The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-05-13

I1os IL SO0l OWUCES VIII IL
.@ These were charges made O
gresham Bland this week in SCI
and their policies.
- = Here are extracts from Bla
". Has Little Information.
1--WE have inquired about profits
and losses, illegal combinations, and
coal profiteering. At. the outset we
were met with the remarkable state
ment of facts that no Government
fAct-finding agency was able to give
any information on more than
$500 mines out of the possible H.
900. and that for the most part the
Information was restricted to two
or, three hundred mines.
1.-THE National Coal Association,
through its vice-president, Mr.. Nor
Wows came forward with it's padded
,nIeport, stating that their compila-
ttons Of the cost of coal production
showed that it averaged s2.94 per
tom and that the labor cost per ton
was 91.992. Upon being questioned
asfto details Of labor cost, no infor-
) mation could be obtained to show
THAT the cost was in the better class
Wf mines. 1t was admitted that in
M&rrfving at the average many fly
aOy-night' mines which operated only
+, vMhen there was an excessive demand
lXor coal, were included in the COM
,tN,ilations Of production cost.
, "a Coal Owners Refuse.
v,,T''I make this statement advisedly
q there is no agency in this Govern
:, fn1ov that hoo inf q.
\ ton, or that can obtain it,, as to
J what it cost during the last year for
-, a.twell-equipped, efficient coal mine
To- produce a. ton of COAL The Gov
eminent not only does not have it.
but the right to obtain il is denied
them by the coal producer. He says
it, is an unwarranted interference
with his private business.
,.s these Bolshevists are ask
ing the Government of the United
- ';tates SIG a ton for Navy Coal, =
..'Mr. Morrow, president of the
Ntional Coal Association, said that
was paying SIS a ton for coal in
Rshington City. A fellow by the
me Of Ritter, according to the
testimony before coal Investigate
Ing committee Of the Senate, started
a0ut to sell to the consumers here at
-' considerably reduced prices.
THE retailers organization, in the
shadow Of the Department Of JUS
flee, told him in no uncertain terms
that his underselling tho retailers
organization was unfair. and that he
I'D have to raise the price or
would put him out Of business.
;rr Great Propasandists.
80. ertain operators would make
--,public believe-and they are the
.odutest propagandists in America
ay-that all the ills Of the coal
=, sstry should be laid upon the
- Of the man who digs the coal.
5&sy must know that this is unfair,
.8l If you will go with me into the
-. ing fields, with which I am ac-
"Ttinted. I can show you in many
Gees the hovel Of the coal miner,
a ere he sits today with his poorly
sstd, pinched-face family, brooding
ger the unkindness Of fate.
Owns Millions of Coal.
"The United States Steel Corpora
ion owns 100000 acres Of coal
- and. The railroad companies own
millions more, and are operating
hem in many instances. Are we to
believe Tthat these steel companies
and railroad companies are idly
watching these days go by while the
stout-hearted pick wielder sits In his
rof the mine?
y These powerful organizations, in
my judgment, are wasting millions
trying to teach an exasperated pub
lio that their hands are clean, that
their hearts are pure, that their
m1thods are good, that they are
ph1lantrOpists, and all that stands
between the public and the solution
ofaithe fuel problem is the horny.
: minded fellows that get $1.O8 pei
ton for mining it. And there are
those among you who have been led
into this way Of thinking.
Value of Unions.
fs,"Most Of those who have openly
f6pght unionism have not the cour
ayae to go before the public and
show that their present attempt:
are made in that direction because
they realize that the United Mine
Workers Of America. not only dur
itng the war but during its existence
Mas been the stabilizing influence
tlhat has kept down Bolsheviks ant
extreme radicalism in the mining in
dlustry and by keeping the me,
EHorking in tho coal mines whel
otherwise there would have bee1
industrial chaos.
= &:'If this fight is to be fought ou
to- a finish it means that the doc
trine Of Judge Gary. the open shop
the, abolition of the union in ou
mines of the United States-shal
maintain; or that the recognition o
- the existing miners organization
az the existing miners organization
ma III contract shall eventuali
4 rs1t4lt.''' II s.. =