New-York tribune., 1922-04-02

given attention n, both eads OF the
capitol. Senator Borah, cha rman Of
nc Senate Committee on Education
s@d Labor, indicated that unless set
I ement OF tic difference between the
operators and niners is not soon
reached the government would have to
step In. lie said public ownership may
b the proper remedy.
Or the House side the Labor Com
sn'ttee. which is iuvestigating the coal
ndustry. was told that the country
''oGld have ar adequate supply of coal
1ardless of the strike, and that the
"on-uni9n fields would speed up pro
odction 70 care for all the needs OF the
Industrial l'fe of the nation
The House committee will hear
President lewis of the United Mine
Workers Monday Lewis IS en- route to
Washington to LAY the miners case
before The committee" il was said.
Army Not 10 Interfere
a. the War Department to-day ii WIS
said chat no proposition had been made
by the army TO interfere in the strike.
OMeials held that thc frat response
biiity was with the National Guard OF
the states involved, should the strike
'ieveiop any disorders. Not until the
state troops show their inability to
copo with the situation will the use
% Fedora. troops 5c considered. one
otflclal said
II was pointed out that TIE militia Of
Illinois, Indiana, Oaio ara PenasyI-
'sniS. the states most affected by the
strike. were thoroughly organized and
equipped TO put down disorders such
as developed ~ the West Virginia coal
ids last year. when Federal troops
had 10 Intervene.
In one Official quarte. the suggestion
as advanced that the styikr would be
ehort-live4, dive to TIE fact that non
union fields we're continuing IN opera
ton "lhe Industries of The country
have sufficient supply Of coal to "a
or about s"vertv-Hve GGye - 1as s"t4
y this quarter. Before th;s supply
dvI9dles gre@tly certain unions Ui3i he
breaking away from tho central orsani
zation and taeir members viii return
20 work
Compromise is Expected
If tne strike ,eas general. with union
and 0on-unioN men fic.p2t;np, Tho
result wocld be different and the min
o-s might hope 20 win out. As it is.
however. some compromise is certain to
ne accepted soon by tAe parties in con-
troyeysy"
Senator BoraA IN his staten ent to-day
declared that if the coai industry was
10; reorganized in the public Interest
'Hen u would De up to tho people so
sock public or ucrship. fic exoressc-
tAc Jew pubic owncrsaiD was forts
con- lng N the neer future, and said
lherc was no excuse or justification for
&c" present high prices O coal other
tran waste and bad management and
4ncon scionable profit
II do not underestimate the task
walch the public Will assume when il
undertakes this said Mt Borah, but
doubt very much i tnc public VIII
.euch longer submit 70 the presen.
method Of operating the coal mines.
The present strike is the symptom. The
disease is tho cAaotic and tho shane
eesiy wasteful method in which the
industry is now being carried on. Of
course, this chaos ana waste are unload
ed onto the public in cXorbitant prices
Take one item III TINS chaotic indus
fry, irregular employment Tho aver
age btuninous mine runs about 200
or possibly 2l5 days out Of $50. These
unproductive hours arc sheer waste
There follow the fixed charges, the
depreciation Of idle mines, idle cars,
railroads and SO forth This item of
waste alone has been estimated at
$500, 900 a year. Either labor or
the consuming public must pay this,
9Or glance at thc prOutS OlSclOSeS
that the operators take on no part Of it.
Job Shifting Not Practicable
"Yhe coal miner is in sense an e1-
rert workman. He cannot very well
mine coal one month and work in the
wheat fields the next. Even il he could
adjust himself as laborcr to the stu
alton. the propinquity OF the Jobs is
not ~ hand.
Il find in the Pittsburgh district the
average days work by the miner for
1921 was 123, and that his average an
rual earnings we're $3.50 This situa-
tion is due to tho method under which
the industry is carried on.
"Thc public finally pays for all these
'hinGs. and the reckoning in regard to
this coal industry is not alone between
the operators and the miners, out be-
tween the coal industry ard the pub
lie"
Senator Borah conferred to-day with
Jett 1.auck, statistician for the United
Minc Workers. and also with J. D. A.
Morrow. e-prcsident Of the National
Coal Association, He said later he was
seeking to get at the f'.ets and to ascer-
tain at first hand the ews Of both the
~