Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-28
COAL MINE STRIKE
WILL COST PUBLIC
ABOUT S65,0OO,0OO
BY HARDEN COLFAN
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(CODyright 1922

WASHINGTON, March 25.-The
forthcoming coal strike, if it lasts
from sixty to ninety days, will result
in a dead loss to the nation of not
less than SIS 100000, no portion of
which can ever be recovered, accord
Gushing, managing director of the
American wholesale coal association,
who has compiled for the writer an
itemized bill of expense.
The public, of course, will pay
every dollar. Directly, the cost will
be paid by the operators and the
miners. Indirectly, it will be passed
onto the last cent to everyone using
coal or TIE products Of its use.
Nj. CuShing's figures are regard
ed as extremely conservative. They
probably understate the total. They
contemplate a strike lasting for a
shorter period of time than many
of the participants expect it to last.
They ignore entirely the false
losses in wages to the miners dur
ing the strike period and losses to
the railroads in freight collections
while the mines are idle. The min
ers will get back their immediate
losses in the form of Steadier work
ing time after the strike ends; the
railroads already have gotten much
Of what they might be expected to
lose in freight charges during the
strike. This has come to them In
the form of freight revenue on many
millions of tons Of coal that they
would not have hauled had there
been no strike threat.
How 1t Is Figured
BY the same process of reason, the
miners already have collected in
wages a sum materially greater than
they would have collected in the alb
sence of a strike threat. They have
mined from 100000 to 100000
| tons of coal week during the past
| ten weeks or so, in excess of~normal
requirements, none of which they
would have mined otherwise. BY the
total Of their wages for digging TINS
excess coal they have collected in
advance on their losses during the
strike period.
Here is the way Mr.. Gushing fig
ures the $65,0O0,0O0 dead loss to-
| tai:
| The amount of coal placed in
storage is estimated at 60,O00,O0O
tons. The labor and other costs of
placing this coal into storage and
taking it out are estimated by Mr..
| Gushing -. fifty cents a ton. The
total for this one item is 30,000,000
2-There are about $500 mines in
the country. These mines must be
maintained during the strike period.
Mr.. Gushing estimates the cost on
maintaining idle mines for sixty days
at $45, zoo, 900. AS much of this work
would have to be done anyhow, Mr.,
Cushing, has charged slightly less
than one-fourth of the total up
against the strike. The total is
placed at $1O,5O0,00, chargeable
against the strike.
3-The 6O,O0O,00O tons of coal in
storage has been hauled by the rail-
roads at the prevailing high freight
rates. Mr.. Cushing expects low
ering of the rates and has made al
lowance for the difference between
what the rates are now and what
may reasonably be expected to pre-
vail after April 1. This figure is
placed, conservatively at II IL cents
a ton. The total of this item is
therefore, $7,5C0,O0O.
4-During the strike, about 5,OOO,-
900 tons of coal a week probably
will be produced by the non-unlon
mines. Prices, Mr.. Cushing expects
will advance about rs cents a ton
on the total estimated production OF
so 900, 900 tons during ten weeks.
The total of this item is l2,50O,OOo.
100000 to Be Idle.
5-The cost of holding conferences
between mine operator and mine
workers, including expenses of dele
gates, preparation on material for
use a. conferences, attorneys fees.
estimated costs Of all future meet
ings, conferences and joint and 9th
err assemblages of negotiation until
the strike ends are placed by Mr..
Gushing at $2,500,000.
Gas the last direct item OF eX-
pense Mr.. Cushing has estimated the
interest on money tied up in storage
coal, which would not have been
stored except for the strike. lie
has placed this extremely low, at
50, 900. 900.
cost of the strike has been paid al
ready by the public, part will be
paid during the strike, and part
thereafter.
The two items that Mr.. Cushing
did not include in his estimate
mount into imposing totals. on the
basis of union claims that 6OO,OOO
men will go out, the weekly loss IN
wages during the continuance Oh
the strike would approximate $15,-
600 900. The railroads will be out,
he estimates about $9,O00,0OO a week
in freight revenues.
The total of those two items is
S24.OOO,O 900 a week, purely an esti-
mate. That represents the approx,
mate total that the railroads ana
the miners will be out each week
during the strike. 1t is not a loss,
however. for part of it has already
been collected and the rest will be
of+ar thp strike.