New-York tribune., 1918-03-06

| wages and the value Of manufactures lost
by the closing order arc making point that
is beside the issue. The factories would
have closed for want of coal in any case
and the wages would have been lost. The
closing order was not an order designed pr-
marly to save coal, but to cure the freight
congestion so to free the coal already
stalled in railroad sidings and return the
empty cars to coal mines that were shut
down for the lack of cars at their tipplcs
"Thc order was advised by the super War
Council as an urgent measure. 1t was
supported by the Director General of the
Railroads. 1t was issued hv Mr.. Garfield
because, under the Lever act, he was the
only official who could issue it. 1t was sue
cessful. And the critics who have been
clamorinS against it ingenious and
as we'll informed the editors who an
nouncc that Mr.. Garfield has no knowledge
OF coal mining coal distribution. and no
executive experience whatever
THE problems Of the fuel administration
are not merely problems in business man
agement. They are not merely efficiency
problems that call only for executive abl-
lty. They are the same human problems
! that have taxed the wisdom Of the govern
ments of the whole world during the last
few years of war. And the man who solves
them has to have more than an experience
in coal production and coal distributions
"When Mr.. Garfield was appointed Fuel
Administrator the production of coal was at
its lowest ebb, because of strikes and lock-
outs at the mines. There were he says,
two ways to proceed. Government. under
plea of war necessity, might have used
force. do not deny that in times like
these, torce must be used in last resort to
carry out the programmes of government
But there was a better way in this instance,
and the fuel administration relied upon it.
! operators and mine workers were brought
together. The ideal set up by President
Wilson was recalled to their minds Our
dependence upon coal for the prosecution of
the war was explained. 1t was firmly in
sisted that in the present crisis there shou]d
be neither union nor non-union; that for
the period Of the war all controversy be-
tween operators and mine workers must
cease. The appeal was needed and produce
ton steadily until winter set in in
spite of the fact that, as some thought. GOV
crnment had laid blighting hand on iegiti-
"atc prohlS. 1T was practical illustration
a demonstration of the efficiency of democ-
racy and the consciousness of a common
purpose
1T is now complained that by restricting
profits the fuel administration DISCOURAGED
Proouction. IT Is argued that if the mine
owner had been allowed to mako oreator
profits he would have been so eager to in
crease his tonnage that there would have
been an abundant supply of coal But the
/ governments of other countries have found
mat the laborer will not work patriotjcallv
TO supply national need when his EMPLOYER
IS taxing advantage of that need in order to
prohtcer. Labor will be loyal and unse]Gsb
only when the employer of labor is lova1
and unseihsh. 1t is necessary to prevent the
employer from prottcerng before the em-
Ploye can be prevented from proitecring
Without price fixing at the mines thoro
would have been strikes and discomfort and
consequent coal shortage The Fuel Ad
mlhistrators policy discouraged the prof
lteer1ng of capital and the profteerng of
LABOR. MS critics who argue that the price
of coal should not have been fixed are will
| ling to have the mine owner profitcer hut
they suggest no way to make miners work
loyalty for such an employer. Mr.. Garield's
| policy has obtained an unselfsh cooperation
1 from both
wv hat remains of the fuel problem is AL
most wholly problem of transnortat;on
Most of the coal mines of the countrv .ro
located in what the military people MIGHT
cal dlfhcut terrain. The usual mine of
the great Pennsylvania and West VIRGINIA
helos IS located we'll up one side of a
/ narrow mountain valley. At the bottom of
the valley there is usually just room enouob
Tor river and a railroad. There are no
consid iderabe flat spaces on which coal could
be stacked up
Inc nations coal must be kept moving
along the railroads as cty's water surnls,
IS Kept moving through the water mains
Inc best assurance of satisfactory sunnlv
OF coal for next winter lies in an adjust
mcnt of the machinery Of TRANSFORMATION ia
the needs OF consumers-an adjustment so
loreslghted and so comprehensive that the
coal will flow day by day from mine to fur
mace with the absolute minimum of carr;aro
and Of delay.
1T is to secure such an adjustment that
the new zone plan for btuminous coal has
peeh perfected and adopted This is tho
plan sponsored originally by f. s Pea
pody, OF the coal production committee of
the Council of National Defence a,d
amended somewhat to square with the idoas
OIL lhc transportation experts of Nr No
Auoo rallfoad administration BY this
plan every considerable coal field in the
.ountry is assigned a definitely bounded
district, to which shipments from II ox-
cept under exceptional circumstances will,
be confined. These districts occasionally
overiap--a particular city may be in two ~
three districts instead of in one alone and
get It's coal from two or three fields irstoad
of from one. In the West the distrio+s ,.'
arranged with reference solely to sccurine
lhe shortest possible haul for all coal con.
Sumcd' Dlstrictng the East has been =
more complicated problem. Length of haul
was chief consideration here. as in ~,
| West. but it WAS nlso nncnnna... ~ - Wv