The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-01-09
lsuperficial nsideration. 8

to 1000 per cent with the ln6tlSn6nt
.yelp that the former secretary Of the
treasury had violated his trust. Ger
tainIy this was not much Of q proof.
that the figures were exaggerated
During the war the government al
lowed the operators to open new
mines which could be worked only at
excessive cost (the miners called
them snow-bird mines) and coal
prices were fixed largely on these
Specially prepared costs. The profits
Of ordinary mines must indeed have
been excessive.
: The real costs of coal mining have
been kept very much Of a secret. A
commission appointed by the govern
or of Colorado has recently brought
out the following figures as to the
cost of coal which is sold by the OPP
orators for SITS a ton:
Royalty paid to state ----.--.-S 10
Freight (average) .--.-... -.-.-,-.:1.O3
Delivery $50
Office expense 10
Total cost -. $3.T6
These figures, therefore, show a
net profit Of 1897 a ton, or 105 per
cent over cost Colorado thus could
we'll afford to mine its own coal by
state operation even if state operation
cost 100 per cent more than private
operation, which is hardly possible.
When the national agreement be-
tween the miners and the government
was made, the emergency which caus-
ed Governor Frazier to take over the
mines in North Dakota ceased to ex-
list and the governor began the work
Of turning them back to their own
ers. E'razier's much criticized act
greatly pleased two classes OF people
who together comprise the great ma
jority of North Dakota people. Those
who needed steady supply Of coal
as protection against sub:zerp weather
and the men who dig the North Da-
kota coal.
These miners declare that they
would rather work for the state at
the old wages than for the private
owners with the IA per cent increase.
In fact, they would have refused to
work for the owners had not the gov
ernor declared the emergency at an
end, The spirit of the miners is also
shown by the fact that in spite of
some sabotage by mine owners, many
the period Of state control.
The governor of Kansas, on the
other hand, who took over the mines
on a approved plan did not get out
enough coal to warm the public build
ings Of the state His attitude was
that Of the typical reactionary, name
ly, that workmen are always wrong
and have no rights which others are
bound to respect. Consequently this
governor made great splurgc which
amounted to nothing with volunteer
labor.
A great majority Of our neighbors
across the Canadian line must be Boil
sheviki. And our big city papers
haven't given us any warning. But
we must face the unfortunate truth
Canada is completing the nationalist
ton of her railways.
AS in the United States, the Cana
dian railways have acquired the habit
of running to the public treasury for
new stake about every year. The
.old-party politicians were glad to
hand it out; they had such faith in
private ownership as a principle and
such horror Of public ownership. But
the folks back home who don't know
much about the principles of state
craft and large business. have been
asking why the yshouldn't own the
railroads if they have to put up the
money for them.
Thise foolish idea has spread to
such an extent that in the last year
the people have elected men who be-
long to no party to most of the CT
fees open. Something had to be
done by the old parties; so they de-
cided to take this Bolshevist step
rather than to be wiped out.
Few will dispute the fact that our
own country is turning Bolshevik on
this matter-so slowly, however, that
the railroad fnanciers expect at least
one more big draft on the public
treasury. We are, in fact, likely to
be the very last country in the world
to give up the luxury Of railroad fin
anciering.