Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-03-24

Although prudent householders know the
importance Of beginning to accumulate nex'
winters fuel supply in the spring months. the
average citizen is not likely to ponder the Sc
riousness of a coal strike at any other time
than in the dead Of winter. Yet the quantity
Of coal used for heating is Insignificant COM
pared with the vast amount needed to keer
industry and transportation going and it Is
therefore true that a stoppage OF fuel produc-
ton in the warm season is practically just a.
dangerous to national welfare as in the winter
! The settlement OF the coal strike last De
cember was only q truce. Since then com
mission appointed by President Wilson and
consisting of three experts representing re-
spectively the operators, the miners and the
public, has been trying to find basis of last
ing agreement Now it reports. but 1t is not
unanimous, the miners representative dis
agreeing with the other two
'Messrs Robinson and Peale, representing
the public and the operators says the Biz
mingham News Dem.), have recommended a
general wage advance OF approximately q
per cent, and that hours and conditions o!
labor remain unchanged, while Mr.. White. the
miners representative, makes minority re-
port insisting upon IS per cspt advance and
7-hour day."
THE harmonizing of differences. apparent
w. comments the Christian Science Monitor
Qnd), "is the task still before the president
as he gives these reports his careful considera-
ton. But as the days 60 by. and nothing comes
of them, talk Of general coal strike at the
end of the current month begins to be bruited
about"
The New York Evening World Dem)
thinks that unless the miners can bring ex-
tremely strong evidence before the public
there will be little sympathy with a miners
strike now 1t will SAVIOR of greed and a dis
position to question the findings OF the umpire
L. =, f,;r D,,+
burgh Press 1nd.) fears that 1.-THE failure OF
unanimity will be regarded by the White house
! as failure OF the arbitration"
LAS there is no lawful way of enforcing
| its divided recommendations the Press adds
ut is not apparent what the work of the com
mission has contributed to the settlement OF
the difficulty"
A great many opinions coincide with that Of
| the Manchester Union (Rep), that the com:
mission did not go to the roots of the coal
problem. The Union says:
I'VE were led to believe that the presidents
commission was charged with going down tc
fundamentals and bringing out into the light Of
day the facts regarding the mining industry
upon which the public could form reasonably
sound and useful judgment regarding both
wages and coal prices. Indeed, some of us
| entertained the almost Utopian hope that this
great industry was safely on the way to indus
trial stability founded on thorough and wide
spread understanding.
Instead WEI kave-a wage award"
| What are some of these fundamentals
which the commission is charged with neglect
ling? One, mentioned by the st. Paul Pioneer
! Press (Ind) is enforced idleness.
Government figures for nine years, be-
tween 1906 and 1915, emitting the year 1910,
| says the Pioneer Press, show an average
working year of only 213 days in the bitumi
nous industry This is 100 DAYS short of q
full working year. Even under war pressure
in 1918 the average number of working days
in the central competitive field was around $40
| THE American people . don't propose
to pay price for coal based on full pay for
year which is 1888 1-3, or so per cent idleness
Whoever may be the fault, there is wrons
and ruinous principle which must not b.
tolerated.
The New York Globe Gnd) dwells on thu
same point The industry, it says lis over
manned by 100000 miners, and, for causes
some Of which are obviously remediable. en-
ploys its workers only about two hundred day.
. year on the average" and it calls this condi
ton little less than disgrace to our ma
tional efficiency" 1t also quotes Herber
Hoover as saying that the industry is "func
tioning badly from an engineering and con
seguently from an economic standpoint
which means mot only long train OF human
misery through intermittent employment, bu
the economic loss to the community of ove]
| 100000 workers, who could be applied to othe]
production and the cost of coal decreased II
the consumer The Lincoln Star und.) alst
declares that STEADY employment in the mine.
would mean higher wages and cheaper coal
and that the work of the commission will b,
a failure if this difficulty is not PARTIAL,
remedied."