tive-born laborers could be secured from outside of the e of the Finns, Magyars, Servians, and few of the ItalThe Greeks entered into other lines of occupation, ntile pursuits, and a considerable proportion, so far as ined, of the Slovaks stayed. The remaining Slovaks etically the only colony of that race in the district. ult was the prejudice against the immigrant on account sed on this occasion as a strike breaker. Even those ad deserted the union and had been given the right migrants when they returned to work still entertained he southern European immigrant for this reason. The e end of the 1904 strike, which practically took place ugh the dispute on the part of the union was continued s, until 1908, were a period of peace in the labor district. In the interim the agents of the United Mine inued their efforts to perfect a stronger organization, they considered themselves strong enough to settle the open" or "union" shop. On July 1, 1908, they claimed n possessed about 4,000 members, and the sentiment of native white, negro, and foreign-born, had been carefully

eto test the strength of the union came in July, 1908, erators announced that owing to the depression in the e industry, it was necessary to either close down for a ce wages by something like 20 per cent. They stated d determined to choose the latter alternative and try s they could. The union replied with a demand for t least were no lower than the scale prior to that time; ition of certain "abuses" and "impositions," such as s, etc.; and the recognition of the union and the operamines upon the "union-shop" principle. There is no the question of union recognition and union shop were es, and the operators refused to grant any of the her of the men individually or of the union organization. 1908, a general strike was ordered in the district by Mine Workers, and practically every miner walked out. trike of 1904, nearly every commercial operator joined in ger operators who mined coal for furnace and mill use, I for the principle of open shop. Only four small companies signed a wage-scale agreement as demanded by the emaining 25 operators of all kinds refused to recognize the

8,000 more men than were actually enrolled in the memthe union walked out, the union felt that it was strong win. Owing to the industrial depression, the operators e could afford to lose time. In fact many of them welopportunity. A few of them who operated furnaces and handicapped because of the delay caused in the carrying rs, and attempted to start up three days later with a small at once began the work of importing miners from other immigrants from other coal fields and New York.

ther hand, the immigrant miners who were in the employ

siderable number of them had been imported in 190 operators furthermore announced that no reinstat allowed as long as the strike existed. The issue clearly drawn in this strike than in the preceding on of antagonism ran much higher.

As soon as the strike breakers began to arrive, s occurred. Several persons were killed during the miners or strike sympathizers upon the strike breake necessary, in the opinon of the state governor, to o and take decisive measures. So frequent were th public opinion, as reflected by the local press, beg measures of a conciliatory nature be taken to sto expressions directly advocating concessions to the began to be heard. These instances of violence oc to time all during July, until on August 9 a signal was made upon a train full of deputies and imported Unknown parties stopped the train by laying ties and the attacking party of 50 or more fired into the killing three men and severely wounding many other boldest assault that had taken place during the strik the governor of the State to issue a call to the state readiness to respond at a moment's notice. Further ened to call the legislature in extra session to take if the strike was not terminated by 10 o'clock on threatened to destroy the tents of all idle miners. A had ejected all striking miners from the company qu walkout began, the destruction of the tents would thousands of striking miners would be left without sl

By this time, however, the union had lost much st found difficult to hold negro strikers and to control immigrant strikers from attempting acts of violen white miners, for the most part, had refrained from a discountenanced the work of the negroes and the i internal dissension had set in. The strike had cost th $50,000 and $100,000 a week, and the funds of the or getting low, as receipts were dwindling and the surplu The decided stand of the state executive regarding t the strike enabled the operators to win, as all they h wait until the last day had expired and to rely on the disapproval of the lawlessness of the striking miners. statement was issued by the officers of the United M America, calling the strike off on September 1, "reco statement ran, "the futility of running in opposition and "bowing in submission to the mandate of the S as there was need of them, the striking miners, except been leaders or who had been convicted of lawlessne back by the operators, and the policy of the open shop w

During the strike considerable numbers of immigrant in as strike breakers, but in not so great a propor whites from other coal-mining sections.

Comparatively few of these imported miners remai trict. In fact many of them left very soon after they alleged that the union paid their expenses back to the

other points where they wished to co The inm

especially of the southern European races, was considerhowever, as compared with what it was previous to nly those remained who came for permanent employnucleus thus started was increased by the arrival of atives. But the proportion of immigrants imported as s is small when compared with the number brought ct during the period of industrial prosperity in 1905 s a general rule the immigrants were considered a failerators as strike breakers. They were inexperienced, ndergo risks, and unable to respond in any way to the d for work after they arrived upon the scene. Furtherportation was the proximate cause of much of the e most serious outbreaks on the part of the strikers or izers were made upon foreign-born strike breakers on eeling of prejudice against them which had been carried - strike of 1904. The striking immigrants, too, were -r much of the serious attacks, and with the negroes e lawless element.

he union has maintained a local office and agents and has quiet campaign of reorganization. It is stated by local that neither the negroes nor the immigrants make good rs. The negro is too shiftless and irresponsive to share novements for a common aim of any sort, and the immioo great a racial tendency in matters necessitating conForces, while he is ready to accept any sort of wages and xceeding economy rather than by forcing increases in

disputes in the Birmingham district furnish another The operation of the general rule that working conditions culiarly under the control of the employers, and that the t limited in their control of the conditions of employment e natural laws of demand and supply in the labor market. ers are likely to remain in this position. The facts that whites are comparatively few in number and are unedulabor movement; that the large majority of employees who, experience has shown, can not be relied upon in a fort; and that the number and character of immigrant omise nothing definite or reliable for the union in the Id appear to indicate that no change in the conditions of t will be brought about soon through cooperative effort oyees themselves.

-VOL 9-11-14

CHAPTER V.

DUSTRIAL PROGRESS AND EFFICIENCY.

ss of the several races-General efficiency, by races-Order of preference, by races.

DUSTRIAL PROGRESS OF THE SEVERAL RACES.

in the Birmingham district agree that the Englishnigrant races, especially the Scotch and the Welsh, are ster in the scale of occupations than any others. Very alians are found in this district, but these few are stated n more industrial advancement than other non-Englishes. But slight progress has been noted, according to the f employers, on the part of Slovaks, South Italians, Poles, . Bulgarians, and other southern European races. So far ent in the scale of occupations is concerned, these latter ssed below the negroes.

to note two points with reference to this generalization. the division between English-speaking and non-Englishces does not necessarily mean that the knowledge of enabled the former to achieve the progress that they have In one instance the Swedes were said to have made the ogress and to have shown the greatest capability for nt among all immigrant races. These Swedes had learned glish, it is true, but their progress did not depend entirely et by any means. As a general rule the employers who an opinion stated that the basis of advancement was effie, although the value of a knowledge of English to the vas of course admitted as a factor.

d qualification is that a very few employers were able to intelligent opinion on the relative progress of immigrants ecause the southern European races had not been in resienough or continuously enough to have proven or disproven y to advance in any given occupation in the mines or in nd iron plants. The Scotch, Welsh, English, and Irish, on hand, are the oldest immigrants in the district. Not only he first immigrants, but a considerable number of them were ed in their particular occupations before they emigrated native lands or before they came to the Birmingham disis is particularly true of the earlier immigrant coal miners, been engaged in that occupation either before they left their ntries or had had experience in mining in other sections of d States. Slovak, Bulgarian, Italian, and other southern immigrants not only have not been in the district very long, were inexperienced before they came. While noting these iderations, however, the employers who had a basis for an tated that with very few exceptions the southern European