The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-11-27
Continued from PGgei One.

Raised Coal Price.
1.-THE commission gave the miners
a wage increase that increased the cost
Of ton Of anthracite coal approxi-
mately so cents. Before the commits
sion began it's hearings, however. the
operators had advanced the price of
coal 81 per ton in anticipation of any
possible wage increases, and during
the arbitration and subsequent to it,
the price was still further advanced
until today in Philadelphia the public
is paying a price of anthracite that is
budgets of living requirements pre-
at least 1925 in excess Of fair price.
And yet the operators tell you that
it is not matter Of public interest
which controls the anthracite industry.
or what its profits,s direct or indirect,
amount to! They explain the 4bnor-
milly high prices Of coal by placing
the responsibility on a few indie
pendent operators.' Those few inde-
pendent operators: must be handling
all the coal produced by the Industry
for the public is paying top prices for
all the coal that is Sold
Produces Discomfort.
:."This is a: representative example as
to how the failure to secure a. living
wage is productive of discomfort, re-
duced output, and of serious loss to
the public through recurrent disloca-
tons in the industry.
II would suggest that the important
thing at this critical stage in the af-
fairs of this nation and. of. the world
is that we proceed in orderly fashion
to establish guarantees by which the
worker will be protected: in those
rights which have been: enumerated as
elementary, and by which the public
interest will be safeguarded AGAINST
an autocracy of capital or an autoc-
racy of labor.
The first step in this direction.
believe, should be the establishment Of
an Industrial code defining the. funda-
mental principles to govern ali .rela-
lions TN industry on the basis Of fair:
dealing to labor; fair dealing to capi-
tai and fair dealing to the public.
Disagreed and Failed.
president Wilson's first industrial
conference In October. 1918, which
was to have accomplished some such
purpose as this, failed because the en-
ployers' group would not accept a def
milton of collective bargaining SUBJ
mfted by the labor group and ap-
proved by the public group.
THE Presidents second conference
adopted a program for the adjustment
OF industrial controversies and recon-
mended the establishment of an elab-
crate series Of boards or adjustment
agencies, but it failed to recommend
the principles or basis Of adjustment
which should underlie the delibera-
tons of these boards, although such
principles were discussed in the re-
port.
The senate committee on labor now
has before it a PROPOSAL submitted by
Senator Kenyon OF Iowa, which con-
templates both the establishment Of
the code and the creation Of machin-
cry adequate to apply it:
Real progress in this direction de-
ponds essentially upon an aroused and
militant public opinion that demands
and will have industrial peace, for
constructive action by the congress
is essential.
More Production Necessary.
Increased production of. our farms,
our mines and our mills il. absolutely
essential if the nation is to recover
from the disastrous effects of the
world war, discharge it's international
obligations and realize it's world wide
opportunities. Increased production is
mpossib1e-unthinkab we.
have reasonably satisfied and con-
tented workers in every field Of in
dustry. This means the prevention Of
; strikes and dislocations and the main
tenance Of industrial peace.
1T is the judgment Of statesmen, of
economists and of intelligent leader
ship. Of both capital and, labor that
there can be no permanent industrial
peace until there has been defined and
promulgated by legislative action. a
Magma Charta Of industry or a bill of
industrial rights which can be used on
basis Of procedure, and which would
be mandatory upon the deliberations
and arbitration of wage adjustment
boards.
Experience During War.
AT the close of the war it was
thought that the way was open for
such action through voluntary agree
ment between capital ana labor. Our
own experience during the war In the
application Of the principles or code