Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-20

Washington, April 1o-Oovernmsnt
Intervention in the coal strike, or
some official action TO relieve the STU
alton. was promised when the sltua-
ton becomes acute" or whom tho
public begins to feel the pinch OF the
coal shortage. There are experts VINO
contend that the public was pinchen
from the moment the strik" was
threatened. and such of these ex-
parts M arc not engaged on ons sid"
or The other Of the wage controversy
are now busy computing h costs OF
the strike. Their figures are ~
once interesting and startling.
Tho average citizen probably goes
his screens way without n thoush'
that the coal strike In hurting him
until suddenly he nnds that no can
not ret coal when he wants II. or must
pay q higher price than no was charg-
ed for his last order. and 81 II AT tbis
average citizen that the experts are
aiming their ~broadsides OF statistics
Thus David L. WING who has studie
( tho coal problem for years. says:
Since every cost or waste In Goa
production. whether IL be " natural
resource, or man power. or Of capital
must eventually be borne by tho Goa
consumer. it is not enough for th'
man In tho street moxoly TO reod th'
news Of threatened strikes, crumbs
over high prices and talk OF prOntser-
Ing and summary legislation. He mug
realize that this IL a problem whici
-. 80. lv.e.t. ia .r4wfnX I-
bring about an intelligent public opp
ION without which no sound st'
equitable settlement OF the coal prfb
lens Of this country is possible"
From 1910 TO 1918 strikes eau be
1915 per cent Of the Idle days 4
the bituminous coal industry. Pm
figure for tho year 1919 wal Fti
, larger, and for the current yeat
} may 90 ono "a challenge public IA
t~ention. Al any rate. the prospe'
warrants consideration OF the geo
OF the strike that began April ~"
Exact compilations OF strike
+ are Impossible. The Bureau OF Lab
e Statistics long since abandoned effor
In that line. for even this Governme
agency could never secure compile
reports on such concrete items as 10
IN wages and loss IN products. al
at the same time there r so mai
{. Items entering into the cost Of
n strike that are indefinite and ~
>, ceptibie only OF estimate or approx
nation.
Giving the Public q Jolt
ie However, in tho case OF a basic
T. dustry such as coal the statistics
TX have moro informing data with VIII
le 10 give the public a Jolt. First OF
they point out that a total cessat
- OF coal production and exhaustion
coal supplies on hand would result
= tho complete industrial and co
mercial paralysis OF the nation; fam
land death would speedily stalk
~ land and chaos ensus. Governm
itself would break down and civ
zation totter and fall. That Is
!, possible ultimate cost of a coal str.
and is beyond reckoning in MOI
nr Nothing like that would ever be I
I'd mitted to happen, Of course. but
f. picture is n TO be borne in mind
~ Getting down 10 dollars and cel
the frst item Is the wage loss OF
mine workers. II there are SEQ
miners idle as a result OF the stl
their loss each day totals at u
81. 200,0 900 on the basis OF their aver
earnings per day worked in !
Next comes the loss in wages
workers outside the coal industry
on whom idleness is forced by rea
OF the strike. Thousands Of railr
no workers were laid off the first "
of the strike-one system alone
ing off 16, 000-and their number
be added 10 as the strike continues
ms becomes more effective. Other tbs
ends of workers who handle
use somewhere along the line between
railroad terminal and the consun
bin likewise will have idleness tn
upon them, and passing from Their
the workers IN manufacturing es
- lishments hat cannot operate "
out coal yet another wage loss iteI
md to be chalked up.
In the early days of a strike
? n as the one now under considera
only the haziest estimates can be T
as TO its direct effect upon other