The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-11-26

3 49, - s,tuation should be dsAl>
&fth came into play n the mcetn1'
4 - Is ~, nse~tion but what Secre-
q S@Tw 81 Labor Wilson, who In the only
sS,1aslnst member who has gone on re-
onrd n saying what the miners
q N0uld receive In wage increase,
AeaAed one OF the groups
4 me other side was represented by
8thoee who favors dealing 6rn,f$ with
- miners and who think that tnc
s01erators In offering the miners
t1anty per cent increase nave reacn-
q the limit of reason. IN TINS us
scusAtcn, DR.. Garfield played a leaoins
nort - he had made an Investigation
5 81 coal mining costs and wages IN
derNnd~utiy OF Secretary Wilson.
I.tvipr costs entered largely into the
8s.cusutcn. as the operators have said
t1nt whatever increase in wages
mixht Be made would be passed on TO
.he consumer This view was COM
!. = ttea II is believed by those who
think that the operators should bear
narf. al least of an increased wage.
n n also thought that third opinion
was expressed. 10 the effect that the
government should hold itself aioof
and leave II TO the miners and the
operators to settle their differences.
GOVERNMENTS PURPOSE
This was the position taken by
the government in The Injunction
rroceeaiurs when Il was stated thar
tbe sole purpose of the government
vas 10 keen the mines going and pro-
tect the public and that the govern
mont was mot TO attempt TO pass upon
the meri,e Of the con'rovcrs between
the miners and the operators
The miners and the operators had
n brief session tare;hnr during the
earlv part Of the day which they sa'd
was unirnortant Both sides said
that the coal situation was IN me
Ands OF hte cabinet
Hopes were expressed by the nper- |
stor~ that q settlement could be
reached before Thanksgiving. The
miners said that If the conference
went on they would not go into SEES |
sion on Thanksgiving as many OF
them intended to 20 home Thursday |
George n Cushing managing di- |
rector Of the American Wholesale |
Coal association. TODAY gave out "a /
statement c-it!riSing william G. Nc
Adoo Tor tte latter's statements on
the profits made by the operators In |
1917
"Mr, McAdoo has apparently gone |
out OF ms way 70 alSEfFuat thF ''ai /
men without stopping 10 realize that /
he is helping the miners TO pin an
unnecessary burden Of added cost OF
coal unon the users" said Mr. Cush-
Ing,
NO more ridiculous statement :.hout
any business was ever made hv any
man Of prominence as the figures VIII
prove
"AN rero-ts IN the treasury cover
\ wears business. II coal opera
tor made = profit Of eooh ner cent
on the business 81 an entire year,
4. must be figured either on his capt.
tai or his volume ~ business
III the profit were figured upon
.he volume r business the profit
must be twenty times the cost Of pro-
AUCTION The lowest cost n coal !
nave ever known was 81 ton. Using
that low fpurc az the basis. the rrofit
m every ton Of coal produced by the
generator I'm 1917. must have been
$40
This must mean that some nina
rad its entire output at sn average
price OF s2I ton + o. h. at the mine.
Not a single ton Of coal in America
sold at that price, And no com
,any in America averaged one-ffth of
hat price in 1917.
The only other way the operator
could make 2ooe per cent was on his
capital stock"
Mr.. Gushing added that where mines
had virtually M capital stock. any
earnings at ali would show only a
negligible percentage of proht