New-York tribune., 1906-04-03
THE HARD COAL DISPUTE.

Now that the crisis in the soft coal field has
been safely passed the Eastern consumer Of
hard coal may perhaps be tempted TO hope that
reason and conciliation will win second vic
tory in the anthracite district. Economic con-
ditions Justify a strike there as little as they
did in the bituminOus branch of the industry.
The last three years have been years of excep-
tional prosperity in the hard coal region. Under
the terms of the award OF the arbitration COM
mission of 19O2-03 wages and prices have ad-
yanced and production has exceeded all pre-
Tious records. The miners have had many
petty grievances redressed by the permanent
conciliadon boards established under the award
and the whole anthracite region has enjoyed
an unusual measure of tranquility and content
ment The existing wage scale and the exist
ing machinery for mediation have worked sat
isfactorily. Why, then, should they not be re-
newed for another three years term? Why
should there be any special difficulty about
duplicating an agreement recommended by an
impartial board and assuring fair wages for
the men and fair profits for the operators?
If the questions at issue between the opera
tors and the miners could be settled on their
own merits, the problem would be compara-
lively easy. In the bituminous field, where the
conditions OF production are natural and nor
NAL economic forces have free play a settle
ment was reached along the lines Of least re-
SlSlauC6. DuG luo aQIQraclIe uelQ c0QQlIlOQS
Of production are artificial and abnormal. In
this branch Of the industry competition has
practically ceased. The price OF coal is fixed
more or less arbitrarily, and the only regula-
tive influences at work are the discomfort Of
the consumer and the possibility Of an inva-
sion of the Eastern market by the cheaper soft
coal product But these checks are Indirect and
relatively ineffective. They can be and have
been disregarded by both operators and miners
in their struggles within the industry TO regu-
late wage scales and conditions of employ
ment
Another embarrassing element in the anthra-
cite situation is the ENHANCEMENT of its fort
unes with the fortunes of the bituminous in
dustry through the consolidation of the work
ing forces IN the two fields. This consolidation
makes the anthracite interest a mere tail to the
big bituminous kite. The unions policy under
President Mitchell has been TO cooperate with
the soft coal operators and hold a club over
the heads of the hard coal owners. The an
thracite operators have had the misfortune of
seeing their men enlisted in an organization
dominated by the bituminous element They
are obliged, therefore, to deal with employees
whose affiliations bind them TO accept leader
ship from an outside rival industry Instead
of mutual hepfulness the spirit which rules in
the anthracite region is one of scarcely yelled
hostility. Reason and real selfinterest play
therefore, a smaller part in the dealings be-
tween the owners ami workers than distrust
and prejudice. If the hard coal industry stood
on its own feet and controlled its own destinies
there would be a much better chance of a
friendly working agreement
In offering, however, continuance of the old
scale and Of the terms of the 1903 arbitration
award, the coal operators make a proposition
which may be fairly susceptible of some minor
notifications but which is in general lust and
reasonable 1t will argue a misuse of power
on President Mitchelrs part if he forces a strike
on the ground that he cannot accept a basis of
settlement made after careful study three years
ago by competent and impartial arbitration
board