The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1917-10-05

In an effort to prevent the consumer
from being charged exofbitant prscee for
the necessaries OF life during thee Wal
times the government has adopted thu
policy Of price fixing. The Presiden
appointed Herbert G Hoover food sd
ministrator and there was great hopes
that there would he reductions in the
cost of certain staple articles of food il
only slight reduction. The Americas
people cannot understand Why tn srs
compelled to pay q higher price for bread
than the English and French when the
Eoglish and French get most OF their
II 'ur from America The price of wheat
MAS fixed at 81 ~ bushei to the farmer
bat the consumer 10 still paying from
$500 to $1,000 per barrel for his -four.
Meat, lard, sugar, coffee, etc, are still
climbing and from news reports Mr.
Hoover has admitted his inability to
check or lower the prices of these necesi-
ties.
fixing prices of food for . few weeks
without results as lar a. the consumer 10
concerned, President Wilson steps in
and hxel prices on coal and appointed
Or. Harry A. Garfield fuel sdminissra-
tor snd right there 10 where not only the
coal operator but more than 10000
workers with twice as many dependents
IN West Virginia WAS hit. Much haa
been said and written about how the
operator is Affected and the effect OF the
price ti<ed by the President on the coal
industry, but very little has either been
taid or written about the effect o: 81 90
coal on the thousands OF miners. work
ers IN and about the mines, their de-
pendents and the small business that
thrive OIL tile earnings OF the employees
OF the coal compsnies
INCKEAsEs IN WAGES.
With the txceI ton OF the OF the l.
:. Coal and Coke Compan, OF Gary. ".
Va. a subsidiary OF the u. >. Steel Cur
poration, which has given wage increases
amounting ~ 40 per cent during the
Iast twenty months. few coal companies
have mere ssed wages - per cent or over
Most OF the wages increases in West Va.
have b-rn lar less, and many only ten
per cent and le~s with small bonns ..
1his has not bsen the fault Uf the Goa,
operator because in many instances he
Was tied mp with contracts which ran
until April, 1917 and because OF the
scarcity Of labor and shortage of car
could not produce more than The tonnage
cOntrarted tor. hence he could not take
advantage OF the high prices Of coal in
the open market and theu fore received
bot little more for his coal than lie re-
ceIved prior To the war. The operate
Vas AMI ~ compelled To meet the high
cost Of all materials used IN his bushes,
cars, iron, steel, lumber, mules, feed
and - on, continued To increase in price,
and in order 10 remain in bushes be
Was compelled TO meet the charges, with
tie result that labor came in for bot q
small increase in wagrs and with il be
has been compelled to pay from fifty n
la per cent increase in the cost o. nece<-
sitie- during the past two yesrs. not luz.
nri-s but -nch staples a. meat. jread
bean-, sugar. coffee and clothes, article,
that he must have n he and HE family
are 70 Exist On many coal operation,
the increased cost Of powder, carbide
oil, overalls and tools alone 10 greats
than the increase IN wages received Z
the miner. though no fault of the orrr
ator vbo bss already done the best hs
c.,uld. tthere are exception ~ course
Now 81 = time ~hen ,be operator mus
meet grest~r government demands. v her
labor = scarce snd gettlhx -csrcer bec-u /.
many men are t~ing taken iron IN.
mine - the army. ~hen the miner nus
m-~t extraordinary exy~n-e, the govern
ment -trT'- IN and hxes q price on coz
az the nin.s that soold only ~ reason
able >" normal ume- sith only norma
increases IN pfic,s.
WHATS FOR THE WORKER?
With tsv a ,llar el tie prA ticall-
impo<sibls for the operssors u wes
Virgins TO sive their employees . rsss
Ia wsgrs and m -sne cs>es there n,
doubt viii ~ rdbcti,ns. With vinse
slmo~t on, pIic- oi io,d, clothes ans
shoes higher and sett,ng higher, cha