The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-20
THE IMPENDING COAL STRIKE

THE IMPENDING COAL STRIKE.
The forces of Alexander Howat ap-
pear to have been routed in the con-
| test with the national organization of
miners. But the public is more con-
cerned with the future course of the
j y. NJ. w. A. regarding wages than it
+ IL with the outcome of the family row.
Numerous signs indicate general
GAL strike in the spring. The issue in
I the industry is wages. The miners will
be asked to accept a reduction in
wages. Their leader, John L. Lewis,
/ has announced that they will not vol
UNFAIRLY agree to a decrease in the pay
rates. A general coal strike would be
an intole. able evil.
The public sincerely hopes that it
will be possible for the miners and
! operators to get together on wages
and working conditions and that
there may be no stoppage of work at
the mines. such development would
he wasteful not only of time and mon
ey. but would be certain to have a
depressing effect at time when it is
hoped that industry may be getting
under way for spring activities.
The public wants to be fair to the
mine workers. But it will not toler-
ate the idea of having fuel supplies
tied up by a strike. The present
mine workers can go on strike if they
want to, but if they keep out long
enough to endanger the fuel supply
there will be a new set OF workers on
the job, even if it takes the United
States army to protect them from as
sault.
When Mr.. Lewis, the president of
the United Mine Workers, declares
that there will be strike of his Or
g1nization before it will take q wage
cut, either he does not mean what he
says or. he means that he Is willing to
have ali the coal mining of this coun-
try done by non-union labor.
Lewis's plan seems to be to hold the
country up in the way the British
miners attempted to hold up their
country. In fact, the famous triple
alliance between the British miners.
railway men and transportation
unions was at one time regarded so
highly by unions here that an attempt
was made to duplicate it. The at
tempt failed because of the good
sense of the railroad men. Apparently
it is now to be renewed.
1t might be well to recall to Mr.
Lewis what happened in Great Brit
ain. The miners struck. remained on
strike many weeks, and then called on
their comrades" in the triple alliance
to strike with them. This the other
bodies refused to do, with the result
that the miners lost their strike and
some months pay
What the public is hoping for is
that ways and means may be found
to reduce the price of coal to consum-
ers. The public is not saying what
ways and means should be employed.
1t knows that various factors enter
into the present high price of coal
high railroad rates, high wages, taxes
on coal, increased cost of production
due to increasing depth of mines, and
higher cost of local distribution. The
public merely hopes that something
can be done to make it possible for
the retailers to supply its demand at
prices somewhat lower than the ex~
tremely high ones that are prevailing;
something that will be fair to all in |
terests concerned. 1t will not toler- |
ate anything primarily designed to
interfere with this program.