The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-05
KEEP UP PRODUCTION.

about miners have responded to the strike call
in the bituminous fields out of total of approximately
500 600 employed Making allowance for the fact that
the first day of the strike was All Saints day ana hat
Saturday normally light day, has INTERVIEWED 1t would
no conservative to estimate that about 100000 miners
or four6fths the total number have determined to aban
don their work in an effort to force new wage scale.
The production of bituminous coal Tor seVera weeks
mast has been at the of about 11,5OOOOO tons
oe and that output been sufficient to meet the
reouirements of the public and permit Of the storage
of considerable reserve stock. Assuming then, that
tho 100000 men who have stopped work propose TO
remain on strike it is evident that production speedy
will he reduced proportionately to about 2,3OOOoo
TONS week and this at the very beginning of winter and
in the face of normally increasing demand for fuel
Contemplation of these facts, unpleasant though tney
be- is necessary if the country is to avoid caamtou
and leads to the conviction that steps must
he taken at once to keep production up to the highest
pont possible 1t is obvious that even, with practical
embargo upon exports and with the greatest eihceeS
possibe in distribution 100000 tons per week is the
lowest point of production to be endured with safey
Below that industries will be compelled to run on snort
time and as the supply grows smaller there VIII DC
ratoning and other interference with the usual CUSTOMS
until the pont Of actual suffering eventually Is reached
The duty of the government in this situation plain
1t is to exert all its influence toward bringing the pro-
uction of bituminous coal up to lOOOOOo0 tons week
and maintaining it there Steps to achieve this should
be taken at once There should be no delay or hestane
because Of an aversion running counter to the miners
union or to learn how the strike progresses every pup
lie official should realize that the comfort and heath OF
millions of people and the lives Of many are IN
olved in the situation If there is delay in taking pro-
tectiye measures the people will be obliged to pay the
penalty
The government, through mobilization of its tremn-
ious powers do much to stimulate the producuor
# coal 1t can guarantee effective protection to every
miner who is willing work and guard him against inter
ference and annoyance from strikers 1t can recruit al
Industrial army the nation from internal danger
lust as it organized military army to crush the Huns
There are thousands of miners who had opportunity
70 vote upon the question of ordering strike and WHIT
IRE ready to go on with their work if they are protected
from the jeers and the violence of their fellows lhes
men, if they appreciate that they were doing wofi
IS If humanity and patriotism could be depended upon
produce coal continuously.
The government can open mining operations upoi
he public domain and add materially to production Ever
if this coal were mined at heavy loss the lnvesmen
would be justified if it contributed to solution OF tn
in problem Nobody complained of financial losses dunn
A. the war when government activities yielded practea
results and the dangers now facing the nation are n
less than those encountered during the war.
There are out in the bituminous coal regions thou
sand gzzled old operators who have learned their BUS
less in the rude school of experience and who woul
gladly respond to call for volunteers to help the Unite
States protect the people of the United State
from becoming the innocent victims in clash betWee
employers and employees. They know how to get coz
out of the ground under the most adverse circumstance
md if Congress and the President will give the Secrear
of the Interior Mr. Lane the money and the authort
to act he can have them working within "a hours.
There is no use blinking the facts Ten million tons
soft coal is needed each week to keep the United State
II busy and warm The strike at the beginning has CT
production to less than one-fourth that amount I'll
governments position is clear Either it must bring abor
II greatly increased production the people will suffer-
az Washington Post