The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-17
Operators Claim Miners Have Failed to Show Wherein Agreement
 Is Violated
NO GENERAL STRIKE
 HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY CALLED IN DISTRICT
Thousands of Miners Have Quit Work Pending Ad- justnent of Differences.
 To Preserve Peace

Miners in the Birmingham district con- tinue to fail to report for work, and though no general strike, or any local has taken place, 5000 or more men are idle, and some of the mines at stand still
 The principal reason for failure of the men to continue work in the mines is seemingly a misunderstanding of the Garfield agreement. However. it is stated from an authentic source that the oper- ators have not as yet had pointed out to them by the miners where they have violated any agreement. and they are waiting for the miners or the headquar- ters of the United Mine Workers of America, district No. 20, in the Farley building, to specify the article or articles of the agreement they are charged with ignoring or violating.
 It is claimed that the operators are unwilling for check weighmen to dictate to them in any way when they are not employed by the company, and are rep resentatives of the union only It is also stated that not more than half of the number of men claimed to have quit the mines are out. as stated by the head quarters of the miners union.
 OPERATORS WON'T TALK
 However, c. E. Mccormack, president of the Alabama Coal Operators associa- ton, is i'll. and James l.. Davidson, sec retary, refused to discuss the matter at all. George Gordon Crawford, president of the Tennessee company, is out of the city, and no one else at the offices of the company would make a statement so far as the Tennessee company is con- cerned.
 Most of the mlnes affected belong to the Tennessee company, but the Republic Iron and Steel company is feeling the effect of the miners decision to stay away from the mines.
 It is further intimated that the opera tors and the miners have, perhaps, in- terpreted certain clauses of the agree ment in different light. and that they
 were apart for this reason. Yesterday speakers representing the miners union. organizers and local lead CTS were on a speaking tour of the mines | of the district the same to be continued throughout today.
 BATSON PUTS ON DEPUTIES l Sheriff T, J. Batson yesterday issued l 50 commissions to as many deputies, who were sworn in to guard coal mines, and | it is understood that he will put on more
 men as fast as they are needed to guard the mines of the various companies, in
 case a strike does prevail
 | The union headquarters in the Farley building gave out the statement that | they were urging the miners to harm nothing, and to preserve peace and
 quiet, and that their speakers would talk | to them along these lines.
 I Practically all the guards put on by Sheriff Batson have been or will be as- 1 signed to duty around the mines of the Tennessee company
 l While reports are conflicting, and no official statement has been issued from
 either side as to the number of miners
 refusing to work, it is estimated that
 there are between 5000 and 1000 men idle | in all of the mines touched. It is also
 intimated locally that there will be 15,OoO
 miners idle by the end of this week, but
 this statement is discounted in industrial circles.