The Washington herald., 1922-06-28
OFFICIAL PREDICTS
SERIOUS SHORTAGE
OF COAL SUPPLIES
Situation Acute, U. S. &C.
illogical Survey Di-
rector Declares.
RESERVES ARE LOW
Basic Reforms Held Neces.
sary to Real Settlement
OF Strike.

George Otis smith, director Of the
United States Geological Survey,
whose data on the coal Industry has
been the guide for government Of
ficials handling the situation, de-
clared yesterday that there Is "go-
ing to be a tremendous shortage of
COAL" and that he believes many
householders will burn coke this
winter"
Director Smith said further:
THE situation is acute, and one
can see 1t along the Atlantic sea-
board from Boston to Washington.
The tracks are practically empty of
coal cars The coal reserves are
down probably to 10000. 900 tons. or
enough to last from seven to ten
weeks more.
Production Increasing.
But the demand is still less than
the supply. and 1t may be possible
to husband our coal reserves a while
longer. Besides, the curve of nom
union production is steadily rising
However. can the curve of pro-
duction go up fast enough, say. to
100000 tons a week, in order to
keep the weekly drain on the re-
serves well below the 100000
mark?
although these questions may be
answered satisfactorily, neverthe.
less. they don't settle the Goa
strike. And. ! sincerely believe the
coal strike will not be really set
tied until some basic plan is worked
out on which both sides can mee'
without encroaching upon theii
group contentious.
basal Reform Needed.
What coal producers and coal con
sumers alike need is reform OF th'
business rather than compromise be
tween parties to the controversy. anC
ix-sas reform 1t is absolutely essen
tial that the mine worker should CO
operate with the mine operator. Too
long have the mine owners treated the
coal business as private privilege, and
too long have the labor leaders. witt
no less monopoIistic attitude, OBJ
structed every move for underground
efficiency and economy.
THE peoples coal costs too much
because OF the mistaken idea thai
mine owner and mine worker can con-
tinue to fight ever contracts and rules
Cheaper coal and larger earnings will
come when engineering is emphasized
more and bargaining less.
situation Held Serious.
Naturally cannot speak the MIND
of the administration. but. personally
| believe that. serious as the situation
is. there are fundamental problem:
more insistent for solution Than ever
the pending differences between EN-
ployer and employee.
These basal problems affect thu
whole coal industry to some degree
but especially the bituminous branch
Clear up the economics of the bust
ness and a lasting settlement of thu
labor controversy will become a pos
sibility: leave these questions un
answered. az d industrial peace canno
be expected to survive the usual two
year armistice.
Industry OverdeveIoped.
The first assumption is that thu
industry is oyerdeveloped. Ever
the mineworkers' leaders contend
that 100000 men could be diverted
to the farms. Is 1t possible to di'
vert so many men in one move
tutnl nat is lnt usual question
We diverted about that number t
the munitions factories during tn,
war, and many munitions worker.
came from the mines. Surely II car
be done again, especially with tn,
inducement of longer working
year and a living wage.
Senator Lenroot, Wisconsin. ha.
suggested that the government take
over limited number of paying, eff
ficient mines and run them to Al
the public needs. j believe these
mines, il run under their own man
agement and not by government the
orists, could show the country thai
good deal of coal could he turned
out with comparatively small force
Not only should the government
commander the mines. but it should
also commander the management
More Coke to He Used.
"Of course. these are suggestions
but they are basal, and doubles:
will be considered when the time
comes to settle the coal problem
permanently.
Meantime, l believe many house.
holders will burn coke this winter
and learn a much-needed lesson; fol
some day we'll all burn coke, be,
cause anthracite mining has reached
its peak, and a quarter of this year:
supply. II not more, is irrevocably
lost"
sNIo E,,oI t. ..-o, T. CI1