The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-25
COAL SUPPLY

ment is about TO take a hand in the matter. There IS plenty OF
coal in the mines of the country and there are plenty OF miners
to get it out if they are permitted to do so. The public has heard
much about the bad miners who are making %exorbitant demands,
but little or nothing about the reasons for these demands. The
miners are not adopts in publicity. Many Of them are foreigners
who do not understand the language, As a result, the public
knows only one side of the question, which may be summarized
thus: The miners demand
A six-hour day.
A fve-day week.
More pay.
The naturalization Of the mines.
These are only half truths and they place the miners in a
bad light. These half truths are true as far as they go. Why
do the miners demand a six-hour day. Because they cannot mine
coal enough in less hours to enable them to meet living expenses.
They are not allowed to average six hours a day under present
conditions.
The operators have absolute control of the output and they
understand the law OF supply and demand.
When the supply threatens to reach or exceed the demand they
shut off production, This, according to the miners story, is
easily done. ### g.. 2 u"
The miner takes his breakfast in the morning and his wife
fills his dinner pal. He goes to work in the mine. After work
ing for an hour, or maybe two hours, the boss comes around,
and if there are not enough orders for coal received by mail or
telegraph, the miner is told to knock off work for the day. The
next day it is the same thing. Hence he demands at least a
basic day of six hours. The operator claims that a~lsixhour day
would mean too much coal and that prices would fall. The miner
answers. as a concession and not as a demand: In order to keep
production down, | am willing to work only five days in the
week" This demand of the miner is heralded to the country
TO show how grasping and unreasonable the miner is and how
necessary i is to keep up the prices in order to meet his de-
nands The prices remain high, but the miners demands are
not met.
Then the miner argues; III you are to keep me from work
so as to exploit the consumers and keep prices above the normal,
then you must pay me more money per ton or per week to COM
pensate me for the time you force me to lose.' This is spread
over the country as an evidence of the miners %exorbitant demands
and the necessity Of keeping prices up or for raising them even
higher. The miner receives no relief and in despair he then says
that the government should come in and take charge of the mines
and operate them in the interest Of the country, which means
Matchmaking the mines. Socialism, "Bolshevism!' cry the
operators, and the public that is not in sympathy with either
socialism or Bolshevism condemns the miners and calls upon the
l government to suppress them.
Out of it all may come government interference and a dis
covery of the true conditions. When this is done the people may
expect relief *
We may be sure that neither the miner nor the operator has
understated his case, and while each lays the blame on the other,
the government ought to be able to find out the whole truth
involved and not half truths, as have been given out.
Judgment must be founded on ascertained facts and not on
the press agent work OF either the operators or the miners, So
far the operators seem to have had easiest access to the public
ear and the miners have suffered in consequence.
What the public wants is justice for both parties in interest
and for itself If, as the miners say, there would be no shortage
OF coal in 50 hours il the miners are permitted to dig coal as they
want to, in order to earn the money which they can get in no
other way, the government, representing all the people, should be
able to uncover this truth, The question cannot be left in its
present shape, because it will bring loss and suffering on the peo-
pie, and the people and not the miners nor the operators are the
first consideration.