The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1919-12-11
SPEAKING OF COAL
Some of the Things Wrong With the
Fuel Mining Industry.

Some OF the Things Wrong With the
Fuel Mining Industry.
The Dial, that scholarly fortnight
ly of New York, has in it's current
issue an analysis of the coal strike and
the entire mining industry. Among
other things, the article points out
that during the war labor's share Of
each dollar paid for coal shrank to
| 84.8 per cent, little more than four
fifths of the pre-war figure, while the
operators share increased 400 per
cent.
The Dial says that if the operators
were content with only double their
pre-war profits they could make 80
per cent increase in wages without
transferring one cent Of the burden to
the public in the form of an increase
in coal prices. The article also points
out that the demand of the miners for
five-day week and six-hour day
constitutes a demand for $50 working
days year, or 8 to 81 per cent more
days per year than they have ever
worked in the history of the Ameri-
can coal industry.
"Under the present regime of bust
nesslike bungling," says the article,
at is more profitable to waste nearly
so per cent of all the coal that is
mined than to save it by carefully
standardized methods of operation. |
II the miners go on digging nearly
two tons for every ton made available
for consumption, it is probable that
the fuel supply of the country win be
exhausted in 100 years" cox
Unscientific management, says the
Dial writer, causes 30 per cent lost
time, with consequent tendency to
keep workers longer hours during the
remaining time. He goes on to say:
"The welfare of our great common
wealth makes it imperative that the
natural resources placed at the ser
vice of society to the fullest extent
known to science and engineering;
hat the plundering of our mineral
and human resources shall cease and
that undeveloped possibilities shall be
realized for the benefit of the coun-
Try.
"As opposed to this, the present
organization for operating our coal
mines is unable to render this en-
arged service; for it is equipped to
10 merely what it does; that is, sell
he public such service as it can at a
rice. Since the service in inadequate,
Of this regime means
uin to the country. Satisfaction Of
he new economic problem of the
ountry means modification Of the
present regime.
"T'he answer Must be sought
n organization of production for con-
not for sale and the subse-
uent division of revenues between
hose who had and those who did.
"Ths embryo of such mechanism
'as tested during the war. We ascer-
aimed the needs Of our army and the
lies. We gave the authority to
hose who, we thought, knew what to
o and how to do it. Capable men
Iere selected, not elected. The crit
rion was not the cost, neither the
rofit, but service in the promotion
our common aim.
"This mechanism won the war. Let
5 use it to win the peace
The writer Of the Dial article is
Walter N Polakov, consulting engi-
Ger of note. During the war he WAS
nrolled by the government a. = pow
: expertffor the Emergency Fleet
He undertook = survey
the coal situation for the Dial, and
srified his own figures by those Of
,e United States geological survey.