The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-18
OPERATORS SEND
 LETTER ID MINERS
Employers Appeal to Rea- son of Employees in Refer
 ence to Strike Order

Alabama Coal Opera tors are sending out letters to every miner in the state of Alabama.
 The letters mailed will number 2S,OOO, and will include every miner in the state. and each operator has furnished mail ing list of men employed at his mine. The letter is an appeal to the miners req son, prior to his following the strike or der of the convention recently held in Birmingham. The letter has been mailed out for the Pratt Consolidated Coal com pany, the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail road company the Sloss-Sheffield com pany, Republic Iron and Steel company, Alabama company, Galloway Coal com pany, Red Eagle Coal company, and vari- ous others.
 pany, the same form being used for all, follows:
 Birmingham, August g. l9l7.
 Dear Sir: Since we opened up our mines at Red Eagle everything has been harmonious between the company and it's employees. We had hoped that such reia- tions would continue to exist, and we believe that it would had not foreign asl- tators from other states visited Alabama and influenced the men under the gulse of patriotism to organize a miners union. These agitators hoped to nave each of you pay a certain sum per month, which money would pay them very handsomely for their efforts In or ganizing the union.
 .Tt is a question as to whether these agitators are looking solely after their own interest or doing this work in behalf of the German government. AS you, or course, appreciate, we are all facing the greatest crisis that has ever confronted the nation and to win this war It IS ap- solutely necessary that everybody, potn men and women, stand together ana make sacrifices for our country's welfare.
 ''You may not go to war yourself, but no doubt you may have some one very near to you who will be called, and It IS necessary for those at home to do their duty by furnishing them with fuel and other necessities.
 Tt is with some degree of pride we can say that we have never declined to help any deserving employe who needed it, and we have done so at a time when instead of making money we were steadily losing. It might be of interest for you to know that not 1 cent of dividend has ever been paid to the stockholders of the Red Eagle Coal company. On the contrary, they
  money for the purpose of continuing the business. During the past few months we have made some money, and 1t mas been our pleasure to make a division Of same with our men by increases in day wages, as we'll as the mining of coal. We have also inaugurated the two weeks pay and other conditions have been rem edied without request or suggestion on your part.
 Our mines, since the beginning, have been operated as a.nonunion camp, and 1t is our purpose to continue on the "open shop basis. We prefer to treat with each employe as man to man and not pc forced to deal with committees who might have neither your interest nor ours at heart. We say to those men that wish to stay with us that they will be amply protected If on the contrary, any wish to leave, request in all fairness that they give up their houses and move without causing any trouble whatever. Our mot to has been and will continue to be, A square deal to all,' and we ask you before you decide to cease work on the 2oth that you consider and give your sober Judg- ment to what we have written.
 FRED EAGLE COAL COMPANY