The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-24
CONDITIONS IN WEST VIRGINIA COAL MINES DISCUSSED BY B. F. BUSH BEFORE THE STATE MINI ING ASSOCIATION.

The following paper was read by B. F. Bush before the West Virginia Mining association at a recent meeting:
 Your secretary has asked me to pre- pare a paper with the above title, to be read before the West Virginia Mining association. He has not eased the situa. ton by the appendix "in West Virginia Coal mining"
 At first I was stunned by the demand made upon me to handle a subject so highly academic-a subject covered by unlimited literature and a favorite theme of politicians, demagogues and political economists, who neither spin nor toil.''
 However, I shall not show the white feather and attempt to establish the right to shun our duties to this organization even though I fail in successfully handling the subject assigned to me.
 The relations between capital and labor are like the relations between man and wife, better solved by themselves than by outside interference. The relations between capital and labor are decidedly mutual and should so be considered by each.
 Natural laws should be permitted to operate as far as possible as they will solve most of the problems which will arise, while artificial laws are dangerous and, in the end, will become obstacles to the solution of such problems.
 Undue advantage secured by either cap- ital or labor must ultimately react on both, Therefore, the motto United we Stand, Divided we Fall," is as applicable to them as it is to the nation as a whole. In addressing tLis Association, l am of necessity appealing more to the repre- sentatives of capital than to the repre- sentatives of labor. 1t is my belief that I am addressing the class most in need of enlightenment on the subject under discussion.
 You have many questions unsolved in which labor should be equally interested You should in many respects have ad- vantages oyer the true representatives of labor (men from the ranks), in your edu- cation and training, yet upon the ques- tions immediately concerning your own operations, it is not unusual to find work ingmen, whose mental grasp of the sit uation is fully equal to, if not superior
  currence to find men from the ranks who are the equal of the best trained minds in political economy, as applied to the labor-capital question. As a rule they are well able to care for the interests of their associates.
 In dealing with them it behooves us to use the utmost conservatism and wisdom, showing a humanitarian spirit, while con- fining our actions to strict business prin- ciples, and not permitting sentimental con- alterations to influence our conclusions or interfere with our acts.
 Labor and capital should attempt to reach the same object, viz full month 8 work. Necessary concessions should be made by each to reach this end
 We hear the cry of the Full Dinner Pail.' What both capital and labor need is a much more substantial motto, and l suggest that it be "A Full Months s Work"
 This means the same to both capital and labor, and only these two elements can produce even an approximation to it. A full months pay and a full months work mean more for both labor and cap- ital than anything they can strive for.
 Of course, this may be very much of a dream but every advance in this direc- ton is in the line of progress.
 The anthracite coal mines have made much greater progress than we have through their ability to force a more regular distribution of their product.
 Capital, properly conserved, may con- tinue to earn forever. If capital is in- vested in coal in the ground it is not lost because the coal is not mined this year.
 Labor is different. The laborer's capital is represented by so many thousands of hours. If a single thousand hours is lost this year, 1t can never be recovered by the man, his family or the nation.
 We hear of the wastes in timber, in coal mining and of many other wastes, but no one seems to have considered the greatest waste of all, that of the labor of the country through voluntary or en-