The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1918-12-26
RELEASE OF SOLDIER MINERS
NOT TO AFFECT PRICE OF COAL

According to Washington advices,
under a special arrangement between
DR.. Garfield and Mr.. Baker, 1917
soldiers, enlisted from the anthracite
coal mines, will be released from, the
military training camps within few
days, and will be afforded, at once,
an opportunity Of returning to their
work. Up to the present time, about
5000 coal miners have been released.
All the remaining coal miners in the
service will be let out as soon as pos
sible. The idea apparently intended
to be conveyed by this announcement
is that release of the coal miners will
increase coal production. and that
with the increase Of coal production
will came relief for the coal consumer.
But, as to the latter point, will this
naturally follow? That is to say, will
production, hearafter any more than
in the recent past, really have much
to do with price!
A distinguished captain Of indus
try connected with the Standard Oil
Company Of New Jersey, before y
committee Of Congress, two or three
years ago, was frank enough to say
that production had nothing to do
with the price Of gasoline. This was
u candid confirmation Of a wides-
spread popular impression, and it was
greatly admired on that account. For
years captains Of industry had been
excusing advances in prices by refer
ring to the so-called immutable law
Of supply and demand. Tens Of thou
sands Of thoughtful people had long
ago become suspicious Of the. sound
ness of that law, a. 1t related to exist
ing economic conditions, and with
some Of the more advanced, or At
least holder, thinkers, the law Of sup
ply and demand had come to be doub-
ted quite as much ~ Sairey Camps
Mrs. Harris. At an average meeting
Of radical economists, one might cas-
lily overhear something said to the eff
feet that there was no longer any
such thing ~ law Of supply and de-
mand, and that the only thing thst
regulated prices Of the necessary COM
modities was the willingness or abili-
ty Of consumers to paywhat was de-
manded. In other words, It had be-
come to be . recognized axiom in bus
mess that the consumer Of gasoline.
coal, foodstuffs, and 10 on, should be
charged all he could or was willing to
bear.
Here however, was q captain of in
dustry who was outspoken. He did
not beat about the bush. He did not
hem and haw and talk about supply
and demand. Not ut all. He said in
effect, Gentlemen. we are not guild
cd in the least by the volume Of pro-
duction Of the article we are selling;
We simply charge for It all we can
get
Now. as to this matter Of coal min
ers returning from the army to the
mines. and taking up their picks. sho-
wells, and whcclburrows. the consumer
of coal will perhaps recall that the
price of coal began to climb long
long before there was any talk Of vol.
untary enlistment or registration for
the draft. The price Of conl climbed
and climbed and continued to climb
before single coal miner was called
to the defense Of democracy
Without any changes in wages. with
out any increase In the cost Of bring
Ing the coal to the surface or to thu
consumcr. the fuel advanced At reg
ular intervals. II wages were in
creased, the price Of coal was In
creased. not correspondinRly. but ou'
Of all proportion.
Whether the labor at the mines hal
been plentiful or scarce. the tendenc!
Of prices ut the mines has alway'
been In one direction. What reason
therefore, can there be for believing
that the return Of the coal miner
from the army campo will make n d'f
fsrcncsi No reason whatever. III
law Of supply anil demand has ceased
for the present. 10 cut . figure u
sueh esssA
hut let nobody take . pessimisti
view Of the outlook because Of nj
this; let nobody imagine thst the sit
, uatien y hopeless. An increasing
psresatags Of the population u soe'