Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-04-30

Washington, D. c., Rpril 81
| Whether it is in the general interest
to have a basic industry. such as coal,
part union and part is one
of the important questions to which
public scrutiny has been invited, not to
say forced by the nationwide strike
which was begun on April ]. Union
mine workers and anti-union operators
say that there is but one answer to the
question, although their nswer are
Numerically different. The miners,
through their spokesman, such as John
l.. Lewis and Philip Murray, respect
lively president and vice president of
the United Mine Workers of America,
declare that if the coal industry was
completely organized. all the ills and
evils that characterize it would be
speedily cured or corrected. Also the
public would be saved millions of dol
lars on its annual coal bill and spared
the general business upheavals incl
dent to strikes and shutdowns.
Anti-union operators, on the other
hand. assert hat it is their successful
opposition to unionizatiOn that pre-
vents complete union domination of the
industry, eventually leading to the TAX
ing over of the mines by the workers,
and that preventing unionization pro-
tects the public against a fuel famine
when a strike or shutdown occurs in
the union fields, and against exhorbi-
tant prices for coal under normal con
ditions.
Many union operators agree with the
officials Of the mine workers that it
would be for the best interests of ev-
erybody concerned if the industry were
Inn nor amt nrroptzo1 and cav that
there is no hope for stability of pro-
duction and regularity of employment
until uniform wages and working con-
ditions prevail at every mine i'll the
country. They aslo urge that it is I'M
fair that the large body Of operators
who pay union wage scales. observe
union hours and subscribe to union
working conditions should be subjected
to competition with the independents
who can make their W terms with
their miners and hence produce coal at
n cost materially lower than the cost
at union mines.
Other union operators say that if IT
were not for the fact that there is a
considerable part of the industry un-
organized it would be impossible ever
to reach fair wage and working agree
ments with the union. Seine of these
operators would like to break away
from any and all relations with the
union, while others are willing to go
ahead under conditions that involve
recognition of the union, although they
do not want to see the non-union mines
brought into the union fold.
Non-union miners, being inorganic
ed, have no spokesman, and it is ac-
cordingly impossible to report their
views on the question. However, those
of them who continued at work when
the strike was called may be assumed
to be glad to have a chance to work
on the terms established by the indie
pendent operators, although il does
not necessarily follow that they are
opposed to the union.
With these divergent claims and
ideas emanating from the individuals
and interests directly and selfishly in
vOlved in the coal controversy. the at
titude of the general public may be
said to be one of inquiry. First of all.
the public is concerned to know what
the ascertainable facts in the problem
may be, and then, il would naturally
follow, the public will consider argu-
and opinions and arrive at its
own conclusions.
what lH6 dCIS Arc
At the outset it should be under
stood that the question of unionization
essentially only the bituminous
end of the coal industry. All anthra- !
cite miners do not belong to the union.
but the union agreements and condi-
tons prevail throughout the anthra-
cite field. as was shown by the fact
there WAS 4 complete cessation of
anthracite production when the strike
order became effective on the first of
month.
In the bituminous fields. however.
are large independent areas in
West Virginia, Kentucky
and Alabama. Prior 10 the strike,
union officials claimed that the blum
industry was so per cent union
led, and those figures are generally
accepted By economists and by govern
officials. Since the strike. union
organizers report substantial progress
extending the union in Pennsylvania
independent mines, but the a~nti-union
operators in West Virginia have gone
nto court and secured injunctions re-
.straining the union from taking any
all steps toward establishing locals
Government experts estimated
hat the total production of the indie
,endents in the strike emergency might
40 per cent of the cOun-