The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-05
Banner Mines HQve Been
 Free From Any Disorder
Many the Men Walked Out Recruits Being Brought In and Large Force of Deputies Look to
 Preservation of Order
BY FRANK V. EVANS.

Banner Mines, August 4.-(Special.)- The Pratt Consolidated company, owner of this mine, Is the second largest coal producer in the state The company owns and operates 43 mines and under normal conditions produces from l2,OOo to 15,o0O tons of coal per day.
 At this (Banneo mine the output un- der norme1 conditions has heen from laoo to l500 and even as high as IS00stons per day The mine is modernly equipped has the most approved and valuable machinery, and it's power is electricity, except the 700-horsepower hoisting en- zine which is propelled by steam.
 Physical Conditions.
 Your correspondent has just made a trip down the shaft into the mine, which is lighted by electricity, is dry and af- lords comfortable walking This is the Mary Lee vein, with an eight-foot seam, and for nearly six years this mine has afforded profitable employment to about $50 men. Here upon high hills the com pany has erected 2s9 comfortable houses for it's employees and afforded every facil- ity for comfort and convenience.
 The scale here is 421a cents per ton, and the average profit of good miners has all along been from $4.5O to s5 per work ing day of ten hours.
 Up to July i this mine had been in operation with utmost satisfaction to the company and its employees, under the open shop system. Then it was that the union forces came in and induced the organization of a local with the assist ance of a number of men who were not miners, but whose names were enrolled on the membership sheets.
 The miners here had entered into signed contracts with the company to work until August S1 The ukase of the union and the intimidating threats, how ever caused them to violate their agree ment and about 300 of them laid down their tools and left the mines leaving only about 30 of their co-laborers to faith fully stand by their agreement. This latter number is still at work
 Forced to Suspend.
 The company was of course thus forced to shut down and for one week Banner mines was as still as a church. yard, save the noise produced by the pumping engines. Then the company be- gan to bring in new recruits. Some have been coming each day and on this date tHt HilntS dit piohuClilS dDOul 0UU tons.
 Among these recruits was one party of S7 foreigners. In this bunch there are about eight nationalities. principally Hun garians. They are strong, active robust men and are at this moment doing valiant service and are undisturbed
 Upon a complaint made to Sheriff Hig- don that these men were being arbitrarily held here by the company under d peon- age system. that official was induced to .tIz s.,4A ...~f- of the union to visit these premises yes, terday. They found no such thing as peonage practiced, but by some peculiar method induced 1T of these men to vio- late their agreement and leave this camp.
 Still Recruiting.
 While I write this letter squad of 20 negroes is just arriving and these men are being comfortably quartered. These am informed that each day a like num- Der will come as arrangements can be made to shelter them until the mines shall have received full working force
 These men are now tented and fed bv the company, pending the occupancy of the regular homes by the miners who struck These miners were served with notices to vacate the houses July 15, and under the law they cannot be busted ulllll OtptCihbSi T. ANCaiiy dil or these strikers. with their families, are remain ing here quietly and peaceably, biding the time for their forced retirement from the comfortable homes they have SO long enjoyed.
 The company Is paying $1.75 per dav for ordinary surface labor, and is board ing and housing the men at 40 cents her day.
 Of the 300 men who have left the em-
 | have yet joined the union, and I am sure will not.
 Non-Union Cutters.
 I have just had conversation with one of these non-union "quitters," an in- telligent man and skilled miner. He tells me that he has been mining coal for 27