The New York herald., 1922-07-11
Action on the Coal Strike.


porary truce during which coal min
ing will be partially resumed In the
union mines. But in any event there
is no insurmountable barrier in the
path to full coal supply II the Fed
eral and State Governments want to
get the coal.
In a very few days the United
States Government can assure an
ample supply Of bituminous coal
from the mines now shut down by
the strike. For the matter OF that,
the mine owners could start the flow
to market any time adequate pro-
lection were given to workers by
State and local authorities.
Nobody need doubt that there
would be plenty Of miners, skilled
miners, ready to go to work as soon
as the mines were opened under pro-
lection that would protect. The proof
of this supply Of miners ready to go
to work is that thousands of them
that are supposed to be on strike are
at work right now in the non-union
mines that are operating to supply
60 per cent. of the country's soft coal
needs. They have packed up, quit
the strike districts and ridden or
tramped to the operating districts,
where, some under assumed names,
some under their own names, they
are digging non-union coal.
The only reason there are not more
of them digging non-union coal, dig
ging it with a will because. union
men though they be, a six day job
week at the non-union scale looks
better to them In dollars and cents,
even when there is no strike, than
a two day Job a week at the union
scale, and they want the money
the only reason there are not thou
sands more of such men at work is
there is no place now for them to
work. oefe 81
Any development that will open
mines now shut down by the strike,
open them under conditions where
the workers will surely be protected
from violence, will produce all the
soft coal the country requires. So
this aspect of the problem need not
be an acute national menace seventy
two hours after competent, purpose
full, firm authority wants to end it.
But merely getting out the coal for
the time being, whether by arbitra-
tion or by other means, is not the real
coal problem, the great problem, Of
the country. The real problem is ia
make sure that the coal which Is es-
sential to the industrial life Of the
nation shall come In an uninter-
rupted flow after the mines have been
opened, after the emergency has been
met--and after the protecting OF
compelling arm Of authority. whether
Federal, State or local, has been
withdrawn from the resumed mining
operations. ei
There never will be a solution. oi
this great problem until there is q
complete reorganization Of the whole
bituminous industry. 1t must be &
reorganization that will equalize pro-
duction costs within fixed groups o
\ xx,ycoe ~ rv;rov couao h1y ~, l,irc u
fat mine carry the lean mine. Il
must stabilize employment at Ameri
can wages and stabilize capital re
turns at fair profits. 1t must stabil
ize, within reasonable limits, prices
to consumers. 1t must put the Goa
industry on sound economic and {
solid business basis, under private
ownership and management but a
the same time under Government
sanction and regulation.
Until this reorganization Of tn,
coal industry is worked out--ant
there never will be better chance t,
begin to work It out than there 4
nowhere will be interminable re
currenees Of strikes and violence II
the coal fields, of excessive earning
at one time and place and niggardl.
earnings or heavy losses at anothe
time and place; of markets yesterda.
glutted with coal and markets to-da.
bare OF coal; Of general industry
in its dependence on coal, now goini
full speed, then stalled dead.
Until this reorganization is worke'
out the conditions in the soft Goa
industry will become worse for tn
mine owners, worse for the miners
worse for the consumers and wors
for the country. Already it grows in
siderable to the American people.
When the United States Govern
ment acts to end the momentary Goa
shortage, which will be child's play
1t should not fail to begin also tn
solution Of the problem to end tn
ever intensifying coal chaos, whicl
will be mems work.