The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-17
SLOSS CONTRACT MAY BE MODIFIED
  IO'Neal Inclined to Make It 45 Cents Per Ton  CONFERENCE IS HELD Company Claims It Can Save Money By Using Free Labor If the
 Present Rate Is
 Raised

Montgomery, February 16.-tSpecial) )
 Whether or not the sloss-sh Sheffield Coal
 and Iron company will cancel its con-
 tract with the state of Alabama for the
 employment of convlcts at Flat Top
 mine and operate this mine by free
 labor, is probably dependent upon their
 acceedng to the wishes of Gov. Elm
 met O'Neal in increasing the pay of
 the convcts used in operating this
 mine.
 The Sloss- Sheffield Coal and Iron company, under its present contract, pays the state flat rate of 42h cents per ton at the room opening. Governor ONeal thinks this is not enough, and Is urging a minimum rate of 45 cents
 per ton. together with any differential
 which might accrue from what is known as the Pratt scale.
 The Sloss- Sheffield Coal and Iron
 company declares that these figures are
 too high; that they can operate the
 mine for less by means of free labor,
 and have strongly intmated that they
 will do so if compelled to make this
 advance.
 l These matters were thoroughly dis
 cussed between Governor O'Neal and
 officials of the company at the exec
 utive mansion in this city last night
 In addition to Governor O'Neal the state was represented at the conference by
 Attorney General Robert c. Brickell and President James oakley of the state
 convict department. The coal company
 was represented by President J. c. Ma
 ben, Jones c. Moore, general manager,
 and John P TiIlman, attorney for the
 mining company.
 | In speaking of the conference, Gov
 ernor O'Neal said today that the prin-
 cipal question involved was whether or
 not the state was getting as much for l it's conVicts as free laborers were re- ceiving. "The officials of the coal com
 pany," said Governor O'Neal, "claim
 they are paying as much and more for
 the hire of the states convicts than l they are paying for free labor. We discussed the matter for more 1 than two hours last night, with the result that we are no nearer an agree
 ment than when the subject was first brought up.
 l 'T shall fully investigate the matter and if I shall find out that we are not
 receiving as much for our convcts as the coal company pays it's free labor, I shall give the company six months in
 which 10 prepare to operate it's mine by means of free labor, allowing them to abrogate their contract
 The governor says he does not expect l to reach any definite decision in the mat | ter for the next 30 days. It Is known 1 that at the conference last night he 1 offered to submit the whole matter to a l board of arbitration to determine wheth- | CT not the convicts used in operating | Flat Top mine are paid as much as free
 labor It is understood that President
 Maben and the other officials present were unwilling to accede to this proposi- ton, maintaining that they had figures l that offered indisputabe evidence of the l fact that in some instances the state was receiving more for the employment of it's convicts than they were paying their | free labor.
 I fight for an increase in the wage scale l is not known. The governor has strongly l intimated that he will take the contract
 away from the Sloss- Sheffield people un- | less they accede to his wish for a min 1 imum increase of 21a cents. making 45
 cents per ton, the dfferential to be reg
 ulated by the Pratt scale.
 On the other hand. 1t Is understood | that the officials of the mine will em- i ploy free labor before they yield to the wish of the governor. and it is expected | that there will be interesting develop
 ments in regard to the contest between ! the governor and the officials of the | Sloss- Sheffield Coal and Iron company
 within the next 90 days.