Evening star., 1920-02-01

| Indianapolis. Detroit ana Otner MOTOR
manufacturing centers. Others had
found work on the railroads, while
still others had gone into factories
of other kinds or were engaging in
farming.
From a mining center in Pennsyl-
vania with about the same number
of inhabitants, more than 100 young
men. former miners who had seen
military or naval service, had joined
the exodus from the mines up to the
same date.
Another somewhat larger mining town
reported that by actual count 126 young
men. former miners who had served
in the Army or Navy. had left for
the middle west to work in factories
or mills.
Local officials Of the coal miners
union at Cumberland recently stated
that between 500 and 900 young men
had left Georges Creek helds TO en-
gage In other work. Most Of these
men retained their union cards. II
was stated. but declared that they
were through with mining. Throush
West Virginia the same condition ex-
superintendents. mine bosses, oper-
ators and union officials.
Cause Of these desertions. in prac-
tically every case. it was stated re-
peatedly, was unwillingness or the
young men to go back to coal mining
Navy.
Abandonment Of the industry by
older men, however, is more dlmcult
to explain. although it exists IN sur
ficient volume to create anHieus Sevs
among operators. Men who nave
spent twenty. twenty-five or thirty
years in the mines are leaving In IN
creasing numbers. saying the NUMBER
Of coal miners is too large. In most
cases these men. by steady work and
thrift, have accumulated enough 70
buy small tracts Of land. have built
homes, bought automobiles and de-
clare that they are going to spend the
rest Of their lives above ground. rails
ing chickens, gardening. growing
fruit. or farming on a small scale
ImpeIled by Strike Outcome.
Miners who are quitting the mines
because of dissatisfaction at the out
come of the recent strike are fewer
in numbers than either of the two
other classes, but enough men are
abandoning the industry for this rea-
son to create a distinct labor shortage
in many mining sections.
Operators in the Georges Creek sec
tion are freely asserting that men are
leaving in such numbers as to make
it necessary in the near future 10 man
the mines with Italians or other for
eigners if the workings are to be op-
Grated. This field has never had any
appreciable foreign element since its
original development century or
declare that il the present exodus
goes on unchecked the importation
of foreign miners will be necessary If
the mines are to continue in opera
ton.
That the exodus from the mines has
been in progress for nearly a year
was the assertion Of many mine or
cials and officials of the miners
union beginning with the return of
former service men in large numbers
and increasing in volume until in the
last two or three months it has at
tanned the peak. Oficials of the
miners organization say that never in
the history Of basic industry has
such a movement been known: and
men connected with the operating end
agree in this statement.
The outcome, according to men or
all classes familiar with coal mining
conditions. is difficult to forecast.
Some are OF the opinion that men who
were brought UP in the business ana
whose forbears for several genera
remain in other employment. but will
gradually drift back. Others are not
so optimistic. believing that no alter
native exists but to replace the min
ers of American, Scotch. Irish. Welsh
or English descent with Italians. Aus
are agreed, however. that conditions
in the coal mining industry are
changing rapidly. and that they never
again will be as they were before the
world war. and before the recent
strike.
Revolutionary changes in methods
Of mine labor management are inevi-
table. both sides assert. Hours of
work must be lessened. working con-
ditions improved. wages increased.
the men must share more largely in
the profits of mining, living condi-
tions must be improved to a still
greater extent. and the whole of the
basic industry must be modernized
throughout.
These are the beliefs of men thor
oughly familiar with every angle of
the coal mining industry. from the
viewpoint of operators and miners as
well. Just how solution Of the
whole big problem is to be found is a
question for which the best brains on
both sides of the question are not too
big.