The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-25
MAXINE TROUBLE HAS REACHED LIMIT SAYS MCCORMACK Intimidation Continued Yes terday in Face of Judge
 Sharpes' Injunction BARGES AND BOATS
 TIED UP IN RIVER Big Sugar Refinery Absolutely De- pendent on Maxine Output.
 Acts of Intimidation Are
 Committed

| President G. B. Mccormack of the Pratt Consolidated Coal company yes | terday issued a statement explaining In detail the situation at the company 1 Maxine mines on the Warrior rlver' where a strike or wal<out has occurred. | MT Mccormack points out that the matter is so serious in the district that the output of coal is being seriously cur tailed. He details various acts of law | lessness and intimidation and even states that men at the mines were yesterday forced to leave their jobs in the face or the restraining injunction issued Mon day by Judge H. A. Sharpe of the clr- cult court.
 "The Maxine mines are still idle and the sugar refinery with which we are under contract is still clamoring Tor coal" said MT. Mccormack. Townoats and barges are tied up. The committee notified our power house engineer that he must join the union or leave. anu fearing violence, he has left We dis charged Morgan and Tetherow for threats against other men; and we asked the court for injunction against them and others committing illegal acts which said injunction was granted
 .To what extent the present agitation will affect the coal mining industryf My answer is that my best information leads me to believe that less than 20 per cent | of the men really desire organization About half of these are good men who believe in organization, the other haif | oerit wi bo citement and the license usually accom- panying strikes and troubles and to com init acts of violence and intimidation.
 ACTS OF INTIMIDATION
 "Others are forced into the organ1za- tion by intimidation and threats against person and property and a show of force Men are travelling through the camps 1 telling the women and children that they must keep the men out of the mines unless they join the organization. Work is very light all over the district, due to this agitation. If these agltators are not in the pay of German allles' they should be, as they are limiting the production of coal, interfering with the operation of industries and giving aid and comfort to enemies of the United States
 ..,ro show you to what extent the agi- tators are endeavoring to interfere with our mining business, I will state that immediately after the organization at Maxine some three weeks ago. Morgan and Tetherow, as president and secre- tary, respectively called in our superln- tendent and demanded that two men who ha6 been discharged prior to the formation of this organization, and dis charged for cause good and sufficient, be returned to their work. The company permitted these two men to return to ) work in the mines as laborers. About a week later the drivers in the mines re- fused to give empty cars to any man who did not belong to the union, and on the refusal of the superintendent of the company to discharge all men who had not affiliated with the organization, the leaders ordered the mines closed and the men came out.
 MEN WERE FRIGHTENED
 There was no conference or commit nication with the company at all; but on the next day, all of the men returned to I nearly all of the men who had not af- filiated with the organization moved from the camp, and stated that they were so frightened and intimidated that they were afraid to live in the neigh borhood. There were men who had previous experience with labor organiza- tions and were determined not to again join such organization.
 "A few days afterwards, committed | and one other, called on the superinten-
 dent and demanded that he clean up eact
 day all of the coal which had fallen or the tracks from overloaded cars ano
 give the miners credit for same This he | agreed to do rather than have trouble
 over an unmportant matter. The fol
 lowing day the committee again waited on him and stated that the miners hac , decided that they would select the cars , to be picked for slate. He stated tc , them that this would be equivalent to . not picking any cars whatever. as the miners would of course, select only sucl f cars as were reasonably free from slate , After discussing the matter for some , time, the committee stated that they
 would not call a strike on that point
 The next day the committee returned and stated that the man who picked tho
 coal for slate dug down into the side oi
 the car and found the check number anc
 
 selected for picking cars belonging te
 particular miners. The superintendent showed them that this was not physically i, possible, and they again decided not tt t strike for that cause
 , WANTED RULES CHANGED l The following day, which was July i, 20 after the men had gone in the mine.
 and were working, the committee came f to the superintendent and stated tha , they had decided that the dockage rulel
 for slate and dirt should be changed
 The superintendent told them that tn, rules had been in effect for about 1t
 years without complaint and were mucf more liberal than the usual slate rules
 He further stated that the rules were
 made by the general officers of the
 company, and that he would have to
 communicate with them before consid
 ering changing the rules. While he was
 telephonng from the office to the gen
 eral office in Birmingham. they turned
 and went out and ordered the men tc | leave the mines, which they did.
 At this mine no man has been dis