Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-24
THE COAL STRIKE

$1,000 - 80 ~ - AS~lNs
THE nationwide coal strik has
1 been on for three weeks or
more. More than six hundred
thousand coal miners are idle, and
such reports as come to US through
the Associated Press indicate that
the ranks Of the strikers are grow
ing and some progress is being
made by them in their efforts to
close down production in certain
non-union mines. Yet, strangely
enough, there has been no scarcity
Of coal 50 far, and the coal mines
that are operating say that they
have difficulty in disposing of their
output and could produce more if
they had a good market for it.
With six or seven hundred thou
sand idle coal miners added to the
list of the unemployed, the stock
markets are booming, the steel
trust is commencing the building
Of another great iron manufactur-
ing plant at Gary, Illinois, the COM
mercial reports all indicate better
times and a rising wave of pros
perity, building is having a boom
all over the country and no one
seems to be worrying about the
coal strike. Doubtless there was
pretty large surplus stock of coal
in the country when the strike
began April l. Some estimates put
it as high as a three months sup
ply for the whole country. The
non-union mines now operating
may perhaps be counted on to ex-
tend this to four months suplus,
but after the surplus has been used
up there must be almost a COM
plete shutdown of productive in
dustry in the country if the strike
is still effective at that time and
no coal is mined, unless it can be
obtained from foreign sources.
Meantime there seems to be no one
worrying much about the strike.
The strikers are taking a holiday
and seem we'll satisfied with the
situation A good many Of them
are going to Europe from whence
they came to wait in their old
homes until the strike is over. They
have saved money in preparation
for this strike and with the favor
able exchange value of our dollar
in Europe they can get small for
tune for their American savings
and live in comfort on them for
long time in their home countries.
They are not worried about the
missing pay envelopes, they say,
and they wanted a vacation and
home visit anyway. The employ
ers are not showing any signs Of
great concern, either. In very few
cases have they made any effort to
open up their mines with non-
union help. The government is in
different for the present also.
Everyone seems ready to act on
the scriptural injunction, "suffi-
cient unto the day is the evil there
Of" and let tomorrow take care Of
itself.
Of course that state Of affairs is
not going to continue indefinitely.
Sooner or later big change will
take place, because the country
must have coal if it is not to suffer
industrial paralysis. The govern
ment has sort Of semi Officially an
nounced that it will take an interest
in the matter when the interests of
the country are in peril, and will
not permit an industrial smash
through lack of coal because en-
ployers and employees cannot come
together on. wages and conditions
Of employment. No hint has been
given Of what measures it has in
mind, but we have an idea that both
sides will wait with anxiety to see
what the governments idea of in
reference is, and that until that
time comes there is little change
Of any change in th6 situation.