The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-06
SAYS OPERATORS
 NDUNION MINERS
 ARE IN CONSPIRACY
Yerkes Claims Check Off System Is Means to Pun ish Non-Union
 Fields

Tn a statement made by s. L. Yerses, prominent coal operator. 1t is charged that the coal operators and union mine organization of the cen tral competitive field have been as- sociated in a conspiracy to throttle competition from non-union fields and that the check-off system has been used to that end.
 It is alleged that funds thus raised have served to pay for conduct of strikes in Alabama and West vir- ginia-
 The records in the injunction suit of the Borderland Coal company against the United Mine Workers of America and Indiana coal operators in the central competitive field are absorbingly interesting" said MT. Yerkes.
 This is the suit which resulted in the issuance of an injunction by Judge Anderson of the federal court at Indianapolis restraining Indiana coal operators from collecting dues for the union under what is known as the 'check-off system, and the union was also restrained from inter- fering with the coal mines of West Virginia and eastern Kentucky.
 This injunction Is the cause of the present upheava1 in the central com petitive field and the atteption of the Z country is focused upon 1t. But even more sensational than the injunction itself Is the bill of complaint upon which it is based, wherein is laid bare in cold legal phraseology a con spiracy on the part of the United Mine Workers and operators in the unionized field to force the union upon the non-union fields of West Virginia and eastern Kentucky.
 While Alabama Is not named in the bill or injunction the lawlessness and bloodshed which attended the last strike fin this state resulted from similar effort to unionize the mines here, and are logically trace able to the same source.
 Basis of Agreement
 Tt appears from the bill of com plaint that beginning with the Chi cago joint conference between the central competitive operators Undi- ana. Illinois Ohio and western Penn sylvania) and the United Mine Work CTS of America. 1t was agreed that the operators should contract
 
 Mine Workers of America to oper- ate their mines under union contracts and union wage scales, rules and conditions and to collect by deduc- tions from the wages of the employees at each mine all dues, assessments, imitation fees, and fines of the Uni ted Mine Workers of America, and pay the same oyer to the union of ficials. This is what is known as the 'check-off.' That is to say, at the beginning of each pay period the op- orators must check off on the pay roll the amount of union dues, fines and assessments to become due dur ing that period. These collections are to be made following regular company deductions for rent. etc., be- fore any advances can be made to the miners. The result being the es- tablishmenti of closed, shop as the collection of dues Is compulsory and no one could work in the mines ex cept members of the United Mine Workers of America.
 ShackIes Competition
 Tt appears from the bill of com plaint that in consideration of the above the United Mine Workers agreed to use every effort at their command to unionize the employees of other coal producing fields in the United States. especially West vir- ginia,> and thereby to so shackle them that they could not compete against the coal produced in the central com 'petitive field whose operators were under contract with the union.
 This agreement was renewed from time to time between the United Mine Workers and the central com petitive operators and there appears in the bill of complaint a delineation of the efforts of the union to carry out this agreement in West Virginia resulting in the bloodshed, destruc- tion of property, curtailment of out put and hampering of operations in- cident thereto.
 There also appears in the bill of complaint report of numerous joint conferences between the central com petitive operators and the union off cials; that much discussion was had on both sides as to whether or not the union had carried out in good