The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-17

Wasbinrton expecting that something of interest to the mineral district may come from there before another week has passed. It is said that Mir. Fair- ley. or his agents, hssye asked that La- Dor Commissioner Neiil be sent to Bir- naingham to investigate the situation with q view te bringing about a set- clement of the controversy. Again it has been charged by the union miners that uhnaturalized foreigners have been brutaiiy treated in the district. It is said that Mir. Fairiey has reported this alleged brutality Co foreigners to the Federal authorities ct Washington, and has asked for an investigation bN the Bureau of Immigration.
 Making Political Capital.
 These are mere reports, but 1t may be safely said that Mir. Farley. and other strike leaders who are Republi- cans, will make or have made politi- cal capital out of this strike. Mir. Farley is member of the Executive Committee of the United Mine Workers of America. As such he is In charge of the organizations in Alabama. John P. White of Iowa next to the highest officer of the union in the United States is now sn charge of the strike, No one but union miners know the reason for sending him to Alabama. It may be that the pational officers re-
  It may be that they realized that MT. Fairiey was bringing the striking min CTS into disrepute. There Is no doubt of the discontent that exists among the strikers because of the methods employed by MT. Fairley.
 h several of the mining camps there is rebellion against his system of is- suing food supplies to the union men on the strike. He is buying all of the food supplies at wholesale prices and has open commissaries in the mining camps These commissaries are con- temptuously called s'Fairley Stores" The union miners frankly tell you that Mir. Fairley is making large profits on the sales of supplies to the union.
 It is interesting to know that ". M- Drennen. formerly mayor of Btrming- ham, who operates coal mines in the district, is one of the mine owners who has recognized the union. and is pay ing the union scale at his mines. MT. Drennen conducts a large department store in Birmingham. and 1t Is said that MT. Drennen and Mir. Farley are good friends.
 It will be recalled that few weeks ago Mir Drennen, who was then a can didate for mayor of Birmingham. rec tired from the race announcing that owing to his attitude toward the strik- CTS, he felt that he night not be sue cessful in politics.
 It is probable that the strike of the miners is costing as much as e20.00O a day. This money comes out of the pockets of the nine-owners. the union men, the business interests of Blrm- tngham, and the State of Alabama. It has been said that the expense of keep ing the soldiers in Birmingham Is ap- |proximateiy 42.000 a day. The costts more. There are 7s0 men in the ist sa~S4a 4aVak consists of twelve companies of about fifty men each, staff officers. and other soldiers. Tn addition there are two companies of the srd Regiment on duty and a provisional company of volun- teers. making fifteen companies in all.
 The Cost of It.
 National Guardsmen on duty receive two times as much pay as regular army soldier. except that officers of the National Guard, receive one-half Of the pay of the regular army. In other words the pay of a private soldier In the army is fifty cents a day. Privates in the national guard on duty in the mineral district receive &1 day. A colonel in the regular army Is paid sfl.li a day. Colonel Hubbard, who commands the Ist Regiment on duty in Birmingham. is receiving S5.55 Ia day.
 Out of this scale of army wages arises d peculiar condition. A second lieutenant of the 1st Regiment. who had been a sergeant-maJor, showed me where hts promotion recently had cost him money. A sergeant-major of the National Guard. while on duty. is paid $3 day. The pay of second lieutenant on duty is s2.36.
 The pay of the soldiers and their food supplies will run easily to $2.0 900 a day. Then there is the expense of teIegrams, mail service. automobiles and other items that brings money out of the state treasury like running stream.
 No one may tell with any degree of accuracy the cost of the strike. to the mine owners One official of a mine company told me that the strike of 1894 cost his company e1,350.000. There are 214 mines in the district.t These conn- panies are bringing strike breakers to the district from all parts of the United States They get together, for example, a batch of fifty men in New York or New Orleans. and their agents buy tickets for them to Birmingham. They are provided with food and other ac< commodations en route. Many of them do not work single day. As soon as they reach the district. they are ap- preached by Union miners who make them the attractive offer to live com
  well cared for by the Union. are fur nished with daily food supplies. and in some cases money is given them.
 The result is that the ranks of the Union grow daily. the mineral district is being increased in population by citizenship. which, to say the least, Is of doubtful character
 The strike leaders claim that the union has an unlimited strike fund in it's treasury. They say that every member of the union throughout the world is paying fifty cents a week Tor the purpose of supporting the Alabama strike. There are so many miners in the union that no one would undertake to estimate it's numerical strength. The Union is right now supporting probably 1s,000 men and their families. and these persons are passing their days and nights in absolute idleuess. except for the odd jobs the union is finding for the miners to do in the way of building houses and looking after commissary supplies.