The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-14

officials, are mechanics who in every instance are paid less than the union scale for their wages The company's rented to employees intercept practical ly all of the pay rolls so that little of 1t reaches the general public. The plant would benefit Birmingham as much financially if 1t were 20 miles away
 1 wish to correct this statement for ourselves and the employees The men who belong to the labor unions resent the accusation in the strongest terms. We have machinists working for us as follows: Joe Kline. master mechanic, eX-member of union No. ' tneeds no card); Thomas R. Norris, recording sec- retary Local 271, card No. 2234S9, Iron City lodge, l. A. of NJ, and vice presl- dent of the Birmingham Trades coun- cil, Fritz Penzler, lodge No. ', card No. 1404s; George A. Norris, Iron City lodge. No. 271, l. A. of M, card No. 16ss67: w. J. Mathews, foreman boiler makers, card No. 16012, Boilermakers and Iron Ship Builders of America; Henry Murphy, foreman blacksmiths, International Blacksmiths' union, ex- president and ex-financial agent of the same, card No. 6296; Brickmason Fore man F. H. Lavett; workmen. John Lions. Ed Heaney, Sam Haney, E. K. Lavett A. Sprauls, Jim Trammall, Will liam George, all working under cards from lodge No. 1 of Alabama. Interna tional union. Receive time and half for overtime and double time for Sundays. union scale On our coke yards, where all negroes work, as follows: Bill Michle. made s56.50 and drew s54.70; Cal Barnett made s10S.90 and drew s52.s5; Pomp Phillips, made sl2S71 and drew s115.40; Oscar Oden, made $l02.S0 and drew s5925; Mayhee McAdory, made $1S5.S5 and drew $72.55. Cal Bar nett, Pomp Phillips. and Mayhee Me Adory each had two small boys help ing them. We have 20 men (negroes) at the furnace who make $2 per day or more. Almost any of the men will make from $40 to $60 per month. I have had put on our houses In the quarters in the last six months 12o,0oo cypress singles, 12 new doors. "A locks, 24 pairs sash, siding, and flooring. grates, fronts and chimneys. Built 20 new closets. This including labor cost $500.
 This is enough to show the public that we are not allowing our labor to live and rot in novels, as you would have them to believe. No, MT. Hud- d.eston, you can't treat even negro la bor that way nowadays, for if you do they Will go dNdy No Spiiie '''c ""'' will take better care of them and leave you in the lurch. You speak of cs- tarrh and consumption. Dr Hehin will tell you that they are healthier than other men Our attending physician, Dr. H.. r. Chugerlnan will tell you that in two years he had one case of con sumption and that came to the quar- ters At this time he has five cases of typhoid fever at the TIillman and none cf them are from the quarters. Now, Mir. H,ddleston everyone who operates large plants and has lots of laborers knows what it is to keep them and keep them satisfied tand if you don you will wake up some morning ana ind your plant shut down). You must take good care of them know now to handle that question
 But when outside people come out in print and talk on this subject of which they know absolutely nothing. then it becomes unbearable. and I think those union men who work for us will give you what is coming to you some day when you want a favor. Now. don't know where you get your pay for writ ing the article for l must confess to YOU that it is very tedious and am not getting anything extra out of mine. If YOU had kept on the smoke nuisance ground. and not attacked our labor. l should never have answered your letter. MT. Huddleston, you are lawyer of some note in this gerat city Of Bir- mingham. and am told you have ac- cumulated some wealth. You must have received some of your accumulations at least indirectly from the big corpora tions, and why you will attack the la boz of this company is more than can