The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-08-01
75CENTS BAS|SON
PRATT SEAM SCALE
MADE BY MINERS
Demand Recognition and
Re-Employment of Those
Discharged for Join
ing the Union
EIGHT-HOUR DAY
is THIRD DEMAND
Further Items of Wage Scale Report
Will Come Up for Discus
sion Today


Workers union delegates met in the
Orpheum theatre yesterday morning
at o'clock and heard some speeches
before going into the discussion OF
the report of the wage scale commit
tee. which was presented at o'clock
The report was read and adopted in
sections as it was discussed
The principal section was the third
paragraph, wherein the present basic
price of rs cents per ton. flat scale
Pratt seam. be made the basing point
for the district.
After an all-day session 81 The con-
vention three sectiauS of the wage
scale committee repanr was aaopted
The discussion grew warm % mes
but in the final ana a, the vote on
each clause, there wa eetsllSi oPpo-
sition.
The three section Is a9aNt efsSafa:
1. We demand re, e&nSt9pA o. ne
. union and the reins fpfei1eat gf IA
those discharged for josaing. the
organization to tn former po-
sition. Adopted.
.. We demand that eight AoG@s
shall constitute days work Tor.
all classes of labor working In .
and around mines. Adopted.
3. We demand and recommend
that the present basic price OF
75 cents per ton, flat scale, Pratt
seam. be made the basing point
for the district. That the question
Of increases of wages, machine
prices and differentials. local In
euualities and uniformities be
left to n joint commission of oper-
ators and miners for adjustment
and adjudication. Adopted.
The above clauses have been adopt
ed and stand acceptable to the local
unions represented by the 266 dele
gates The principal clauses yet to be
discussed are the placing of check
weighman at the tipple and the abol-
ishment of contract labor systems that
are in vogue at several of the mines
These two items will take up the time
of the miners on Wednesday, when 1t
is expected that the convention will
d ~
the operators on Thursday when they
have been invited to meet in joint
with the miners to discuss
differences.
HARRISON LEADS DISCUSSION
Organizer Harrison addressed the con
vention on every point adopted in the
report Of the wage scale committee, be-
ing a member of the committee in an
advisory capacity. Mr.. Harrison is very
active in the meeting at all times and is
intent on getting the proper measures
before they are voted on. He
lays special stress upon each clause. and
invites open discussion.
President Kennamer is in the chair and
perfect order prevails at every session
The negroes are recognized and freely
express their views on each subject, just
as the white members. They sit in sec
ton to themselves and are apparently
very much interested in the meeting.
The full report. when it is adopted by
the convention, will be given to the press
for publication.
The morning session of the convention
heard addresses by Senator Frank s.
White, counsel for the United Mine
Workers Of America, District 90 Captain
White said the miners have right to
organize if they care to. and that as
every other craft and profession hao
already organized, it certainly could not
be Objectionable for the miners to or.
ganize.
HARLAND SPEAKS
Robert Harland, international vice
president of the United Mine Workers
of America, delivered an address in which
he stated that the national organization
was behind the men in Alabama to the
last ditch, and that it would be better
to go after what they wanted peaceably
and to take the public into their conf
dence.
Quite a fight developed yesterday morn.
ing when many of the delegates, princi-
pally the negroes, wanted to keep the
hall free of other than dele.
gates, but their plan lost for the senti-
ment is almost unanimous among the
delegates to have everything that trans.
pires in the open, and allow the public
to attend and hear the proceedings.
The committee report on wage scale
came Immediately after the convention
was called to order at 2 o'clock yester.
day afternoon following the noon ad-
journment
Frank j. Hayes, vice president of the
national organization, wired the con-
vention as follows:
Advised by Lewis that Ramsay in
formed him that some adjustment OF
Alabama situation has been arranged on
basis of returning all discharged men to
their former employment. Ramsay made
this statement to Lewis in conference at
Washington. Have the operators carried
out this arrangement? Answer
President Kennamer asked every del
charged miner had been put back tc
work to stand up. No one stood.
COMMITTEES NAMED
Committees were named during the day
as follows:
Rules and Order of Business-W. M
Mills, Hills Creek; s A. Sanders, Sayre;
T. A. Bradford, Piper; c. H. Walker,
Coal Valley; Joe Jones, Carbon Hill;
Theodore Mcdowell, Pratt City; Harri-
son Phillips. Graves Mine.
Credentials-W. A. Shafer Pratt City
chairman James Holman, r. B. Strace-
ner, W. l.. Peoples.
Scale Committee-John G. Smith. Gallo
way, chairman; James Adams, Blocton;
George Hillman, Garnsey G. E. Brown
ing, Marvel; Lon Perry. Roebuck; N. S,
Swiney, Sayre; James Nelson, Cordova
r. A. Hodge, Mineral Springs: Joe
Woodman. Wylam Sam Miller. Pratt
City: James Gardner, Virginia Mines: g.
T. Deason, Johns; J. A. Brown, Town
ley; G. N. Brown. Dora; 9. N. Meadows
Empire; J. j. Grim, Oakman; Sterling
McDavid. Patton; J. 8. Brown. Brook
H