers S500OOO Month-Steady Gains Appear to be Made
 in Quantity of Coal Mined
BY FRANK V. EVANS.

IS more than Sufflclert to handle all the coal available for colSing.
 New Houses.
 The Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron company is erecting d number of boarding houses or general quarters for the new men. l find this plan prevailing throughout the district and am informed that the object is to assemble the forces in future, rather than have them scat tered. Here at Mary Lee the strikers have moved out of the company's houses and left them vacant.
 Homes of Strikers.
 A pitia ble fact related to me is that a number of the striking men at Mary Lee own their own homes near the mines, and should they fail in this strike, or for any other reason have to abandon hope or desire for employment in these mines, they may have to finally abandon these homes at a heavy sacrifice.
 My observation here and my conversa- ton with the striking men does not inn press me with the idea that at Mary Lee there is much hope for success of the strike: and yet it is not possible to learn fo the strength of the psoition of the men by any other than their own acknowledge ment
 As To Unionism.
  real genuine .unionism, and that alone, is the point of objection and the object of resistance of the operators, l am sure the fact would develop public sym pathy toward the miners; but it seems to be a peculiar kind of unionism sought to be enforced by the organ izers.
 There is no denying the fact that unionism, where consefvatively applied
 .,oI. uphold wages, and to make efficient it's membership. The rules of arprea- ticeship have in the mechanical arts dignhed labor and made knowledge of the craft worthy of attainment. Union- ism has in the past systematized labor and greatly enhanced it's value. Unionism should not, therefore, be un- derestimated as an element of value and of power for the good of all-enl- ployer as well as employed. And yet unionism may be, and some times is, improperly applied. It's arbi- trary rulings sometimes hurt it's own cause, and it's mismanageme in one instance may weaken it all along the line.
 The real province of unionism is to manage and care for itself rather thsA seek to control the property of the er- ployer of labor. Right there conflicts will ever periodically arise.
 That unionsm has forced respect f,I the rights of labor in many instances is quite true: but it was unionisin based on justice fairness and modera- tion-a unionism led by it's own mer,- bership it's co-workers and not by out side influences. or by the professional. paid agitators. An example of req. genuine trades unionism is the Broth erhood of Locomotive Engineers. This body is never slow to present its grievances and to demand redress or corrections. Consequently its strikes have been few and it's lock-outs sell dom.
 Reasonable men do not and shouid not dispise unonism which is genu- inc.
 Resurng Normal Conditions.
 The resumption of normal conditions in the mining situation is gradual and slow, but it is sure. Each day now makes the proposition much closer to a solution.
 The Tennessee company yesterday mined 1000 tons of coal more than it did the same day of last week, and other companies report that their men are gradually coming back; not in large bodies. 1t is true, but in nur- bers sufficient to indicate that matters are soon to be adjusted.
 old Men Preferable.
 It would be more pleasing to popc- lar sentiment to have the old miners find their way clear to resume their positions than to see the operators forced to the necessity of importing new men. Many of these striking miners have been of excellent value to themselves and to this district. They have made their homes here for many years and constitute a valuable citi- To have their places given to untried men is not the thing mostly
 
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