Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-11-28
GLASS Commensurate.

OnHHILE Interior motives were
WI charged to McAdoo for claiming
that the mine operators made exorbit-
ant profits in lsl7-1s1s. because he
may become candidate for the Demo-
cratic nomination for the presidency.
confederation of his allegation is given
by Secretary of the Treasury Glass
in a statement issued "wednesday. We
are not attempting to shield either of
these men from the charge there may
be politics behind their declara-
lions. II the charge lies against
McAdoo it also lies against Glass, who
accepted the appointment to q seat in
the United States senate 1t Will
hardly be claimed that Glass is also
playing both ends against the middle
and seeking to secure the labor vote by
exposing the alleged fabulous profits
of the mine owners.
The thing the people Of the United
States are interested in. is the price
of coal and If the operators are taking
money from their pockets through ex-
orbitant profits both present and past
officials are performing public duty
by informing them of that fact. Con-
sumers who must have coal roundly
condemn the action of the miners in
walking out of the mines Nov. /, leav-
ing the country to take care of it's fuel
supply the best way that it could or
freeze to death. The walkout~was not
justified and even the officials Of the
United Mine Workers are finding 1t
embarrassing to defend it. Even the
charge the wage scale was inadequate
to meet ne high cost of living did not
warrant the walkout at the time Of
year when the order was given. But
the charge made by the miners the
operators were making unfair profits
seems to be justified In recent de-
velopments.
Yet in face of the exposure. the oper-
ators brazenly claim that IL they are
forced to raise. the wage scale of the
miners they will have to raise the cost
of coal to the consumer. Now that is
a question in which every one is inter-
ested. What justification is there for
another raise when Secretary Glass In
his statement asserts that since 1915
the operators have been making money
hand over fist? In 1917 they made
profits ranging from 100 TO $50 per
cent on a general average, but the ac-
tual range Of profits was from Is to
500 per cent. In 1918 the profits
were scaled down to from 10 to 800
per cent on the capital invested
These figures apply only to the blum
inous coal mines east of the Mississippi
With regard to the coal mines in the
west, in 1918 the profits of the opera
tors ranged UP to as high as AGO per
cent! This excess came from the peo-
pie and the figures place the operators
in the light of profiteers.
Yet in face or the present serious
shortage of coal in the United States
in face of the profiteering that is go
ing on, even the presidents cabinet
becomes deadlocked over the fight be-
tween the miners and the operators
while millions of consumers are forced
to suffer-. There is but one fair way
to settle the controversy and that Is
to pay the miner a fair living wage
and protect the consuming public by
cutting down the profits of the oper-
ators so that the people will not bt
! forced to pay exorbitant prices for one
of llfe's greatest necessities.
LuNDEEN's DEPORTATION