The Arvada enterprise., 1922-08-24
D. EpWARo W. PIckARo

0NE OF our great strikes-that Of
~ the bitumlnOus miners-wss set
tied last week. partially. temporarily.
and after y fashion. The agreement
reached at Cleveland by the miners
o0cials and operators representing
perhaps 9O.OO0.00O tons annual pro
ductioa means there will be enough
coal to get through the fall and win
ter. though conservation and ration.
ing probably Will be necessary. But
the cid wage scales and working con.
dittoas arr to continue In effect until
March 81, 1879. which means the high
prices for coal that have prevailed
for several yesrs will be maintained
By the dealers. II they can DO It. and
also that next April the disputes and
probably the strike will l,egin all over
again. To bs sure. the agreement
provides for the creation Of machinery
- avert further strikes and to bring
some order Into the chaotic coal in-
dustry. but the public must mot count
too much On thiA
Both the miners and the operators
claim to have won q victory at
Cleveland. the former because their
wages and work conditions are un.
changed. and the latter because the
Di0srs signed agreements with indi.
vidual operators and also because the
tribunals to be ret up solve the issues
rsvolving around the question Of n.
bitratioa. which the miners oppose.
Ths agreements were with opera.
tors Of al the bituminOus states ex.
cspt nlinOis and Indiana. but the pros.
pscts for resumption of mining In
those two states also was excellent.
Already the coal prOiiteerx are get.
ting In their work. Senator Borah
a idaho called this TO the attention
Of the federal fuel committee and IN.
nounced his Intention Of seeking lsgis.
latiou to check them. Al the same
time Fuel Distributor Spencer asked
the railroads to refrain from co'npeti.
tive bidding for coal. the result Of
which had been to force the price
above the linit sct by Secretary lioov-
er. II was stated In Washington TINT
President Harding would ask congress
to pass legislation giving the federal
fuel committee lcGnl powers Ia con.
troll the distribution and regulate the
price Of coal - n safeguard against
hardship nnd psOfiteering. II is quite
evident thut unless the government
does come to the rescue. the settle
meat Of the coai strike will be an ex.
psnsivs thing for the consumer
YYIS nnal suggestion for settling the
I ] strike Of railway shopmcn having
I>sa rejected BY the union. and only
sccspted BY the railway executives
With reservations. President Harding
lose nearly all the wonderful patience
with which hs has been dealing with
that nrcblcua.
On Friday the President laid the
whole matter before congress. After
esciahae the right of employer and
smployes alike 10 conduct their busi.
nsas must b. recognized. he sud he
was "seeu,vsd "a use NIL the power "f
she Sovsrument 10 maintain trMns,,0r'
saeiou and sustain the right Of men Ia
woek." He said the Esch. .CumminS net
was lnadsqsstr and Recommended nc
sioa 70 make tho railway labor boari's
sIecia1oae selforcrsbie aud effective
asaisse earfises and employees alike. "
He ecsred severely the strikers for
their acts u brutality aud their con.
tempt for Law. and announced hts In
tention to Invoke laws. civil and Grim.
insl forbidd:ns conspiracie~ hlndcring
Interstate commerce and requiring
safsey y ssi!w1y oosvics.