Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-11

be open and these nlSn-coSL
have shown little if Nny profits.
Miners Work Only Part lime
So far as the miners are affected'
the chief trouble has been irregular
and intermittent employment. mus
the miner has had to fight for ana
get a wage scale unduly high III
| order that he may live, when he is
working only one-half to two-thirds
of the time, and this in turn has re-
suited in increased prices to the
consumer and in multiplied disad-
vantages to the owners of high-cost
mines.
Under the strike settlements h
| miners have gone back to work at
the old wage scales, and in addition
to this they have every reason to
expect more days of employment
| and more overtime during h next
ten or twelve months than they
have ever had in a like period. Ac-
cordingly the individual miner is
elated and feels that the strike was
we'll worth all that it cost MIN.
Officials of the mine workers or
ganization, however, are inclined 10
look farther ahead. They know
| that the wholly satisfactory condi-
tons in prospect will prevail onl
for a limited time, and that next
year. tr the year after. the industry
will be back on a normal basis OF
too many workers and too many
mines unless in the meanwhile
something has been done to stabilize
it.
For this reason these officials
wrote into the agreements setting
the strike the provision for a gov
ernmental investigation which re-
suited in the bill passed by congress
creating the commission of seven
experts to be appointed by the
President. Leaders of the miners
realize that permanent good can
come to their people only through
a thorough rehabilitation of the
| coal industry, and they have prom
ised to cooperate with the commits
sion in every way. They say that
the investigation will vindicate all
the contentious they have made as
to the necessity of wage and work
ing agreements on a national basis.
The operators were not so keen
for the investigation, but they have
agreed to it and there is no reason
to doubt their good faith. A large
element among them is alive to the
! fact Thai some reforms or changes
must be worked out in h coal in
dustry.
Public's Interest is Vital
The public's interest in the work
| about to be undertaken by the COM
mission is vital, although many peo-
pie may be prone to jump to the
conclusion that everything is all
right now that the strike is yer
The total cost of the d~islocation in
the great fuel industry will not be
l. L,Yt n g fhn rna1yC
| go by and winter conditions are
! confronted it will become more and
more clear that the bill is an out
rageous one and hat steps must BIS
taken to guard against a repetition
of the crisis hat developed this
summer.
Every line If industry and busi-
! ness and almost every household in
the country will feel the effects Of
the coal controversy and if the gen.
eral public comes to the conclusion
that the same unfortunate state of
| affairs is constantly imminent I'M
less something is done it is a fore
| gone conclusion hat something will
be done.
Much will depend upon the dag
nosis of the experts and that in turn
depends upon the experts. They are
called upon for a report on the in
dustry as a whole with special refer
ence to means of stabilizing produc-
ton, and under this head comes
1.-THE advlsability of legislation hav-
| ing to do with government or priv
ate ownership, regulation or con-
troll"
This is where the major operation
on Old King Coal may come in.
Naturalization or government own
ership of the mines has long been
advocated by most of the miners
and by a certain public group. but
this is the first time that the pro-
posal has been in any way recog-
nized by congress. 1t may be said
that there are few If any real sup
porters of this proposal in congress,
or in any other branch of the gov
eminent, but the significant fact
remains that the proposal is now
to be considered most seriously.
Short of naturalization of the
mines a minor operation may be
recommended in the way of govern
ment control of the industry along
the same lines hat the transporIa-
ton industry is regulated through
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion and the United States Railroad
Labor Board.
Indeed. the railroads and coal are