The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-15
Monster Petition From Ten
nessee Co. Employees Sent
to Underwood
$4,000 NAMES ARE
ON THE DOCUMENT
Wage Workers Initiated Movement
and High Officials of Company
Had No Part in It-Work
Done Quietly

The employees of the Tennessee Coal,
Iron and Railroad company are evil
IDENTIFY unanimous in wishing the gov
ernment suit for the dissolution of the
Steel corporation dismissed A monster
petition addressed to Mr. Underwood
has been signed and forwarded to
Washington.
1t is believed that the word mon
ster'' is not an exaggera tion, for the
petition was signed by 1900 men, The
names of steel workers. blast furnace
men. oven workers. coal miners, ore
miners and wage workers of every
class making un the whole We're
signed to the petition.
It is understood that the high off
Gals of the Tennessee company had no
part in the movement. The wage work
ers took the initiative and through
committees obtained the signatures
The work was done within two weeks
time, and it was done so quietly that
few. if any. men in the business dis
trict of Birmingham knew of it.
A petition with $4,000 names on it
was naturally bulky. 1t was boxed up
and forwarded to Mr.. Underwood by
express. The package weighed "a
pounds.
Form of the Petition
The form of the petition follows:
ITO the Hon. oscar w Underwood
Member of Congress:
I'VE, the undersigned employees of the
Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad
company, a subsidiary of the United
States Steel corporation, express our
earnest desire that the United States
Steel corporation shall not be dissolved
As employees we look upon the part
ing of this subsidiary company from
the Steel corporation as being very
detrimental to our best interests and
the interests of this district
The liberal manner in which the
corporation has made expenditures in
this district for the improvement of
the working and living conditions of
it's employees prompts us to urge
through this petition that ii be al
lowed to continue operations under
the present organization and particu-
larly do we ask that the Tennessee
Coal, Iron and Railroad company shall
remain as one of its subsidiaries
Reasons for Action
"The precautions taken for our safe
ty while at work; the systematic and
modern methods of providing pure
drinking water supplies, sanitation,
medical services and first aid under
the organized supervision of a health
department; the great Improvement in
housing conditions in the company's
mining camps and other quarters; the
thoughtfulness of the corporation in
providing facilities for education, re
creation and our welfare in general by
the establishment of first class dav
schools under competent and organized
supervision with night schools for vo-
cational training of employees, the erec-
tion of club houses, public buildings
Fairgrounds and other recreative facil-
tiles. the installation of bath houses
at the works. the beautiful and artistic
manner in which its new camps are
laid out and constructed: the fencing
of the company houses and offering of
prizes for best gardens and neatest
yards; the opportunity given for the
exercise of individuality by offering
prizes for suggestions from the work
men for Improvement in plant opera
tions; the opportunity for saving un-
der the stock subscription plan; the
provision for injured, disabled and old
employees by the voluntary relief plan
and the pension fund, are all so much
in advance of the conditions which pre-
vailed in this district prior to the ad-
vent of the United States Steel corpor-
alton that we are convinced that II
would be calamity for us were the
corporation dissolved or its influence
withdrawn from the district. We there
Tore pray that you Will do all in your
power to:
l. Prevent dissolution: and
- To secure "a continuance of con-
troll of the Tennessee Coal Iron And
Railroad company by the Steel corpor
alton;
And will present this petition to the
House of Representatives and bring il
to the attention of the Attorney GEN
eral.'
nlEllIAR NrN Au 49,