The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-24
FOURTH INSTANCE
 OF MINE CONTRACT ! BREAKING OCCURS
Coal Production Lower for the Closing Week-Bittner Sums Union Ciews In Card for
 Publication

AHOLHeT Dlue DOCK COntTdCt has proven ineffective.
 The miners employed by the Alabama company at Brook wood went out Saturday morn- ing. No special reason for the walk-out was given, it is under stood, other than that the men said they expected the com pany to sign the new agree ment known as the Beltona contract. That grants full recognition of the union.
 The men employed at searIes mine of the same company struck Thursday fol- lowing the breaking up of mass meet ing by the military. This mine also has one of the Bius Book contracts
 These strikes have been rather ex- pected than not. While the union leaders disclaim any intention of repudi- ating the Blue Book contracts, they have dsclaimed strict responsibility for
 
 made direct with the union.
 In the Friday joint conference with the Blue Book operators and union officials it was distinctly. stated that they were not made direct with the union.
 In the Friday joint conference of Blue Book operators and union officials it was distinctly stated that there were not going to be any more instances of a coal operator having a contract at one mine and not at others operated by him, This was taken to apply especially to the Alabama comrany, which has Blue Book contracts with miners at Brook wood and Searles. fhlt not with the mi- Eers at Lewisburg. another mine. Lewisburg has been on strike for some time.
 FEW SIGN CONTRACTS
 Only a half dozen coal operators had signed the new Beltona contract up to yesterday afternoon, but the union lead CTS expressed no surprise at this. Van Bittner said; 'In the first place. our printed form of contract has not vet come from the printers and we cannot proceed without that. We have a num- Der of applications on hand and the signing up will go of rapidly as soon as we have the forms, which I am expect ing momentarily. We are giving the Blue Book operators something better than they have already. I believe they will gladly sign the new agreement
 J. R. Kennamer, president of the Ala bama division of the union, had not heard about the strike at Brookwood on Saturday afternoon when called over the telephone. Ut is news to me, 7 he said My only comment is that there are good union men at Brookwood and if wrong has been done from there. they are the kind of men to stand up for their rights. l do not know what they went out for. In fact. I knew nothing about it until now
 Production of coal during the pas week is not expected to make as good showing as during the preceding week. There was a noted car shortage several days along the l.. & N, and the NJ X O.. it is stated. No estimate is made Of the weeks production The strike at Searles Brookwood and other Blue Book mines will have had their effect
 None of the really large coal oper- ators had signed the Beltona agreement up to yesterday afternoon. Several of them were not present at the joint con- ference and paid no atteption to the summons issued bv the union leaders.
 FEDERATION. MEETING
 No forecast is made of what actior the special convention of the Alabama Federation of Labor will take on Octo- Der 2S. The case of the miners will be laid before that body and it will take such action as it deems fit in the prem ises. The call does not counsel a sympa- thetic strike or any special course of procedure, but does declare that the striking miners are entitled to the SUD- port and consideration of all organized labor
 Railroad brotherhoods and the far mers' unions have been invited to par ticipate. President w. L. Harrison says ha hoC to send representatives.
 BITTNER'S STATEMENT
 Van A. Bitner, international repre-. sentative of the union miners, yes4er- day submitted the following card with the request that it be printed:
 Regardless of reports to the con- trary, coal production is not increasing, but this week will show decided slump below the record of last week Camouf1aged reports that the short> age of cars is responsible will doubts less be made, but every intelligent person in the Alabama district knows that is not the reason.
 "At this stage. the strike has a.h Aa point where 1T can better be analysed than in the tempestuous weeks hat have preceded. The declarations that foreign agitators" have been respon- sible for the trouble have celsed. somewhat. and we realize now shat the great Alabama public understands better the aims and purposs of the United Mine Workers of America rhs public. after all. is the supreme court, and since the miners side has been given more publicity than 1t enjoyed at the beginning of the trouble, public sympathy, which at first was hostile, has now come to our side.
 There is no doubt as to our winning the strike If there ever was any doubt about it developments of the past few days would destroy the doubt. The fact that we have just had mos. successful convention with many sp- realtors, all of whom. 1 believe, will sign the formal union agreement to, 4aka the nIace of the existing Blue