Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-11-24

such stupendous amounts of money as to
be absolutely startling. Nor is it startling
only in its magnifcenco or any more star
Ting for that than for the fact that it in
wolves the practical application Of several
principles that have been much discussed
in politics, economics and social science
and the correlation of propositions that
have been supposed to be antagOnlstic.
In brief, Sir Georges scheme proposes to
effect the naturalization of the coal lands
of England, Scotland and Wales by the
formation of gigantic trust t. control
them all. The trust is to be governed, if
Sir Georges scheme is carried cut, by
central representative council elected by
the different coal districts on basis of
the number of tons of coal produced, and
the districts to be managed by local com
mittees of a cooperative nature, elected
in fixed proportion by the shareholders
and the miners. The price of coal is to be
regulated by the government-tlat is to
say, a maximum will be set beyond which
it must not be advanced without the con
sent of the government board Of trade,
and when this consent has been obtained
and the maximum raised the purchaser is
to share equally with the mine owlers and
the miners in any increase of profits thus
secured.
The question of wages under the new
arrangement would be determined by the
district committees, on which the miners
are to be represented by their elected direct
ors, and it is laid down as an axiom that
the scale should be calculated on liberal
basis as compared with other classes of la
Dor and be as nearly uniform throughout
the country as is consistent with the char
# - Il
also proposed to establish a general insur
ance fund for the benefit of aged and dis
abled workmen and their families, the
amount of which may be fixed in the flu
ture, though it is suggested that a penny
per ton on the present output would pro
vide Sa5S 1873 II year for such fund.
A majority of two-thrds of ghe coal
owners and lessees would be rec uired to
insure the inauguration of the scheme,
which, it has been estimated, would re
quire capital of $3.50. 0O0, 000 n tremen-
dous sum of money, but comparatively
small when the immensely of the interests
1t represents is taken into consideration.
There are several separate railways CAPT
talized pretty nearly up to these figures,
and the amaigamated values of all the
railroads in Great Britain is close on 81,
SOC, 900, 900, so that the value of the coal
interests seems relatively insignificant.
There seems little doubt that the requisite
number of owners will be found willing to
Join the enterprise, for it has been figured
that the additional security afforded would
increase the value of their holdings nearly
20 per cent
The scheme appears to have teen rea
soned out on "A strictly utlitarian basis
Its effect. if carried out on the lines pro
posed, would be the amalgamation of the
interests of the owners, the labOrers and
the purchasers, no one interest being al
lowed to dominate the others. Economy
of administration would be promoted, the
collieries would be more effectively work
ed, cutthroat competition between rival
fields and owners would be averted and
steadier employment provided for the min
ers.
Sir George Elliot, the father of the prof
ect, is well known i'm England as a man
who has made his way from being pit
laddie to position of wealth and infiu-
ence, and his scheme is not advanced as
that of speculative theorist, but as the
result of much deliberatiou by man of
great experience. He claims that It would
be benefit not only to coal owners les
sees, workmen and con sumers, but TO the
nation at large He has had the benefit
of consultation with other eminent au-
thorities and experts on the subject, and
his plan has received the approval of a
number of the practical men directly in
terested.
Whether Sir Georges scheme be adopted
or not, it looks to man up "A tree as II
some palliative measure We're necessary
to ward OFF the evil fleets of such contests
as the coal interests have suffered from,
for they concern the nation to much
greater extent than the mere statement OF
the financial loss and economic waste
would indicate