The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-14
THE REGULATION OF COAL
PRODUCTION.

The coal strike of 1897 may be considered
idleness on the part of the miners, whose
support has fallen in no small degree upon
people upon whom they have no claims.
The operators have not profited largely by
the period of idleness. An arrangement has
been made for the resumption of coal pro-
duction which contains no safeguard
against the conditions which led to the
present strike and most of those which
have preceded it. 1t will not be SO easy to
glut the coal market with the factories and
mills of the country running in full force;
still, the capacity of the mines is consid-
erably in excess of the largest consumption
of the country. Under such conditions COM
petition will result in a decline of prices.
Indeed, there can be no other result when
the coal operators have more coal to sell
than there is reasonable demand for.
Because these conditions exist, he need
not be accused of playing the part of
prophet who expresses the opinion that
there will be another coal strike within
three or four years, since he will be only
making logical deductions from existing
conditions. There will be coal troubles I'M
til operators and coal mine owners have
the sagacity to enter into compact to cur
tail the product of the mines, limit it to
the demands of the market and then allot
to each mining region its proportion of the
whole amount to be mined to supply the
demand.
r. will Ia cofd fhof Wi ms a
trust. 1t can be called by any name so
long as the market is supplied at fair
price, miners are paid fair wages and the
biennial strike with its resultant of violence
are escaped. Any combination which will
insure mine workers fair wages and mine
operators a fair profit can be tolerated. Be-
sides, it does not require much holiness to
assert that arrangements to supply the
market with any necessary quantity at
price which will afford fair wages and rea-
sonable profit has ceased to be a bugaboo
to brighten practical people.
The mine operators seem to be inclined
to make an attempt to put their great in
dustry upon a safe basis by action as an
association. This being the case, why may
made the subject of an inquiry of the gem
eral government? Congress is asked to pro-
vide a. currency commission because it is a
subject Of interstate Importance. What of
coal? Without it every railway train in
every State would die, because the breath
of life of which coal is the essential ele-
ment. has left the body of the locomotive.
Three -fourths of the factories employing
hundreds of thousands of men, would stop
running when filed with orders but for
coal Half the people in the States of the
North would perish of cold and hunger but
for the supply of coal. Surely, so impor-
tant a commodity. produced in a dozen
States and consumed by ALL is a fit subject
for the consideration of Congress. Any ir-
regularity in production, such as has
caused the strike, seems to be proper
subject for the consideration of Congress
after the causes are defined. To limit the
OUTPUT of coal to the volume of consump-
ton will be a new topic for Congress, but
must that body decline to have commit
tee consider it because no previous Con-
gress has been called upon to deal with
the subject? More than upon any other
commodity, interstate commerce depends
upon coal. This being the case, why should
not Congress interfere to regulate the in
dustry in manner which will promote the
public welfare?