Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-11

whose condition has been O source of
worry to himself and to everybody else
for. six months or more, is about to
undergo a rigid diagnosis to determine
what kind of an operation, if any, is
necessary to restore him tt normal
health and efficiency. In the course
of this diagnosis the merry monarch
may be subjected to what surgeons
call an exploratory operation. Indeed,
under the authorization Of congress,
the experts who are to be assembled
by President Harding may do almost
anything to the patient.
Congress and the general public
seem to be in much the same frame
OF min with respect to the coal indus
try that was manifested by the har-
essed wife of q chronic invalid. Some
times" she said, Il almost wish he'd
get well or-something!"
When anything gets wrong with coal
the whole economic and industrial es-
taDlIshment is upset, and coal has been
,alilng, for a long time. The con-
diti9n became acute as a result of the
strike that began last April and event
ualy congress decided that something
had to be done about it. Hence the
commission of experts with a fund of
$20O;O00 to expend and a years time
IN which to make q thorough study to
determine what should be done with
coal.
1t is somewhat of an anomaly that
IN this case the patient itself is no
longer suffering, for the time being at
least, and whatever hectic remedies are
to be applied are for the benefit of
others. AS o as the strikes were
settled 1T was certain that all the min
ers IN both the bituminous and an
thracite fields would have steady en-
ployment at good wages for at least
a year, and that all the operators would
nave a ready market for all the coal
they can produce, with prices higher
than they have ever been before. This
means prosperity and contentment for
both miners and operators until the
coal shortage has been provided for.
Under normal conditions, as the pub
lie has been informed repeatedly within
recent months, the coal industry is
oVer-manned and overturned. There
are too many mines to supply the ton
mage required, and too many miners TO
produce that tonnage. The result of
this so far As the operators are con-
cerned has been that low cost mines
have had everything their own way,
while coal prices have been determind
iargly on the basis of production costs
In mines that really should not be omen
and these high cost mines have shown
little, if any, profits.
Miners Work Only Part Time
SO far as the miners are affected. the
chief trouble has been irregular and
intermittent employment. Thus the
miner has had to fight for and get a
wage scale unduly high in order that
he may live, when he is working only
one-half to two-thirds of the time. and
TINS IN turn has resulted in increased
prices to the consumer and in multiplied
disadvantages to the owners of high
cost mines.
Under the strike settlements the min
ers have gone back to work at the old
wage scales. and in addition to this,
tney nave every reason to expect more
lays OF employment and more overtime
during the next 10 or II months than
they have ever had in n like period.
Accordingly the individual miner is elat-
ed n feels that the strike was well
worth all that it cost him. Officials
OF the mine workers organization. how
ever. are inclined to look farther ahead.
they know that the wholly satisfactory
conditions in prospect will prevail only
Tor q limited time, and that next wear.
or the year after. the industry will be
BACK on a normal basis OF too many
workers and too many mines unless in
the meanwhile something has been done
to stabilize it.
For this reason these officials
wrote into the agreements settling the
strike the provision for q governmental
investigation which resulted in the
Dill passed BY congress creating the
COMMISSION of seven experts to be an
pointed by the president, Leaders OF
the miners realize that permanent
good can come to their people only
through a thorough rehabilitation Of
the coal industry, and they have prom
ised to Cooperate with the commits
sion in every way. They say that the
investigation win vindicate all the con-
tentions they have made as &c the ne
cessity of wage and working agree
ments On Il national basis.
Inc operators were not so keen for
the investigation, but they have agreed
to it and there is no reason to douht
their good faith. A large element
among them is alive to the fact that
some reforms or changes must be
worked out in the coal industry.
Pubiic's Interest Is Vital
The public's interest in the work
about to be undertaken by the commits
sion is vital, although many people
may ut Piouo W jump 10 the COnclu-
sion that everything is all right now
that the strike is over. The total cost
of the dislocatioh in the great fuel in
dustry will not be known for months.
but as the weeks go by and winter
| conditions are confronted it will be-
come more and more clear that the
bill is an outrageous one and that
steps must be taken to guard against
a repetition of the crisis that deyel-
opeG this summer.
Every line of industry and business
and almost every household in the
country will feel the effects of the coal
controversy and if the general public
comes to the conclusion that the same
unfortunate state of affairs is con
stantly imminent unless something is
done it is a foregone conclusion that
something will be done.
Much will depend upon the diagnosis
of the experts and that in turn de-
ponds upon the experts. They are
called upon for a report on the indus
try as a whole with special reference
to means of stabilizing production, and
CT that r~r+aip c1ascac xr;lI -,