Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-16
The Strike Settlement

\ FEELING Of profound relief has swept
"A over the country Il result of the
agreement OH the part Of the bitumnous coal
miners to accept the terms proposed to them
by the President and their further agree
ment to return TO work. Tho realization that
fresh stocks OF fuel are moving toward
the great consuming centers, aud that the
winter is to pass without further actual sur-
fering tends to reconcile the country to the
temporary restrictions which the govern
ment found ii necessary TO impose upon the
use OF coal.
Meantime there will be the inevitable de-
bate as to whether the miners or the operators
OF the government came out victorious in
the present settlement Upon that question
there must be wide difference of opinion All
interests involved have suffered losses and
all interests have gained. The public is per-
haps the heaviest loser of all. 1t is i'm
possible to calculate the damage which the
consuming element has sustained With five
weeks of suspended niue operations. bust
ness III all directions has been placed upon
a reduced basis, and il twice tho normal
volume OF coal should be produced from this
time forward it would bc Impossible for in
dustries to regain all that they have lost
Moreover, the commission 20 he
created may grant additional wage increases
TO the miners, in which event that commits
SION IS at liberty to pass part OF that in
crease along to the users of coal, that is SO
much Of it as the operators cannot be COM
PEELED to absorb out of their present profits.
This would mean further tax upon the
public, to be borne in addition to the losses
which have piled up during recent weeks.
The operators cannot claim ~ have gained
except. negatively, in the agreament which,
has been reached between the government
and the miners Aside from the losses which
they have suffered during the period when
their mines were not PRODUCING they are
under the necessity Of paying the IA per
cent increase to their men out of their pres
ent earnings.
if anybody gained, therefore, it was the
mine worker, and yet, his advantage is far
from approIimating his original demands.
An Immediate increase Of IA per cent i'm
wages is awarded, an increase which will
not overcome the loss of something like
$b0,oO0,0o0 in wages lost during five weeks
OF Idleness. for many long months to come
IN the beginning OF this dispute the miners
demanded SO per cent increase in wages
lhey demanded SiX-hour day and a five
DAY week. They have achieved not one OF
these propositions. The six-hour day and
the hVe-day week have been thrown into the
discard for the time being, if not for all
time, and the 60 per cent demand was aban-
doned early in the negotiations
While labor, in this controversy. imnroved
Its condition, it did not win an overwbeIm
ing victory by any means, and the moral
erect of the mine workers failure must he
feit throughout the whole industrial system
coming SO soon after the dismal failure of
the great steel strike it must convince Or
canned labor generally that deliberate hold
ups OIL Inc public arc no longer possible and
mat only demands which are manifestIy rea
sonabie can hope to succeed.