The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-02
Claims Mine Troubles Indi- rect Work of Germany
 and Its Allies
CONCEDES THEM THE
 RIGHT TO QUIT WORK
But Maintains That They Must Not Force Others to Stop Work Who Are Eager to
 Keep Busy

Walter Moore, one of the best known coal operators of the district, yesterday made statement in reply to certain points recently brought up by the miners
 The attorney for the United Mine Workers of America is reported in the newspaper as advising the coal miners that they have right to organize" said MT, Moore
 "There seems to be dispute about this right on the part of the miners or anyone else to organize themselves into a union, and as the miners claim In less than two months to have built up an organization of over 22,0o0 men, they seem to have exercised the right, accord ing to their claims, very effectively, and certainly have no cause to complain that anyone has prevented them from the ex- ercse of the right.
 .After having organized there can be no doubt but that they have clear and undisputed legal right to stop work whenever they see fit The operators gladly cohcede them that right.
 MORAL RIGHT TO STOP WORK
 ''As to whether or not they have moral right to stop work during this pe- riod of war; when the health and lives Of
  pend to some extent upon every man Tn the United States doing his or her part toward sustaining every industry, must be atquestion for their own consciences. Whether the efforts put forth in the last two months to dsorganize the work at coal mines throughout the United States, and thus cripple this country and benefit it's enemies, is the indirect work of Germany and it's allies or simply t,1itr wn axtir ha in view by pro-Germans within the ranks of the United Mine Workers of Amer ica cannot be stated by any outsider. It is a well known fact that President John P White of the United Mine Work CTS of America was not until a com paratively few weeks ago regarded as broadly. His wife is a most excellent woman, and German.
 s''Al the recent troubles resulting in Reorganization and disruption of coal mining business throughout the United States has come about since MT. White has become known as broadly Prior to that time strikes were few and labor troubles in and around coal mines were rarer. It would seem, therefore, that his becoming a pronounced ally had been a very great benefit to the enemies of the United States.
 MUST NOT DENY OTHERS RIGHT
 
 the coal operators agree First that the coal miners have a right to organize, and that they have to some extent organized. Second, that, having organized, they have the right to stop work whenever they please The point of disagreement is that the coal miners by their actions in the past, and elsewhere under similar conditions at present, deny the right of other men to work, unless they join the union This contention the operators of Alabama are unwilling to agree to. They will not be a party to the forcible initia- ton of any man into any labor union, or any other social, economic or religious organization.
 ''One of the speakers at the miners convention stated that one advantage of having the miners organized is tEat one man-the head of the ganization-can put 20000 men to work with word While we have never known the head of a labor organization to be able to in force his orders to any such extent as that stated, yet, granting tEat he can do so. then of course he has the power at any time to cause 10000 men to quit their work.
 .rhe coal operators of this district feel that, being local men, and so far as the commercial coal operators are concerned, having nothing but local capital invest ed they cannot afford to put in the hands of any one man, whether he lives in Indiana, Ohio. West Virginia, Arkan- sas or Pennsylvania, the right to arbi- trarily stop all work and production at their mines or at his will to again start the work.
 "The public will note that in the de- mands made by the coal miners the scale or wages whch are voluntarily being paid by the coal operators of this district are apparently considered fair, as no higher wages are demanded. DEMAND FOR EIGHT-HOUR DAY
 II wonder if the speaker who so ably supported the eisht-hour work day and who mentioned the fact that lawyers,