The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1921-09-01
+ i. i. + 4. + 1. + 4 i 4. i. = i.
+ WASHINGTON LETTER j
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washington. - The resfusal OF the
senate to order public sessions OF the
ornaments conference does not mean
that the proceedings are to be accom-
panied by any Of the clandestine skull
duggery that characterized the meet
ings Of the peace conference at Paris.
For the United States to inform the
other parties to the ornaments con-
ference that no meetings shall be held
unless reporters are present would
be bad manners Furthermore, frank
diplomatic exchanges cannot take
place II II Is known that every remark
and argument Is to be blazoned forth
to the world. But the country may rest
assured there will be none of the Sc
cret trading resorted to 30 frequently
at Paris, and no big Three will get
together, in private ante-chamber
and arrogiate to themselves the power
to dictate to the whole conference.
Hostilities between Panama and
Costa RIGA have been averted again,
and It looks as though permanent
peace between the two countries has
at last beenestablished. The avoidance
OF bloodshed is due entirely to the
firmness with which Secretary Hughes
has handled the affair from Washing
ton. Former Chief Justice White made
the boundary award, and Costa Rica
and Panama were informed in I'M
equivocal terms that the United States
would enforce its provisions. The pro-
ceedings are an illustration of the way
the league of nations was designed to
keep the peace, theory which it has
not and never will follow in practice.
The United States minis are concen-
trating their effort on the coinage of
silver dollars to replace 35OOOO,O 900
coins of that denomination melted dur
ing the war and sold to Great Britain
as bullion. Whe nthat melting took
place, special certificates OF indebt-
edness were issued by the Treasury to
take the place Of the silver certificates
withdrawn from circulation, and they
now represent substantial part of
the national debt. AS fast as the new
silver dollars are coined, several hun
bred thousand day, the certificates of
Indebtedness are being retired, and the
debt reduced to that extent. In about
two years all Of those certificates will
have been cancelled.
The coal miners have informer Sec
rotary Of Labor Davis that they connat
consider any wage reductions, and that
when their present contracts with the
operators expire next spring they will
probably ask for further increa ius
They base their position on the fact
that because of the lack of steady
employment the miners totay cannot
make living wage at the wage rate
they now receive" That fact is prob
ably true, but 1t does not follow that
miners wages are too low. They
would find that another raise would
make 1t still more difficult to make a
living, rather than easier. Their only
hope, II they but knew it, lies in q
lowering Of wages with consequent
stimulation fthe coal market and q
higher return to them.
| The condition of the coal miners has
a close parallel in the experience Of
the railroads. Rail rates have been
raised to such a poin. that shippers re-
fuse to patronize the roads, and the
consequence Is that revenues have
fallen off, There is point in the scale
of miners wages, as well as in rail-
road rates, where further increases
mean loss of income. That fact will
sometime be realized by the coal work
ers, as well as other wage earners, but
until then the people will have to bear
the burden of high fuel prices.