New-York tribune., 1918-07-03
Miners in Some Sections
Said to Labor Only 20
Hours a Week
No Man Shortage
Biggest Task Now Is to Inspire
Diggers to Greater
Effort
By Theodore M. knappen


Special DispatcIs to The TribNne)
WASHINGTON, July 2.-Beer means
moro ships and less coal, if the views
of the Shipping Board and the fuel adj
ministration be allowed full validity.
The former is positive that IL the work
men be deprived Of their beer we shall!
have only rs per cent effectiveness in
shipbu:lding, while the coal people are
sure that if we delete beer we will have
lot more coal.
The views of the Shipping Board
have been voiced by Mcssrs. Colby and
Hurley in official communications to
Congress. The fuel administration has
not publicly stated its position, but it
is known that the recently created pro-
duction department Of the latter re-
CARDS the drink question as one OF the
chief factors in the solution Of it's
problem of driving the coal mines to
maximum production.
1t IS entirely possible that both may
be right, in which event the country is
bound to suffer serious restriction of
production whichever way the decision
! goes.
Work Short Hours
Coal mining. it seems. is the victim
OF sort CT industrial mortmaiu. The
miners are heirs to Il trade tradition
OF snort working hours. If drink were
abolished it would be easier to shatter
the tradition, it is argued. Short work
ing days give longer hours for convivi-
amy IN the saloon. Eliminate the
drinking place and the miner would
work longer.
disputed that the greatest obstacle in
the way of increased Goa! production
now, barring the limitations Of trans
portatlon, is the reluctance of the
miners to work anywhere near full
time. '0"' VII
II the miners could be persuaded to
work eight hours a day it would be
Posslole 10 get out more coal than the
ttS1un'ry tS could consume and vastly more
tnan the railways can haul The
btumnous coal mines Of Aa', Auerina - na
aione sa nave potential capacity of 800
ooo,Voo IONS year. The 1918 require
nents are estimated at 1856 ,0OO. 900 tons
OF both anthracite and bituminous.
Surplus of Cars Now
- aoinltted that II the miners
"ouid pas In what all other workers
;;esara as short day the depletons
IN their ranks caused by the draft vol
untcering and diversion to other form 70
OF INDUSTRY still would leave them
competent to mine more coal than tho
railways can by any possibility haul
Ahey may be able to DO that in their
present. lelslrely fashion. but just now
.he rallways, favored by good weather
ana the elimination Of the advantages
o; ~ centrahzed management, are begin
niHg 10 crowd the miners in the couu-
Try as i whole and in some districts
are actually delivering surplus Of
cars. r-N' VI
:. me fuel administration has estab-
llshed production department. Here
.ofore production and distribution hav.
oeen the function Of single depart
ment. = lot of sarcastic things have
pecn SAID about the creation of coal
ploouct'on department at this late
oI.e: puI the point of view OF the fuel
aomlnlstratlon is that the coal problem
Is IS mainly one of transportation md
dlsirloutlon, combined with economy
and that so long as the RAILWAYS werc
hopelessiy behind the production ca-
pacity there was little to be gained in
croWding production.
Must Push Production
Now, though transportation is sill
the governing factor. the situation has
undergone certain changes that MAKE
1T advisable and necessary to stimulate
production. Besides the increasing ef.
fectlveness o. the railways, there is
the necessity Of making up for the in. \.
roads on the ranks of the workers il,
mines from various causes and Of mt
ting punch" into mine operations
tnat VIII result III quick loading and
dispatch Of cars, thus taking adyan.
tage OF and emphasizing the improve.
ment in car service The more cars
the railways furnish the more theS
will be able to provide if thew arc
handled with dispatch.
The first task is to persuade the
miners to work longer hours and to be
on the alert to become active the mo.
ment cars arrive. The mining day
virtually throughout the United State
IS eight hours, but the miners proper
that is, the men who actually cxcayat,
the coal--work on piece or contrac,
basis, and since time immemorial the,
have worked short hours-shorte,
since the war began and nav ;ncrooroI