South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-14
TELLS OF BASIC
WRONGS ENDURED
BY COAL MINERS.
Operators and Miners Both
Working on Theory Alone
Says Brown.
NOTED men ADDRESS STUDENTS

Continuous employment for work
ers in the coal fields and substitu-
ton Of cooperative proiit-sharing
plans for the present antiquated
wage system were suggested as rem
edies for Industrial unrest by Paul
w. Brown of st. Louis and Col. p. II.
Callahan OF Louisville. Ky, at a
meeting OF the Notre Dame chamber
of commerce in the Hotel Mishawa-
ka Saturday afternoon.
Brown Is editor of America at
Work and was, during the war, in
dustrial adviser TO Pres't Wilson.
Better versed perhaps, than any 9TH
er economist in the country. on all
phases of the coal mining industry
he clearly defined the cause behind
the recent strike in his talk on THE
Coal Crisis" Callahan is president
OF a large Louisville concern and is
known in economic and industrial
circles throughout TIA country as the
father OF the profit-sharing system.
In his speech The Demonstration
of Industry he explained the work
ings of profit-sharing in his own
plant.
Deal i'm Theories.
Both coal operators and miners
are dealing almost entirely with
theories in their controversy. accord
ing TO Brown who insists that even
Fuel Administrators Garfield is talk
ing theories. The public is given
only minor consideration and the
basic problem behind all the difficult
ties is forgotten altogether. That
question, Brown maintains, is, How
are the miners going to get five full
working days out OF their Jobs the
year round 20 Dispelling the com
mon impression that miners are de-
handing shorter hours and ;ncreas-
ed wages. the speaker told his audi
ence that what the miners were real
ly after is stability of employment.
TN Indiana which is the fifth
greatest coal-producing state in the
country" he said during the great
business boom in 1917 coal miners
worked approximately two-thirds Of
the time. In lean years miners in
Ohio have worked less than one
third OF the time. The shutting
down of the coal mines so much OF
the time because consumers fail TO
buy in summer is an inevitable
breeder of discomfort.
Real Solution.
What is the real solution Of the
coal problem? It is the rational or
ganization of coal production
through intelligent cooperation Of
the consumer with the coal operator
so that instead of keeping one
fourth more men in the industry
than there is any necessity OF and
maintaining them in enforced idle
ness for a considerable part OF the
year, the mines Will be operated
ffty-twO weeks in the year with such
n force as shall insure a full days
work every day for each man.
The coal miner has his grievance.
He is a man literally educated. His
knowledge may not be what a col
Iege professor would recognize as
scientific. but his practical grasp on
certain problems of geology, ventil-
lation. and the like. makes him one
OF the most valuable of our assets.
His grievance can not be SATISFACTORY
~ or permanently adjusted along
the lines of his suggestions. II can
rot be satisfactorily or permanently
adjusted at all unless there can be
brought about n real cooperation be
tween coal producers and coal users.
Holds Advantage.
The coal user practically has the
situation in his hands When he
ceases buying. the mines shut down
and all the evils resulting from the
intermittent operation Of an import
ant industry begins Immediately 10
take effect. There IS but one time
when the average coal user thinks
Of the storage Of fuel. That is dur
ing a coal famine when there is no
coal 20 be had and Immediately fol-
CONTINUED on PAGE FOUR.)