The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-22
Operators Say 5000 Miners m District
 HaUe Gone On Strike
Secretary Wilson Will Reach City This Afternoon for Conferences With Miners and Opera
 tors-Fairley May Bring Some New
 Features Into the Negotiations

According to the estimate of the Alabama Coal Opera tors association, miners, to the number of 5000, are on strike" in the Birmingham district.
 If the information of the operators is correct, it would appear that, IT, respective of the pacific efforts of union mine officials, men, recently unionized, are proceeding on their own authority to initiate and conduct "strike."
 WHERE IDLENESS EXISTS
 With the statement of operators 10 the effect that miners are not regard ing the terms of the armistice which Secretary Wilson suggested, officials of the union do not agree It was stated at their headquarters yesterday afternoon that the output of coal ID the Birmingham district is practically normal
 The operators had reports last
 night that the following mines
 were entirely idle Monday and to practically equal extent idle yes terday: Warrior Black Creek. Ma
 bel Mining company, Seloca, Dixie
 Mining company, McCollum Coal company. the Republic company's
 mine at Warrior, Carbon Hill Coal company, Imperial Coal company
 Bradford mine), Coaldale mine or the Sibley Brick company, Central
 Coal company and the Lou-Ala
 Coal company.
 REPORTED SETTLEMENT Of equal interest with the approach ing visit of Secretary Wilson opera tors and miners regarded yesterday report to the effect that differences between operators and striking miners in east Tennessee had practically been adjusted. It is understood that the terms on which these strikers will re- sume work do not include recogni- tion by the operators of the miners union It Is reported that on sugges- tion of a representative of the fed eral department of labor operators agreed to pay the miners an increase in wages. If peace is restored on such condition it is regarded in Birming- ham as probable that increase in wages granted would be included by the government in its compilation of i.i.- ion and be considered when the President es tablishes the price of coal Should Secretary Wilson on his visit to Bir- mingham Thursday suggest as com promise that operators pay miners an increase in wages with the under standing that such increase would be added to the cost of coal, thus placing the price of peace" on the shoulders of the government and the consum- ing public, it Is subject of fainterest- ing speculation as to whether or not the miners, on one hand, and the op orators, on the other. would agree In this connection it was pointed out yesterday that Secretary Wilson would probably not suggest that operators | increase the wages of miners beyond a figure which they are now receiv- | ing and demanding.
 THE SECRETARY INFORMED | Union officials and operators were l advised yesterday by Secretary Will
 son that the latter had left Washing | ton and would reach Birmingham this afternoon. Immediately after his arr rival and the following morning, it l Is understood the secretary will con- | fer with representatives of the. union and with William R. Fairley, indus l trial conciliator and union organizer. l Thursday afternoon at o'clock at the l Tutwiler the secretary will confer with l the operators.
 l George B. Mccormack, president of the Operators association, stated yesterday | that Secretary Wilson had been in l formed that the operators would not I agree under any threat or penalty, to 1 recognize the union of the miners or l grant an eight-hour day. Mir. McCor- I mack intimated, on the other hand, that | if Secretary Wilson should point out in- stances in which operators had offended, or manner in which they had not prop
 erly conducted their properties, espe- cially regarding treatment of operatives, corrections and amends in all probabil-
 ity would be enacted and provided.
 THE 25-CENT PROFIT
 From what could be learned directly l rom MT. MCSOIIidCh, OpSrdlOTS are nOl distressed because Of the intimation from Washington that the government | in the event of prolonged idlness, would
 commander mining property. Said MT l McCormack
 1 There is no question but that the | government would pay owners a fair l price for coal. No figure less than 25 ! cents above cost has ever been men l tioEed. If the owners are guaranteed that margin of profit, they will make ! more money than they have ever
 made. There is no mine owner in