The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-25
THE COAL SITUATION.

Congress has entered upon it's rest
| period, leaving the coal situation I'M
disturbed. Since early in the session
there have been pending in the SEN
ate bill 1906, entitled, "A bill to fur
| Their amend the interstate commerce
act, as amended, to provide for sea-
sonal rates for the transportation OF
COAL" and senate bill 1907, entitled,
"A bill to aid in stabilizing the coal
| industry
Senator Jim Reed of Missouri in
discussing these bills on the floor of
the senate said:
This bill was introduced on May 1e,
| 1921. On the same day Senator Ere
| linghuysen introduced another bill en-
titled "A bill to aid in stabilizing tho
coal industry" The two bills are part
tended each to supplement the other.
The author of the bills is pressing this
BILL hoping to make it the first-born
of a pair of twins, which, together will
control and regulate the entire coal in
dustry.
The pending act is calculated TO
compel the people of the United States
to buy their coal during the summer
months, whether they want to or not,
and in the event of failure to pur-
penalize them by advanced freight
rates during the winter season. The
power and duty to lower the freight
rates during the summer months and
to raise them during the rest of the
year is reposed by the pending bill in
the interstate commerce commission.
The second of the twins, to-wit,
senate bill 1907, is clearly intended to
develop a system under which the
government will control the produc-
ton, transportation, and sale of coal,
! including everything from the mines
to the retailer. It involves the fixation
of prices, the establishment of zones
within which coal can be shipped and
| beyond which it may not be trans
ported. 1t covers the question of the
wages of the miners, their living and
working conditions; in short, it clear
ly contemplates a complete ultimate
control by the government.
The country has been warned that
there will be a coal shortage next
winter. The failure of the govern
ment's attempt to arrest coal short
age in the winter of 1890 still Is
fresh in the public mind.
A nationwide coal strike began on
November 1, 1919. Frenzied efforts
were made by the administration to
stave off the calamity, and reckless
compromise offers were made. Three
weeks after the strike started, the
secretary of labor, in sympathy with
the miners, tried to get the operators
to agree to a wage increase of 81 per
cent. 1t was summary rejected. Doc
tor Garfield, the former fuel admin
! istrator,, was called into the muddIe
and given authority to effect a settle
ment.
Doctor Garfield made a study of the
| whole situation and prepared a
scheme of settlement by which the
| miners were to receive an increase Of
IA per cent. Everybody approved the
award except the miners, who laughed
at it and continued their demands.
| Thereupon Attorney General Palmer
and a few others held some secret
conferences and evolved a plan by
which the miners were to get 27 per
cent more wages. Doctor Garfield re-
signed in disgust and refused further
versy. The agreement was signed by
miners and operators on March 80,
! 1920, to run for two years. Prices
jumped upwards, and the willingness
of the public to buy fuel showed a
marked falling off.
| Since that time there has been gen
eral deflation in practically every
other industry in the country, even
the railroad workers finally being
compelled to yield the wage sched-
ules created by the federal admins
tration. In the coal industry alone
the war levels of compensation have
been maintained, entirely because of
the agreements entered into and fas-
tened upon the country until next
April. The miners have shown no
disposition to accept lower wages, and
have preferred to remain idle while
the market for coal has dwindled to
almost nothing due to the high prices
made necessary because of the huge
labor cost of production. Not until
next spring can the country relieve
itself OF that coal agreement, and con-
sign it to a place in the museum of
governmental curiosities.