Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-27
HQSkin Letter 81 r : 2s:sn
STATUS OF THE COAL STRIKE

At III - I'D 4EW $50
may be said that the conditions attend
ing the strike thus far have been such
as to make it a waste of time to at
tempt to bring about q settlement of
the controversy. Neither the miners
nor the operators have suffered suffi-
GENTLY to feel that the strike must be
ended even at the cost Of concessions
by n side or the other, and nothing
has occurred to arouse the general pub
lie to a degree that would make gov
eminent Intervention advisable.
Public Opinion Important
Public opinion is an extremely i'm
portant factor in a CASE Of this kind.
In the absence of specific laws under
which the administration might proceed
to end the strike action can be taken
only when it appears that the general
welfare is jeopardized and whe nthere
is an overwhelming public sentiment to
support whatever action may be taken.
There is no federal law prohibiting
strikes or lockouts. none under which
the miners and operators can be COM
PEELED to arbitrate their differences, and
none requiring the acceptance Of terms
of settlement proposed by the govern
ment or any outside agency. The state
of Kansas has a law aimed to accom-
plish these ends, but it has not been
demonstrated a complete success as a
no solution for the national problem.
1t is a peculiar situation. Sooner or
later a strike of this proportion must
work hardship or possibly disaster to
somebody. The strikers and their
families will be reduced to suffering
and want. The operators and investors
in mine properties will suffer financial
losses that may prove serious. Other
industries will be handicapped or Grip
pied by a fuel shortage. and eventually
the general public will have to pay
more for its coal and find it difficult
or impossible to obtain the needed
supply. Still nothing can be done to
avert these unpleasant results of a
labor controversy. 1t must become
sufficiently serious for everybody con-
to be actively interested in hay
ing it ended before action can be taken
to bring that about. In this case
there can be no such thing as locking
the barn before the horse is stolen. or,
to change the figure, the fire must be
permitted to get under such Roadway
as to be actually destructive before the
fire department can be called out and
put to work.
By the time this essential public SEN
las been aroused all questions
to the merit or justice Of the stand
taken by the miners or their employers
will have been lost sight Of. The pub
lie will not care which side is right on
the numerous issues in dispute. All it
will be interested in will be in getting
q normal supply of coal under approx
normal conditions and prices.
The inevitable result of this. accord !
ing to economists and industrial ex-
perts, will be a settlement that is in
the main a compromise, that will be
acceptable to neither side, and that will
the real problem of the coal in
as far as ever from solution.
Railroad Case Handled Differently
When a great railroad strike was
last fall, and actually called
FOR October 81, it was not necessary
10 d~illy-dally along until the calamity
had actually occurred. Or until some.
body was hurt. Thanks to the labor !
provisions of the transportation act, it
was possible to handle that case diff
The Railroad Labor board
Ben W. Hooper. then vice
Hartman and now chairman of that
body. took hold of that situation and
succeeded in bringing about the recall
II the strike order. There was no
Interruption Of traffic on the railroads
# the country, and at no time was it
suggested that the public should sit
Jack and watch railway employees and
management fight q few
.ounds.
AS a matter of fact the strike could
lot have been prevented if the work
49, lAJ No. ...I - 90 l-~.- !
With it, for the law does not forbid
and there is no known way Of
orcing men to stay on, the job when
yer. the law does provide machinery
or the adjustment Of disputes between
he railroads and their employees, and it
.lso establishes certain bases upon
these adjustments are to be
made. This is a guarantee to both
ides of a square deal insofar as a
tribunal such as the Railroad Labor
can mete out justice without
ear or favor. and in those circum-
tances there could be little justifica-
ion for a strike.
OF course the coal strike has not
progressed almost two months without
he miners being stalked by the spectre
f want and hunger. Due TO part time
Employment they were in dire straits
n some districts before they ceased
york entirely. AS long ago as Janu-
ry Governor Davis, of Ohio, issued a
reclamation calling attention to this
Of the coal problem in his state
nd urging that something be done to
ssist the miners who wanted, not
harity, but work. The union is not
aging strike benefits and to outsiders
is something of a mystery how the
trikers and their wives and children
manage to live.
Last week a church organization that
as interested itself in relief work took
group of children of West Virginia
to New York City to be exhibit
d as human documents e%videncing the
rgent need of doing something at once
they and their parents are to be
aved from starvation. The pitiful ap-
cal made by the mere appearance of
hese youngsters. emaciated as they
'ere and with big eyes eloquent of suf-
ering, was such that funds were i'm
lediately provided for a trainload Of
rovisions to be rushed to the mining
eGions whence they came.
II may be the suffering Of the miners
nd their families that will prove the
Important factor in creating the popu- !
If sentiment required to bring about
lie end of the strike. The American
do not like to think of there be-
" starving women and children even