Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-12-13
SATURDAY. .DECEMBER 10, 1919
GOAL SIaNAI1 COST TO PUBLIC.

With tho end OF the coal strike In
sight Inc ouhs CANVASS o1 Conul-
tons Oh iiAv.I~ah InuuorfS ptiu.~u
Ell Sunday "A ulneLS an appraisal Oh the
cost to Tie puuiic. Tor lack OF pow
cr mIlIS auu luC.UI.eS tni ou8nout me
country have b,UA closed OF slowcu
down by lie ,nuuo.uus, throwing
their wage Garncis Out OF employment
by tho nunulcus Oh tnouSIllus. llalt-
roads ana u,itvr Euuilc u.lt.tlCS have
cut Their sc.N..o, wan Similar reauc
tons OF luLor. Dunuing OpCratlonS
have Leon .n,urler.u Wi.n Or suspend
cd. business houses and marke, plaG-
es have been lOiCGu to go on part tImo
schedules FROM The Steel pant and
the automobile industry to the cloth
ing factory and L.o Toy shop prouuC
ton has Lecn checked ana payrolls
have been diminished.
After MONTH OF the coal strike
probably not less than 100000 wage
carncrs in the United States were
being deprived OF tnoir chance and
their right to earn ,heir daily bread
and butter. Ii tho average earnings
Of these workers wore 81 Il day tho
coal strike was taking out OF their
pockets u sum to Ill Of $20,00O,00O
day. And $20.000.000 day Is at tho
rate of Sl20,0O0,000 a week or more
than six billions Of dollars u year.
Another week of the strike un-
doubtedly would have thrown 10000
600 breadwinners out Of work. The
direct cost to hem then would haTe
been at the rate Of moro than bill
Ion dollars q month.
But the direct loss OF wage earn
ings has not been all, perhaps not
half. of what tho public has suffered
in dollars and con from tho coal
strike and will suffer for a long time.
Lost production OF coal by the mill
lons of tons. lost production of tho
other commodities dependent upon
coal Industrial stoppage or dcmorali
zation far and wide, have given
crushing blow u supply--tho supply
of ncccssarcs Of life when it was
Insufficient before to satisfy demand.
Further shortage OF supply in mar
i1et already very much understoched
r%n spell only prolongation II not
multiplcation OF inordinatc p$stes-
for the American public to pay.
II may be that before they have
bio and insuffcrable coal strike the
wronged angerod American people
will find that It's cost to them is
comparable only, with the colossal
cost Of q terrible war with great
foreign Power against which the ma
ton has hid to battle for its safety
aud existence.
And mol ody OF Judgment and sense
Will fail to see now, AS everybody
will see later. tina. the labor union
politician who out OF his selfish am
bition or personal passion launches
against the public a steel strike or
coal strike ia fixed in the mind of the
American people at this hour as n
common enemy no less dangerous and
no more deserving Of mercy than the
foreign milf airy foe that attacks the
nation with fire and sword. Only tho
other day he talked and acted as IL
his foot were on the neck of the coun
try. But after the police strike in
Boston, he dock strike in New York,
The steel strike in the central States
and the COIL strike throughout tho
greater part OF he country with its
consequences suffered from coast to
coast and from Canada to Mexico the
American people will make short
shift OF him whenever he has the
hnrdihood again to come within their
reach.
If the professional labor union pol
iician is not now sized up nv the or
EaDiZed labor OF the United States as
lie is by the American ncoplc 80 much
the worse for it as well as for hint
9 .