The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-02
largo operators like. The Robbins lntcr-

csts
The strike OF 1902 extended only over
the Pennsylvania anthracite field. The
hilunihous mines OF tho Middle states
helped to furnish the strikers with funds.
and also relieved tho fuel scarcity. y
general strike would DO Il moro serious
matter. rho output OF soft coal IN tho
United States In 1Opi was 277,0Oo.ooo tons.
against 10000 tons OF anthracite, about
four tons to one. CT both tho yearly
production Is twenty tons for every Amer
lear. family. Soft conl Is mined In TWEEN.
ty-six states, while practically no hard
coal Isl found outsideso Pennsylvania.
Tie United states leads IN tho worlds
traductIon OF coal. Tho United Kingdom
IL still tho largest exporter. although IN
1904 1t produced only 236.Ooo,0Oo metric
tons to tho United States 3i8.000.000 In
Tie last third Of n century this country
!ias multiplied It's output by ton. Eng
lnnd's has Lnraly doubled. Germany Is
rcxt with m annual production OF no.
10000 and Germany since 1870 has In
creased It's production fourfold. In do-
mortic consumption this country easily
leads. liz Imports, except on tho Pa
ciIic, arc relatively Insignificant For
that rcron n coal strike goes 70 tho
very Liant OF It's Industrial activity and
general prosperity. York World.
Mr., Mitchcll's Manoeuvres.
II would be agreeable to discuss the
coal strike prospects upon the merits Of
the controversy, but there Is nothing
but tactics and pleadngs upon the record.
Everything regarding the merits rs un-
official, and mostly ex parte. In tho
5btumlnous trade tho operators offered
TO abide the result OF mn inspection
OF their books, and to pay the Increased
wages II their pronts ]lstified It. This
was rejected and no counter proposal
was made. The bitumnous miners there
fore advance nothing but demand TOR
more wages and obstruct tho opVators'
attempt to have the facts impartially i
nscertained 4
In the anthracite trade the miners
representatives appointed a conference
with their employers upon the dis
agreement with them for date later
than the suspension OF work which they
ordered in tho same document II Mr..
Mitchcls prcoccupntlon prevented his
setting the con ference Mt an earlier date
a decent regard for the opinion OF all 1
should have suggested the prudence
OF ordering continuance OF work
pending the negotiations. AS the mat
ter stands. he ordered q stoppage OF 4
mining while there was pending MS re-
quest for conference. and without that
reference OF the subject back to the
whole committee. which had been con-
tomplatcd by both sidos thro1ghout tho
e ept'' S co In the mean
tlJno Mr. Mitchell had got his strike
In the bitumnors trade. and nothing
was necessary to stop both Industries
except his orders. They are lacking no
longer. Evidently tho labor leaders arc
a law unto Themselves and ordinary
rules regarding business intercourse
count for nothing. Readers will Judge
thor M limited
Mine Workers have taken toward tho
nublic tho attitude which Commodore
Vanderbilt assumed, and which experiences
has taught corporate interests that they
cannot afford TO assume,
These considerations nre Important IN
estimating the probable effect OF what
must be doomed a strike. altholish not
called such. There can be no AcaIcty
OF anthracite for months, and Strike
may even be welcome to the overstocked
onerators. The lack OF bituminous VIII
he felt sooner. but In this trade the
sfonpare will be only partial. The an.
thraclto operators have objected to having
their trade complicated With disputes IN
q rival industry, Mr.. Mltchells conten-
tlon has been that because the antnrh-
cito and bituminous trades were rivals.
therefore they should be united IN tha
,,nion,s demands He has succeeded.
md now tho question Is whether IN either
Industry any man can work without the
,,nion,s license. Consumers OF coal con-
celye that their advantage lies IN pre-
serving competition between the two pro-
ducts, monopoly of both would 20
rooa dad nrctudicial to public interests
ana against public policy. Such monop--
oiv in labor. Mr.. Mitchell must succeed
IN ESTABLISHING, or his strike VIII be q
"a lure. II he succeeds, his muscle trust
lii ha established in defiance OF the
tlnd,ngs Of President Roosevelt,s conf
mission. II the merits OF the dispute arc
ah,,, r. showing At, and have deprived
Ip.y Roosevelt OF that support IN
nuh hI opinion which would strengthen
p,s Intervention. There should he law
~ ana economic settlement-ono which
,vo,,id settle.-New York Times.