The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-20


 Chairman of Committee.
 G. F. PETERS,
 FRANK NELSON, JR.,
 CHARLES +. DeBARDELEBEN,
 FRANK C. MORRIS.
 men who were employed to fill the places of the strikers be discharged and the strikers given their old positions. The men who, it is recommended should be discharged, are the men who entered the service of the operators when it was dangerous to life and body to do so. ITO these men the operators are in- debted for reestablishing their business, which an unjustifable, illegal, and im- moral strike had seriously damaged, and largely to these men is the public in- debted for the limited supply of coal available during the winter months. To discharge them to make room for the strikers would be to penalize loyalty that wrong might be rewarded.
 STRIKERS NEED WORK
 The strikers need work, and they and their families will be left in sore straits without work, but in no worse condition than others would be in, if dis charged for their benefit, and SO far as the public is concerned the condition would not be remeded. They voluntarily, through the influence of union leaders. abandoned their work without just cause. It is my opinion that. since this strike was wrongfully and without the slight est justification called, the organization of United Mine Workers of America is responsible for the present strikers be- ing without employment, and that, there fore, the United Mine Workers of Amer ica should support the present strikers until they are able to secure employ ment.
 IN SUMMARY
 ITO Summarize-It is found and I SC declare: S
 First Recognition of the United
 Mine Workers of America is not to be compelled.
 Second-The day wage scale and
 sub-contract system are to remain unchanged
 Third-The existing methods of ad-
 justing grievances are found to be fair and equitable. tt Fourth-The operators are under no obligation to re-employ the striking
 miners. Fifth-The freedom of contract shall be inviolate and. therefore, any of the
 above mentioned things may be done
 by mutual agreement of the parties. And I recommends:
 "(a)-That the operators, as means to promote peace and harmony, re-
 
 struck as fast as places may be found for them without displacing men who are now at work
 (b)-That the organization of United Mine Workers of America support the unemployed men who struck un- til they can find employment OPERATORS ADVISED 'Compliance with these recommenda- tions would be gracious act on the part of the operators, tending to refute the charge of selfishness so often made against them, the truth of which has been indicated by undoubted profiteer- ing by some of them during the strike. On the part of the United Mine Work CTS of AmeI<ca. 1t would be but an act of simple justice, tending to disprove the assertion and belief of many people that the organization exists mainly for the selfish purpose of its officers, or ganizers and representatives,
 The strike having been called of by officers of the United Mine Workers of America is ended. Let us hope that the strife and bitterness is also ended {; that the coal mining industry is enter ing upon an era of peace which will last for many years; that prosperity may soon return, and that all workers may find early employment" COMMITTEE REPORT Embodied in the decision given out py Governor Kilby was the complete report of his personal representatives in the strike situation. These were w. T. Sheehan, editor of the Montgomery Advertiser; Richard Hobbie, wholesale grocer. and John w. Durr. wholesale druggist. all of Montgomery. The re- port was submitted to the governor after visit of the representatives to Ctril tnh terviewed business and professional men and heard testimony from the op- orators and the striking miners An inspection of the union and nonunion mines was made. Their report in de- | taila
 Your personal representatives ap- pointed to visit the mining district in and around Birmingham, for the pur- | pose of collecting such data as may prove of help to you in making your findings regarding the unhappy situa- tion in the district. herewith report that, in advance of their visit in that section, we reviewed carefully the cor respondence between you aud Mr. Vic tor H. Hanson, publisher of the Bir- mingham News, in his third and suc- cessful attempt to establish basis whe.eon settlement could be effect ed We wired the representatives of the operators and the miners. respec- lively, to prepare thir briefs, setting out their contentious. If they so de- sired and present them to us on Mon- day. February 2S. 1921, at the Tutwiler hotel The representative of the op- orators reported promptly Monday morning that he was ready. MINERS WANTED TIME
 The representative of the miners asked for further time. In the mean time numerous citizens of Birmingham were requested to appear, and did ap- pear before the committee. and very courteously answered all questions asked them. after which we proceeded to examine the brjst of the operators with careful scrutiny. On Tuesday morning. March l. we received the priel of the miners. whose representative was given an oral hearing in the banquet hall of the Tutwiler. in the presence Of about 150 persons, mostly miners On Tuesday afternoon your committee