Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-16
The HQski11 Letter . ,sasssss ass9a
KING COAL IS SICK.

coal SLflke mas come one OUTSTANDING
fact-King Coal is sick. There is sub
stantial agreement on that point among
the economists and other experts, al
| when 1t come to prescribing and ad-
ministering the remedy that is to put
| the old king on his feet again.
Hearings before congressional com
mittees and widespread newspaper and
magazine discussions have been the
means Of registering in the public mind
the idea that there is something rad
ically wrong with the coal industry
aside from the controversy between the
operators and miners over wage rates
and working conditions. It has been
apparent, indeed, that the miners at
least are determined to draw public
attention to what they consider funda-
mental weaknesses and defects in the
industry, rather than permit it to be
concentrated on the question Of wage
they seek to avoid an error Of policy
which they made two years and half
ago.
In 1919 the miners in the bituminous
fields carried their fight with the op-
orators to the point of a strike or shut
down without taking the public into
their confidence as to the why's and
wherefores OF their action. All that
the people Of the country were permit
ted to know was that the miners had
made wage demands which the oper-
ators would not grant and that as
result there would be no coal pro-
duced for an indefinite period. The
people knew, Of course, that winter
was coming on, and that a winter with
out coal meant hardships that would
CnonHslv hnA4ooA .nko
not know, they were not informed and
they did not inquire whether the strike
was justifiable or unjustifiable. Con-
sequently the miners went into the fray
without that supporting public senti-
ment without which, it is claimed, labor
never has won and never can win such
a struggle with capital. The strike Of
1919 was lost before It was fairly
started.
This year It has been evident from
the outset that the miners were WOO
ing public opinion, and it is to that
end that their leaders have gone to
such lengths to explain the coal indus
try. Thus attention is directed to their
president, John L. Lewis. when he goes
before the house committee on labor
and tells the committee and the coun-
try that the coal industry is dis
eased' industry.
Over-manned and Oyer.mIned
By diseased" industry economists
mean one that has something organ
ically wrong with it, or that has been
developed in way to make it structur-
ally weak. In the case of the coal in
dustry it is said that the primary
trouble is due to the extent and method
Of development. First of all, there are
r,frAc M %oo
The coal needs Of the country, includ-
ing both domestic consumption and ex-
ports, are not to exceed 528,OO0.OOO
tons per year, according to experts OF |
The United States Geological Survey,
while the annual productive capacity Of !
he bituminous mines is in excess of |
10O,O00O0O tons and probably nearer |
500, 100000. There are mine workers |
20 man these mines, hence the coal !
may be said to be over-deveI- |
oped to an extent anywhere from 80 to |
10 per cent.
This means that all the coal that !
he country requires can be produced |
n approximately 215 days operation !
If the mines in a year that has 3OS /
days and 365 days in which the
t means. also. that the overhead ex-
'enses of the operators go on relent-
essly when no coal is being produced.
hus adding big item to the cost Of
'oal which the public must pay. Just
What the total item Of lost man power
md lost expense Of management may
'e is matter of approximation. but
xperts agree that 1t is well in excess
# half a billion dollars annually.
Mr.. Lewis computes the labor loss
lone at 10000, 900 man-days each year
nd he told the house committee that
he productive value Of one mans
abor for day was not less than $40.
here may be differences OF opinion as
Q this. but Mr.. Lewis points to the
$50 basic day wage Of the soft coal
niners in support of his figures and it
) certain that the productive value of
abor to society as a whole must be