The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-19


dozen coal operators who met IN.
Cleveland, the mines resumed I'M;
der the war time scale, since which.
time the United States Steel COM
panys has been compelled to make
a twenty per cent increase In the
wages Of its employees. the price
OF clothing has gone up the price
Of food Is advancing, and all the
progress that had been made I'M.
der the advice And leadership Of
President Harding towards nor
NAL basis OF Lying was dissipated.
Who profited by 1t all? Has the
laboring man? No, his cost Of liy-
ing has increased to a proportion
at least equal to the margin OF
wage he gained by the strike. But
II there had been no such increase
otherwise, It would take several
years Of uninterrupted employment
to make the margin Of gain that he
secured equal to the loss he sus.
tanned In those five months Of idle
ness, and experience does not JUST,
~ US in saying he will have those
years Of uninterrupted employment
Now, when we consider the condi.
tons that prevailed on the first OF
April, the narrow margin OF profit
that was being reaped by the oper.
ator and his desire to have some.
thing happen to curtail the supply
and increase the price, and when
we reflect that when the strike was
called certain OF the great coal cor.
porations were able to temporarily
abandon their operations in the
union field and speed up production
In the non,union mines, and then
after all efforts by conferences par.
ticipated in by reputable operators
sincerely desiring to effect set.
tlement that would be fair and
equitable to all parties had signally
failed, and the conferences adjourn.
ed, Mr.. Lewis was able to call in
some half dozen operators at
star chamber meeting in Cleveland
and sign an agreement based upon
the war time scale, and serve no
tice that as fast as other operators
we're willing to sign that scale the
mines could operate. These circum.
stances point clearly to the fact
that the strike was called and the
strike was ended at the time and
In the manner It was by reason Of
n conspiracy that was entered into
between less than half a dozen
men, John Lewis and his aides on
the one side, and a few coal opera.
tors owning and controlling produc.
ton in both union and non.unlon
fields on the other OF course, gen.
tlemen. that contract was not made
in Marion County. and therefore is
subject here only to comment, but
the time will soon come, II 1t is,
not almost here now, when the in.
terests of%the public will have 10
be conserved and when men who
dare to throttle a necessary indus.
try OF the country and conspire 10.
gether to control prices in this
manner must be provided with a
comfortable resting place in some,
well guarded cell. And so say
again, the loborer has not proiited
by these strikes, but the profiteersi
have been a few operators who
have added millions 10 their prof.
Its. and some so.called labor lead.
ers. who, including>the officers and
agents in the United States. mum.
Der 10000 and for their services
are drawing out of the wages Of la.
Dor sixty millions Of dollars year.
And they do not even trust the
men who belong to their unions to
pay these dues 10 them voluntarily.
but they exact 1t from the opera.
tors and deduct It from the payroll
Of the men. When we reflect upon
some of the ubiquitous practices
that were resorted to In the earlier
days OF history, we find none that
excites more contempt than that
OF the crown selling to the barons
the right TO extort from his sub.
iects by taxation such sums as they
might require for maintaining the
luxury and dissipation that went
on in their feudal castles, but this
was never more high.handed than
the practice that is now resorteo
TO In free America, OF allowing these
feudal lords OF the labor unions TO
extort from the pay rolls of those
who labor with their hands through
the so,called check.off system. the
moneys that are used TO labor's
own undoing.
81 grant you that locally our com.
munlty will probably reap har.
vest II the PRICE OF coal continues
at anything approaching the pres.
ent market during this winter: but
1t Is not a prosperity that is stable,
first, because profits that come
easily and swiftly and spasmodical.
ly are expended with Just as much
ease and swiftness. 1t encourages
an unwholesome extravaganza and
dissipation, and further prosper.
ity that comes to one community
at the expense Of the suffering and
privation Of the great mass OF our
fellow citizens in other communl.
ties is character of prosperity that
no community can afford to cult.
vate.
Magazine theories are contin.
ually trying to tell US what Is.
wrong with the coal industry, they
think 1t should be stabilized, that
there are too many employed in the
industry, that some law should be
passed that will give to the coal.
miner regular employment, so that
he will pot have to work two or
three days in a week and then on
a slack market remain idle for the
balance OF the week. There is only
nna rau hu which it.tnnn hn cin1,Il