The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-22
PROJECTING PUBLIC INTEREST.

When the Kansas court appointed receivers for the
idle coal mines it gave representation equally the
mine owners, the mine workers and the public. That
official recognition Of the fact that in all such
controversies are now going between workers and
operators of great basic industries the interests of the
public in the sort of settlement made is at least equal
to the interest of the two contendng parties. AS a
of fact the public interest greater than that of
either when COAL fuel clothing transportation, etc.
affected Hitherto Cancellation boards appointed by state
governments the Federal Government have not repre-
sented the people in this Their sole purpose has
been to compose the difficulty between employer and
employee in any possible acceptable to both of
the contendng parties. These agreements have not al
ways been harmonious with the interests of the con-
Stunning public and of other industries than TIE i'm
medatey affected.
1t does not follow that the best settlement of con-
troversy, rather of conditions which lead to
troversy, is wage scale More pay is the natural
remedy the worker for insufficient income low
wages the natural resort of the employer who finds
his production cost high This may be SO because
it is more direct more easily and done, than the
making of changes in other conditions which would
suit in the workers getting pay having less
pense in the employers being able to cut production
cost 1t is these ways of setting controversies in
other way than by raising lowering wages that the
public is the most Interested Let take the coal
troversy instance, The miners demanding a
higher daily wage because the present rate does not
afford them sufficient annual income Such increase
would raise the price of coal to every industry and to
every home in the United States There are possibly
100000 miners who would be favoraby affected by such
increase, but there 100000 people who would
De unfavorably affected There are perhaps 100000
lomes to which the increased pay would bring needed
relief, but there 20O000OO homes which wouj bear
added burden.
In his address to the Mining Convention Samuel c
Dunn editor of Railway Age said that there has not
been time in the past four years when the railroads
could handle the coal the mines would produce if the
given full time. Here is the chief factor in
settlement of the strike which will be practically ignored
if the interests of the public not specially repre-
ented in the negotiations More production and more
are is what the interest of the public demands The
Esch railroad bill has just been passed by the House.
1t provides for boards to settle controversies which
he companies and the operatives will be equally repre-
ened but it makes like provision for representation
Of the whole people, whose interests may be entirely
ignored and be seriously and unfavoraby affected There
is great undercurent of sentiment condemning strikes
which constitute assault upon the public. That is the
eason why the steel strike is failure and why the in
junction against the miners had such general approval
spite of the fact that njuncons not considered
desirable method of procedure in themselves This grow
ing demand for protection of the public interest should
be satisfied by providing for their representation all
boards and at all conferences where they are to be
affected by the conclusions reached.-St Louis Globe
Democrat.