The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-02
ms s1rUnlsoCs Coal sr.IxH.

The bituminous cool strike = Assuming
formidable proportions The supply u
soft coal upon which I'll ths railroads End
manufactofsss west Of the AlIeghanies Dc.
pend for continuanes Il their operations
b approaching exhaustion. A similar sx-
tsnsivs strike OF coal miners in Great Brit.
ain paralysed industry 70 IN enormous
extent and finally eEeassd % much dis
trsss that the eovsrnmsns interposed. and
through the mediation a Lord Rossbssy.
the present prime minister, Effected com
profntss BY which mining was rssumed
OF course Ne can not prevent strikes ~
Law. All tnst Ne can do II project from
violsnes miners Who desire to continue -
work. The right TO strike 10 y sacred -
the right AZ employers 70 fix the amoant
Of wages they ars willing 70 pay. II the
water supply Of great city were put in
the same jeopardy - tt coal supply -
the result Of some extensive striks the pub
lie would not hesitate TO defend Il BY e.
trems measures. So with gas. Not many
years ego. when the uorkmen In the gas
works Of Manchester. England, went on
strike and the city was in danger Of being
left in total darkness. the British govern
nssnt. with the general approval Of ell good
citizens, came TO il assistance and detailed
soldiers to carry on the mapufacturs Of gas
until men could b found 70 Gil The places
Of the striksrs. A like government intar-
ference would b universally demanded 70
prevent the stoppags Of great city's sup
ply Of food
The supreme court a the United States
long ago decided that the regulation By
the community through its legislative and
executive agents Of oil industries which.
70 any large extent. affected it, veil being.
II one Of it eonstitutiooal rights. In the
celebrated Granger cases Il held that any
stass might to prevent sxtortion, limit
the rates Of storage Tor grain which ware
houssmsn should - allowed 70 exact, = IL
limits the rates Of interest for the use OF
money. and the principle thus established
hes sincs bssn applied 10 other subjects.
Thus the Legislature Of New York state.
in 1883 limited BY Law tho price Of gas In
New York city, whether IL VS. furnished
by corporations or by individuals. and il
has since then. on several occasions, sx-
tended the Limitation to smaller citisa Its
Intervention has also lately been sought
to reduce telephone charges, and though
1t has not Jet made the reduction, its right
TO do 30 - conceded.
This bituminous coal strike will b
regulated ultimately BY Law. either By az
ing miners wages and hours Of labor. or
the people will take possession Of the
mines by what lawyers call the right Of
eminent domain. and carry them on itself.
- they carry on in New York city The
business Of supplying water and in many
other citiss that of supplying gas.
The possible regulating BY Law the price
Of coal - the price Of gas 10 fred, or the
warshousing Of grain. could b easily
enacted, but no law could compel mine
owners TO mine and sell IL at that price IL
Il did not afford them profit Nor could
miners be forced TO work for statutory
wages IL they thought those wages were
TOO low. any more than they can be COM
PEELED now TO work for the wages which
the mine owners offer them. The same
objection applies TO the proposal to settle
disputes concerning wages by compulsory
arbitration.