The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-01-16
THE EASTERN COAL FAMINE.

Isfe in the American tropics VIII
have added charms to Eastern people
after this experience with the coal ram
inc. A severe winter occurring At 'ne
same time as a scarcity or fuel means
an amount of suffering which peop'e
who live in kindly climates whoiS 90
zane and cannot appreciate IN ,he
Eastern States the worst winter "ea."'i
Is SO bad that even a full coal DIN ooeS
not always enable people TO Keep wal W.
With furnace and CRATES dong theh
host "a chill invades ones mouse EVERY
tiny crack admits IL; the moinehtars
opening of a door invites a piast' 'he
aIcoves near broad windows are seNelai
degrees lower in temperature thah tne
body of the room; colo cellar aheO'9
the floors of the parlors ABOVE men
all this happens where fuel Is plehtiiui
and there is no lack of appliances TO use
a what must be the effect where IL Is
scarce or absent altogether? Not ohly
comfort. but health suffers. 1t needs no
prophet to foresee the influence oil THESE
untoward conditions on the death rate
conditions which seem certain TO last
until the warmth OF spring returns
II isn't that no coal is being mined.
Those who have coal to sell are only
too anxious to get 1T on the market
But the great strike used UP all the
reserve which the coal dealers keep on
hand for winter emergencies what
the summer mining had piled up TO
meet any excess demand of the coal
season was dissipated in the fVe months
while the strike held on. In the mean
time the population was growing, new
homes were being built. new manufac-
tories were starting, steam commerce
was expanding. The demand for coal
increased while the supply OF fuel was
cut off. Work as hard as they may, the
poiners cannot meet the demand ana
the people must stand It, as best they
can for three months more.
The renewed use of wood fuel. while OF
Int slight relief to cities, where house
furnaces burn it up like paper, ana OF
no use at all to manufactures and
steamers, is likely to have a bad effect
upon the forest areas. New YORK and
the New England States are rapidly de-
nuding woodlands which not only give
them picturesqueness, but conserve their
water supply. This. however, Is one OF
the minor incidents in the great mass OF
regrettable circumstances.
II is evident that something very rad
ical must be done to prevent the occur
renee Of coal strikes in future. TINS
does not mean that laws should be
passed lettering labor, or deprivine
capital in the aggregate OF privileges II
enjoys in the unit. Labor has mos
persuasive side in this controversy; bu
without cooperation with capital there
would be no work for anybody. View
ing the whole case, there is not little
to commend the idea of David Il. Hi
that the National government should
substitute its own capital for that OF
private greed and control and develoI
coal mines as state property. The idef
is denounced as socialistic, but IT Is M
more so than the operation by the
Federal government of a large part OF
the carrying trade, such as letters anC
papers; and by the ownership of rail
road systems by government 81
strongly anti-socialistic as that of Ger
many or Russia. Today the State gov
eminent of New York reserves all mines
that may be found on public lands SOLE
for private use. and other states hav'
similar laws. The United States re
serves water supplies needed for irri
cation. and It would be to carry thu
principle but a little further to take tn
coal supplies in hand and see that, n
no interruption in the steady employ
ment OF labor at fair price, the con
sumner shall have abundant supplies q
coal, also at fair price.