The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-26

While some coal operators express sur prise that their agreement with the gov
 ernor with respect to fuel administrators to supervise coal prices has taken the form of a proposed legislative enactment,
 none registers opposition to the Thomp-
 kins bill and, generally speaking, they declare they are with the governor in
 his effort to help the situation as it af- fleets the public. Van Bittner of Pittsburg, who is con ducting the strike for the Alabama
 miners declares the fuel administration
 bill is a "ruse to fool the people" lie
 further dubs the agreement made by the
 operators as "cqnfession of profiteer-
 ing"
 The operators declare the strike status
 is in their favor and that with continued
 adequate protection to the miners they will work in larger and larger numbers.
 Following are interviews with a num- Der of operators, both as to the strike status and the fuel administration bill: WALTER MOORE From the standpoint of the operators we making satisfactory progress.
 My mines in particular are receiving l daily increment of men and production is being well maintained. If quietus ls put on the paid foreign aSitators, the
 strike will be over in short time. ''As for the fuel administrator, we are
 willing to do anything in the world to
 aid the governor in helping the peopl3 of Alabama
 F. C. MARQUIS F. C. Marquis of the Dora Fuel Com pany: "Our operations are satisfactory. | Foreign agitators are the only menace The men wish to go to work and they are doing it. All the Dora mines are | increasing their output. We stand ready to back up the gov
 ernor in his efforts to relieve the people l'of the state' HENRY BADHAM 'Tn my opinion it is a fight to the finish and will take some time. One
 remedy for the situation would be to
 have the new outside negro agitators
 sent out of the state They are talking
 social equality and creating discontent
 where there was none before.
 "As to the fuel administrator, we made
 voluntary agreement with the goVer-
 nor in order to prevent Legislation that
 will take our business out of our con
 trol and place it in the hands of those
 not interested. We were not expecting
 the agreement to be placed in the form
 
 of statute"
 ENTER NO OBJECTION Charles F. DeBardeleben, Frank Nelson, Jr, F. F. Morris and James Bonnyman ,, of the operators committee agreed in this statement:
 "T'he strike status is as good as could be expected under the circumstances Everything that could be done to bring out the miners has been done, even to as- sauIt and murder, and we still produce, All we ask is protection for our loyal employees.
 I've have no objection to the fuel ad- ministration that is proposed by the gov ernor of the two-year period that It embraces"
 HUGH MORROW Hugh Morrow, vice president or the Sloss-Sheffield Company: Tn my opinion the strike will not last as long as some seem to think The ma iority of the men wish to work and they will work if proper protection is afforded them.
 "I see no necessity of putting the fuel Administration agreement into form of statute"
 J. C. MABEN, JR. we arc making satisfactory progress Our mines Davis Creek) have reached the highest point of production since the the men who wish to work be allowed to
 who have struck have done so through intimidation.
 "I. and l believe the other operators, !