The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-21

vestigation was fully discussed in the
press of the state. and, yet, during that
whole time no other person, firm or cor
poration made me any offer of any kind
or character for the hire of these con-
victs, except the one by the Tennessee
company as above stated.
Since the contract was made with the
Pratt Consolidated company l have been
constantly engaged In trying to reduce
expenses, and salaries and eliminating all
unnecessary officials. The result has been
that the expenses of the state have been
reduced since, the contract was made
about $4,000 per annum by cutting down
salaries, reducing the force of employees
and practieing other necessary econo-
miles,.
Sloss- Sheffield Contract
Some time in August. 1911. Mr. Oakley
requested me TO meet him and Mr. Nab
en-, the president of the Sloss-Sheffield
Steel and Iron company, at Birmingham
to discuss a renewal of their contract.
met Mr. Maben at the Morris hotel in
company with Mr.. Oakley Mr.. Maben
stated that his contract would expire on
December 81 of that year, and that they1
were unwilling to renew it unless the
state would make proper concession. He
stated that the contract then in existence
was unfair, that his company was paying
more than the price OF free labor, that
Governor Conner had treated him unfairly
and had delayed the negotiations which
he had with his company about the con-
| tract until a few days before his former
contract had expired and that he had
been practically forced to sign the con-
tract which was then in existence, or shut
down his mines. stated to Mr.. Maben
that was not aware that he was paying
more than the price for fro labor, and
that I would have the matter thoroughly
| Investigated and then and there instruct
ed Mr.. Oakley to confer with the mining
lexperts in the Birmingham district, as
certain the price for free labor and report
TO me therresult of his Investigation
stated to Mr.. Maben that I would not
consent to lease the state convicts at
price less than what was then being paid
| for free labor, that / was unwilling that
1.-the states convfcts should be used to
lreduce the price of free labor. 1 stated
that in view of the certainty of output,
the absence of strikes, and the fact that
he could make his contracts with an as
surance that they would be filled, that he
should at least be willing, to pay for the
hire of the state convicts price equal
to that which he would have to pay If
he operated his mines with free labor.
stated that under my administration
would not permit the convicts to be used
as a lever to bring down the price of
free labor in the mining districts. He
stated that he was willing to pay the
state the price of free labor, but that
under the contract then existing he was
paying more for the stare convicts than
he was paying for free labor at Bessie
Mines which he was operating. Several
weeks after Mr.. Oakley came to my Of
flee and informed me that he had made
careful investigation of the matter, and
that he was absolutely satisfied that a
grave injustice had been done the Sloss-
Sheffield company, that they were pay
ing more than the price of free labor, and
that he had, with the assistance of the
attorney general, prepared a contract by
which the Sloss people would pay the
same price that they were then paying
for free labor in the Birmingham district.
He informed me that he had, certiffed these
figures by conferences with the chief mine
inspector, the mine superintendent, Mr..
Huckabee the various other mining ex-
perts and operators in the Birmingham
district After several days I signed the
contract At the time | signed the con-
tract believed that the Sloss people
would, under the terms of the contract,
pay the state the same price which they
were paying for free labor in the BIZ
mingham district. Afterward ] had IN
formation that this contract was unfalr
to the state, and that the state, under its
iAAND
labor. I Immediately commenced per-
sonal investigation. | had many inter-
views with Mr. Maben, Mr.. Jones q.
Moore, the superintendent, and Mr.. Me-
Queen, the vice president of the Sloss-
Sheffield company at Birmingham, at
which were present the attorney general,
my legal advisor, Mr.. Oakley, the presl-
dent OF the convict bureau, and also
summoned to the conference Mr.. t. G.
Dawson and Mr.. Nesbitt the chief mine
inspector. We were engaged In confer
ence at one time all day, but were unable
to reach an agreement. Another confer
ence was held in Montgomery on jan
uary &c, 1912. at which was present Mr.
T C. Dawson. Mr.. Nesbitt. the attorney
general Mr.. r. b. Evins, Mr. Oakley ana
myself, representing the state, and Mr.
Tillman, Mr.. Maben, Mr.. Moore repre-
senting the Sloss-Sheffield company AS
we were still unable to reach an agree
ment I prepared and forwarded TO MI.
Maben contract in which | hxed the
price to be paid the state at 10 cent min-
imun1. the price to be increased in ac-
cordance with the Pratt Scale. This con-
tract Mr. Maben refused to sign ana ne
gotiations stu continued
Letter From Maben
on March IS l received the following
letter from Mr.. Maben:N
."Your favor of the 14th inst. has been
forwarded to me here, and was received
only today 1 mast say that Its con-
tents surprise me. as ] thought had
satisfied you, as also MIR. Evins, who
went pretty thoroughly into the natter
that we were paying under our Flat Top
contract was a full average of the rat2
maid free miners on the same seam or
aoal. and that we were losers to the ex-
tent OF the store profits and rents re-
ceived from free miners. You were frank
enough to admit that you did not under
stand the mining business, and | cannot
helm feeling that some interest adverse
10 this company is at work 10 lnJure us,
for / canot see why we should be placed
at s,fch disadvantage as compared with
other companies which are employing
conyicts in their mines. Offered AZ
cents and the same guarantee that you ac-
cepted from the Pratt Consolidated COM
pany, as the earnings per man, and
cannot help feeling that we will be placed
al disadvantage IL you demand more
from us than is demanded from others'
To which replied as follows:
II am in receipt of your letter of the
18Th inst have given the contract with
your company very careful consideration.
had an interview with Mr.. Evins upon
his return from the east and have dill
gently sought every source of Informal
tion. I conferred with the state mine In
suector and various other persons familiar
with the scale of prices paid to free
miners in the Birmingham district, and
they have uniformly advised me that %
cents is the minimum price.
.Your company paid the state during
the administration of my predecessor
minimum of As cents a ton, and during
.--I A. nj xr<aa aarltG