The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1922-03-22
THE COAL MINERS STRIKE.

It is difficult to believe that any set of in
men, or organization, would at this time
seek to force a higher return for labor than has
existed in the past few years. The action just
taken by the coal miners of the United States
and Canada through their union organization, to
strike on. the first of April appears to be the
height of unreasonableness Their demands, IN
the matter of wages and hours, are all out OF rea-
son and not in accord with the trend of values ex-
listing for the past half year.
The coal miner used to be a skilled laborer,
when there was not the machinery to mine coal
that now is in use within the big coal fields, and
most of the smaller ones. Today the miner does
not have to do the heavy manual labor formerly
required of the man who works under ground.
There is a risk of life, that is to be admitted, there
is also risk of life in many other kinds of indus
try. No man however will be asked to risk life
in a work where there is not a sufficient recon-
pense to properly pay for the chances taken. In
the coal mine there is today the greatest posi-
BILE protection given, reducing the risk from acct
dent to a small possibility.
The miners have been receiving high wages.
They admit that they have forced the wage scale
up ever since the world war began, until the
miner has been the highest paid laborer In the
country, with but few exceptions. The hours
have been reduced in which he is permitted to
earn the big pay. Everything has been done to
lmake the life of a coal miner easier and more
| profitable. Since the war there has been many
attempts to lower the operating cost of the pro-
ducing mines. These have met with strong re-
~sistance from the organized miners. The unions
have taken the attitude that they are getting the
big pay and they will hold it.
1 The present trouble has developed because the
operators desire to cut down the cost of producing
a ton of coal. A reduction in the wage scale was
announced, which was met by the miners union
! with a demand of a continuance of the present
scale, and a change in the hours of work. Today
the miners stand for a five-day week, with a six
hour day. y This is so extreme, in face of the pres
i ent economical condition of the country, that ii
2 has caused the whole nation to become disguised
t with the stand taken. 1t is so unreasonable that
/ there are many friends of the union who are Civ
0 ing it unstinted criticism.
l. The public mind today, is in a different mooC
a toward all unions than for many years past, an(
r the change has been brought about by the unions
y themselves. Public sympathy was with the unions
S when they were ~exerting their efforts to bette
the conditions for working men. Since the union
h have developed to be trusts Of the most viciou
kind. the public no longer sympathizes with then
r nor does the public approve of them.
r. 1t has come to be born in upon the people NOR
D. and more, that it is not the real earnest hare
lie working union man who is doing the ~agitatin
and casuing the troubles. It is rather the schen
ing crafty soft job seeking local, district, and nj
lgl tional agitator who is beneath all the woes of tt
or 3anion. These crafty men desire to hold the so
or positions they occupy in the union organizatio
is where they receive good substantial pay withol
in any great amount of actual work. They see the
aleasy picking gone when the union is back to i
mt proper functioning, and they are making a stru
gle to keep the union in hand so as not to loo
Ter their easy money.
he The real work for the unions, coal miners al
be all others, is to have a thorough housecleanir
ers Rid themselves of the loud talking. pretty bari
cles they are supporting, and get back to t
ses fundamental principles of unionism. Then t
ley public will give the union the consideration
yell past years. Until then the unions viii stand
lub a shadow of disapproval in the minds of the pt
the lie.