The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-02-14
K|[BY DENOUNCED
FOR HIS METHODOF
HANDLING STRIKE
Speakers at Trades Council
Mass Meeting Claim the
Entire Issue of Union
ism Is involved

the coal strike. let him quit
| This declaration, made by r. H. White,
| vice president of the Southern Labor
burst of applause and yells Of encourage
ment from nearly 1000 men and women
who attended the labor mass meeting
held at the Buou yesterday afternoon.
| under the auspices of the Birmingham
Trades Council.
| Bitter denunciation of the governor s
policy with regard to the strike was
| the keynote of Mr. Whites talk. He
characterized the governor as a man
elected accidentally as the result OF
agitation OF the prohibition question
! The proposition of Van Bittner to first
remove the militia from the mining dis
tricts and then settle the strike was re-
newed by Mr.. White, who said that the
union was not in favor of violence, and
did not counsel the use of force
| The meeting, yesterday afternoon was
presided over by j. e. Busby, president
of the Birmingham Trades Council, who
opened the speech making. He began by
criticising Governor Kilby's action in
asking for the removal of foreign agi-
tators," stating that he could not see
where it was a sin for any union leader
| to be such just because he did not hap
pen to be native Albanian.
ldhuiS away OIL the guards was SuS-
gested by Mr.. Busby, who said that the
miners union would guarantee to keep
the peace il the paid guards of the opera
tors would not modest them
He read letter from Trafford local
No. 1856, United Mine Workers of
America. which. in effect, stated that
the members of the local were well
pleased with Van Bittner and the other
state and national leaders of their or
ganization, and that they could see no
reason for his deportation.
TITS none of Kilby's business who has
charge of our affairs Busby declared.
He then read a letter from coal opera
tors of Jellico, Tenn, written early in
the war, extolling the value of Bittner.
Mr.. Busby then declared that certain,
persons. whom the unions could nos
name, mean harm to Bittner land that a
committee had asked the sheriff and chief
of police to afford him special protec-
ton against any such plot.
BOWEN SPEAKS NEXT
Louis Bowen, secretary of the State
Federation of Labor, was then intro
duced by Mr.. Busby. Mr.. Bowen de-
clared that the situation required con-
sentative consideration. He spoke of the
size of the labor organization in the
United States, saying that District No.
20, United Mine Workers Of America.
Federation of Labor, the labor move
ment of the nation and Alabama, and
as such, would be supported by the en-
tire labor organization.
The fight of the mine workers is to
gain the right of collective bargaining,
Mr.. Bowen said, and that is what they
are in the fight to win, he declared.
He declared that the word democracy
was worked overtime. and defined its
real meaning as collective bargaining. He
said the miners are now being denied
the right of doing bushes with the coal
operators, to merchandise their goods,
represented by their labor. and that was
one of the main reasons for unrest in
Alabama today.
Mr.. Bowen then quoted from speeches.
by national citizens to show what they
thought of labor and unionism, taking
excerpts from speeches by President Will
son and Secretary of the Navy Daniels.
He declared that the miners made pro-
posals to adjust conditions fairly before
they became serious, and that labor was
willing to and is doing the right thing
toward adjusting the strike.
I'VE are willing to leave it up to
any public-spirited citizens to decide,
he added
How does Governor Kilby want us to
express oul. opinions of his action r
Bowen shouted. ''Is it through the coll
umns of The Birmingham Age-Herald
ard the Birmingham News. as it seems?.'
He quoted from Iillers statement de-
nouncing Kilby's action, asking his au-
dience to be the judge as to which was
fair and which unfair
Let me make it plain that we coun-i
sci no violence, repeating that asser =
ton again and again." he stated.
Bowen charged that the word ',agita-,
tor, had been used flagrantly and mas
Sliciously by those opposed to the mine;
workers union. He declared that the
outside agitator" was great discov-
cry, saying that the officers Of union
were no more outside agitators than
the president of a corporation or the
superintendent Of plant.
WOMAN GIVES VIEWS
Miss Mary Mcdowell. president Of
the Women's Trade Union league, was
next Introduced by Mr.. Busby.
Miss Mcdowell began by saying that.
As she WAS a>fOreigner, she would give
"a reason for being in the state. She
went on TO say that she had been in-1
vited Into the state to speak before the
League Of Women Voters on Women
in Industry"
She declared that there was nothing
wrong In collective bargaining. and
that It WAS right approved by
churches OF all DETERMINATIONS. She said
that her purpose in life was to gain
this privilege for women. and that ev-
cry woman worker should be member
Of = union, for her protection.
She said that she could not talk OF
local conditions, ana that 1t was not
her business to talk about them. But
she added, II these conditions affect
the nation, then 1T is national prob
lem, and her business Is Z citizen OF
the United States to discuss the situa-