The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-04

Various Plans for OverconlinR the Dlnicultlcs
A., sac FWture-fho Only True kemedy Ac-
.s,.. W 20 the Prisciples of fPoIitical Econeny
the FurthSr Increase Of Frelsht uhatGeS-
Tonnage, htc'
The coal famine SO mulch talked of and SO
much dreaded has, up to this writing, not yet
been heard of in reality. The starLIlpgly low
supply of New York city and Brooklyn mas 9een
foupd to exist nowhere but in the brains OF those
who had money to make by rise In the prices
of stock, In addition to the supply OF authra-
cite large quantities of oltumlnQps coal are
being shipped to the city oy the ERE Road from
beinV taken from Philadelphia to New
York. SO that there Is an abundant supply for
the present and a good prospect for some time
10 come As it is not anticipated that the coal
troubles are going to last for an indefinite
Seriod there is no i'm mediate cause of uneasi
ness To crown all, the weather during the last
few days has been so moderate that there has
been scarcely any demand for coal in any of the
cities, and thus the excitement has been allaved.
] ackawanna coal can now be bought at retail in
New York for eight and nine dollars a ton, and
the rate in this city for Lehigh and Schuylkin
is about the same, or lower If anything.
1t is interesting to notice the various plans
which the miners are concocting now that there
is serious trouble at the mines, but which will
be forgotten again as soon as things begin to
work smoothly, by means of which all trouble
is to be avoided in the future. One is that all
work be stopped during certain months of the
year, so that the production will not exceed the
demand. Another is, that there be stoppage
of one day in every week; another. that the
mining community be divided into four classes,
one class to stop work in summer, the second
class in the fall, the third in winter, and the
fourth in spring But in all these and other
plans the projectors seem to lose sight entirely
of principle which every system of political
economy acknowledges, whether free trade or
otherwise. That principle is, that when the
supply is greater than the demand, or what in
this case is equivalent to it, the capacity of pro-
ductop is greater than what is needed to meet
the requirements of the market, either prices
must fall or the production must be diminished.
1t is claimed that these various plans look to a
diminution of the production, but they do not
When there are too many workmen in any
department of trade, some must leave and work
at other branches which are not over-supplied.
| If they do not leave, then the prices will lower
| until some are compelled TO leave,
| and so raise the prices for those
| who remain. No more money, comparatively,
can come into the branch of industry, oEly what
| is there must be divided until it comes to the
| lowest living rate. Above that the tendency is
| to attract workingmen, the pay being higher
| than elsewhere. Below it the tendency is to
| repel them and send them off to other fields of
If the plans proposed looked towards stop.
| page for portion of the year only, they would
| be all right for the large number of men work
ing part of the time at good wages would receive
only SO much pay in year as If they worked all
the year at lower rates. 1t is also equivalent to
"a smaller number Of working men, I. e., re-
| aimed at is this:-The number of men
| shall be retained. though it be more than the
| market demands. They shall work but portion
o. the year, SO to put into the market only SO
much coal as it will bear. But they shall also
| receive for this portion of the year in which
| they work remuneration which, in the course of
| the year, will. be equivalent TO their working
| the whole year at the good wages, not at a lower
rate. This is manifestly unjust, and all plans
| or organizations which have for their object the
| maintenance of a larger number of workmen
| than the demand requires, at a rate of wages
| higher than the law of supply and demand war
rants, are against law and order, and so long as
| such are held to there will be trouble.
This law Is natural, and any plan not founded
upon it cannot expect to stand. No organiza-
ton, no matter what its power may be- can long
| hold out if it has any other basis. 1t is no use
| trying TO uphold the prices above the natura, q,
tate. In the end they will find their level, and
| the organization which tried the experiment
I will have suffered. Then if the superfuous
woIkmen win not leave the prices will go SO low
| that some will starve TO death Tnis VIII reduce
the supply. and the survivors will have living
wages. If some of the leaders would advise
| their men to quit mining and go West. where
| men are wanted to clear and cultivate the soil,
| both those who go and those who stay would
| have abundance Some such plan will be the
| only feasible remedy for the difficulty. This is
the rule in all professions. The legal profession
| is at present an example. 1t is overcrowded,
and the majority of those in it cannot obtain g
| living by it. They therefore find employment
| in other ways not Immediately connected with
the legitimate business of the profession, or they
leave 1t entirely. AS 1t is now, one is tempted
| to enter it expecting an open field, unless he
considers that his abilities are such that he will
| be able TO crowd Others out.
it is very. easy 10 perceive how the department
| of mining got into this condition. The prOduc-
| tion has been over-stimulated by opposing car
| ryiDg and mining companies, the impetus being
| given at the time of the late war, when the
| demand Tor coal was enormous. These COM
| panies have still been competing in the largest
| number of tons which each could mine or
| carry, regardless of what the market
| could be expected to bear. Miners have
| been exported and crowded into the regions,
| and they, being ignorant, have not been abe to
| see that their services would be required only
| for a time, and so have come willingly. The
| companies now know not what to do with the
| immense yearly yield which they have thus
generated, and are unable to pay further for it.
| Now the remedy is to be applied. 1t must fall
| upon somebody, and the miner is the sufferer,
| though not the only one by any means. We do
| not say that something could not be done by
the other interests to help the miner bear what
| has thus come upon him. Much could and pro-
bably would be done if all parties were only
| agreed. While there is constant war there can
| be no fellow feeling.
| 1t is very easy to see that plan solving the
| difficulty in the way described would be very
unpopular Men with families do not care to
| change their vocation, or even their place of
residence, at eyerybody's bidding. But such a
thing will have to be done sooner or later un-
| less, from some unforeseen cause, the dem and
| is greatly increased within the next few years.
| IL 1t is not, there will be much suffering some
where: In the course of time the regular legiti-
| mate increase OF the demand would prob ably
afford Temuneratve employment for all now at
| work in the mines, but how are the superfuous
| ones 20 live in the meantime? We certainly do
not care for another war merely for the purpose
of using up our extra coal. II, however, any
u, al.,