Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-12-13
SATURDAY,. DECEMBER Is. 1919
COAL SI;n.lAE COST TO PUBLIC.

With Tie tiu OF the coal strike i'll
alsht ne ,ouns CANVASS OF conul-
tons OF 4.u.u.I>un .u."str5 p..n,.d
ell Sunu.y l.. uin.,,s all appraisal o. the
cost 10 lhe Iuu.,c. For lack oil pow
eli mlil6 u..u I,C,uI.ca la uuSnout me
country haze n,ua closed or slowed
down ny .nC ,uudo"nua, lhlo"ihS
their Wage uaIu.IS UuL OF clupIoylnc
by tho nun..cus OF tnUuS,NIuS. l>dlt-
roads ana u,!t,f tuuIlG u,lt.tlcS have
cut thI.r 80. ,.,U, wan Similar rCiuc
tons o. l~Lur. bdJt,lnS operations
have len .4.,,IiuIuu "i,u OF Suapcnu
cd. business houses ANA nlarkc pitI-
eS have beCn io4Ccu to go on part tilllo
schedules FROM tnC Steel pant aIn
the aululuoD,r lnuuStry to the cloth
ing fucto4y aid lao 10y shop pronuC
ZION has L,cA checked ana payroliS
have been diminished.
After IL nontn oi the coal strike
probably not icaa than 100000 wage
carncrs III the United States were
being deprived OF tuor chance and
their right to earn heir daily bread
and butter. Ii the average earnings
OF these workers wore 81 Il day the
coal strike Was taking out OF their
pockets Il sum to al OF $50, 100000
day. And S20,000.000 n day is at the
rate Of Sl2U,OV0,O00 week or more
than six billions OF dollars u year.
Another week Of the strike I'M
doubtcdly would have thrown 10000
900 breadwinners out Of work. The
direct cost to hem then would hafs
been at the rate OF moro than q bill
lon dollars month.
But the dire>t loss OF wage earn
ings has not been all, perhaps not
half. of what the public has suffered
in dollars md cen from tho coal
strike and will suffer for long time.
Lost production of coal by the mil
lions Of tons. lost production Of tho
other commodities dependent upon
~oal industrial stoppago or dcmorali
@ation far and wide. have given
crushing blow y supply-the supply
Of ncccssarics OF life when it was
insufficient before to satisfy demand.
Further shortage Of supply in a mar
ket already very much unhcrstockcd
can spell only prolonGation If not
muitipilcation OF inordinatc peFcs-
for the American public to pay.
T. may he that before they have
Il.tlu Ill lu'l lno Dlll Oh lnlS lnucleISl-
bio and insuffcrabie coal strike the
wrongcd nngerod American people
will find that Its cost to them is
comparable only with the colossal
cost OF q terrible war with n 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 hia selfish am
bition or personal passion launches
against the public n steel strike or a
coal strike is 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 mill airy foe that attacks the
nation with fire and sword. Only the
other day he talked and acted as If
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 coal strike throughout tho
greater par, OF he country with it's
consequences suffered from coast to
coast and from Canada to Mexico the
American pconle will make short
SHIFT OF him whenever he has the
hordihood again to como within their
reach.
II the professional labor union pol
ician is not now si2ch up NV the or
;EaniZcd labor Of the United States as
he is by tho American rcoplc 50 much
tho worse for it "a well as for him!