El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-28
STAND on COAL STRIKE
REFLECTS THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT

DRESDENT WILSON'S denunciation Of the threatened
coal miners strike @unjustfiable and unlawful" put
upon It stigma that may paralyze il, not rst because
the president uttered the words but because he has
pressed the feeling Of the people a whole. strike
begun With public hostile is strike begun under curse
strike can't be public sentiment is against it.
The general public meaning that great body Of people
who not coal operators coal miners OF devoted to the
Of any union labor movement at matter what
cost is against this strike
The public, whose spokesman Is president wilson is
opposed this strike because Of any love for the coal
operators but because It believes that when the coal op
orators have assented president Wilson's appeal to arh
trate and vixen the miners have refused to arhtrate
knowing perfectly wen that arbitration would mean at
least some wage advantage to themselves that me miners
have taken unreasonable stand and in the wrong
The miners demanded 60 percent wage increase and
60 percent increase very high. IF added to the
cost Of coal to the consumer, would mean that coal
had been selling II e Paso at So ton, the price would
be advanced 70 SIS ton coal had been selling IN
Bisbee, Arizona, at s12 ton the wage increase would
advance to SO ton How would the la6orinE
and ther wives inEl Paso and B6ee Ike those coal
prices7
pose to end their movement send up the cost Of coal
production merely By adding percent the labor item
They proposed add to it by cutting down the working
week to five days Of six hours each The American Fed
Grafton Of Labor heretofore hes held up the ideal Of
eighthour day and sz-day seek The difference is 10
hours. In other words the miners would cut off two
fun days per week ard two hours over from what the
American Federation has set up ideal work-wees
Putting it in fractions, the miners would cut OF three
eiets of the week Another one-eghrh would make nan
the week In terms Of the generally recognized eighthour
day, the miners want to work s3z days week.
The United Mine Workers demand their wage in
sase-of 90 percenn order to meet the increased cost
Of living But at the time they demand that their
or-zee be so shortened give them very little If
any more money at the end Of the week That SO be
they piece workers nearly all Of them being
paid so much per ton Of coal mined.
Then one or the other Of these conclusions inevitably is
true: The Miners want approximately the same money
they being paid, while spending almost half the
week in idness else they angling for short regular
time and long overtime.
How can the public be expected &c sympathi1e with
such deauds7 Moreover how the public be expected
to have any sympathy for who decline to meet ther
EMPLOYERS IN arbitration without previous assurance that
their employers VIII make complete surrender surrender
which would double to the coal consuming public the
already i1ordinately high prices Of fuel?
If this strike were to into being and were not
overcome promptly, there would be fuel famine Count
less industries which coal for fuel would have 20 shut
down throwing thousands Of workers-uHon and nom
union. mau1al mechanical and clerical worke-sout OF
employment with winter coming and neither jobs nor
fs available II would halt the operation Of freight and
passenger railroad trains, street lines, electric light
and gas plants and end the movement Of freight and pas
senEeT ships. In the homes Of the people, It would have
Ette effect upon the ieh but it would be hardship on