Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-14
a Lesson From the Coal Strike

EFEN with its material loss, tho check
IL ing of industry, and the actual suffering
| it mas caused. the recent coal strike, brutaly
conceived and cruelty executed. may prove
worth infinitely more than 1t cost il it wakes
the country up to the fact that il need not
be entirely dependent on coal and the
vaGaries OF the men who own it and those
who dig 1T from the bowels Of the earth
Had the United States developed the water
power at its command, there would have
been no coal strike, or. had there been one
IL would have been so trifng in its effects
that people generally scarcely would have
known that it was in progress. There would
nave been no holding the country up at the
point or a strike pistol, and no kotowing
TO operators and miners TO induce them TO
return to work that the people might not
freeze and starve
IL mas been estimated recently that with
all The country's water power deveoped and
transformed into electric current, there
would he available an energy equal TO that
generated from 750000.000 tons OF coal
"nlch IS more than ii consumes annually
IN all its Industries and for domestic pur-
poses Practically all OF this vast na tional
resource is being permitted to go to waste
while the people knee to the opera tors and
the miners. begging for coal.
In virginia there arc two communities
which represent the extremes Of economical
'nritt and preparedness, the one hand
aud negligence as to present prosperity and
ruture safety on the other. They arc En-
porla and Richmond. For the former the
coal strike had no terrors. There il stonncd
no wheels of industry II was indcpendcn,
oil coal Several years ago the rar-sighted bust
ness men OF Emporia decided that its water
power should be utilized. Thereupon they pro-
ceedcd to harness the Meherrn River The
result is that Emporia now has more indus
.rlcs man any other community Of it's size
IN the state II has cheap power for maui
featuring purposes, and tho coal miners can
strlhe until doomsday SO far as it's stability
and safety arc concerned
NO" view Richmond! On the falls of the
James River. it has at it's door potential
water power great enough to supply it's needs
ior all time to como. And what has il done
Win this vast natural resource? Practically
hoihlns. Whereas the banks of the James
should be lined for miles with factories dn.
pending on that stream for their power /,
IS doubtful if more than dozen can he
counted Instead Of the city utilizing ,bc
stream to its full capacity i, pcrmits Tho
waters 10 glide by Embarrassed and sces its
luel supply cut OF, its industries threatencd
win stagnation, and it's people facing Il coal
famine III the midst Of plenty With this
ao"naant source Of power quickly available,
II mas refused to stretch forth its hand and
make itself independent
II the strike teaches Richmond and otbcr
cues similarly situated the perils OF short
''S"teuhess and economical waste and if i,
AidstehS congress to the DEVELOPMENT of thc
couhlrys mighty war resources. it will have
'uNcu pressing, regardless of the discom-
lo!ts OF It's present disguise II tbo lccso,
Is not learned and the negligence continues
'hcn they will be to blame for tho ,orrors nr
me next strike when ii comes as il surelv
Will unless IN the meantime at leas, u mar
''"i independence Of coal can he achieved