The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-06-01
SOME COAL FACTs@THE WAY OUT

articles written by Mr.. j. A. H. Hop
kins, Executive Chairman of the Com
mittee of 4S, for the National Bureau
Of Information and Education. These
articles are based upon personal in
vestigations by Mr.. Hopkins.
In my three preceding articles 1
endeavored to indicate the just de-
mands of the. operators, the opera
tives, and the public. These demands,
fairly stated, must necessarily be the
foundation upon which any plan for
the reorganization of the coal indus
try must be constructed. Briefly
summarized, they may be stated as
follows:
The operators are entitled to fair
return upon the capital actually in
vested; compensation for any legiti-
mate financial risks incurred;, and a
fair percentage of profit over and
above the cost price of the coal when
delivered to the consumer.
The operatives are entitled to liv-
ing wage; proper living conditions;
and reasonable protection against the
dangers incidental to their occupa-
ton.
The consuming public has right to
demand that coal shall be mined and
delivered at it's doors at a maximum
of efficiency and at the lowest price
consistent with the rights of those
who mine and deliver it.
In connection with these demands
it is also necessary to recognize the
obligations and responsibilities which
they place upon the shoulders of ope-
rators, operatives, and the public. 1t
is equally necessary to bear in mind
that the facts absolutely essential to
an intelligent enforcement of these
demands must be ascertained and es-
tabrished by those to whom these
facts are known. For instance, at the
present time neither the public nor
the Government knows whether the
industry is fairly capitalized. They
do not know the exact cost of mining
and delivering coal; they do not know
what percentage of profit the coal in.
dustry is yielding.
1t is fair to assume that the opera.
tors, by opening their books, can
either answer these questions or fur
nish the information from which they
may be answered, and it is of prime
Importance that they be compelled to
do SO. The Federal Trade Commission
started to ascertain these facts, but
the National Coal Association (the
operators) obtained an injunc tion
stopping the investigation upon the
ground that mining coal was not an
interstate commerce. If this de-
cision stands the Government should
Immediately take steps to appoint a
commission specifically vested with
the authority to compel the operators
and the operatives to furnish all the
necessary information and to compel
them to submit all their records to a
searching investigation. The com
mission appointed for this purpose
should also be charged with the duty
of utilizing the information obtained
to accomplishing the following pur-
poses:
l. To standardize the mines on the
basis of their productive capacity,
and if necessary to order the closing
down of all mines which by reason of
heir natural limitations fall below
this standard;
2. To standardize the cost of living
for mine workers and the living con-
ditions which must be supplied to
them in order to surround them with
reasonable comforts, recognizing in
so doing the psychological effect of
such surroundings in respect to their
efficiency;
8. To standardize a basis of arriv-
ing at the overhead costs of produc-
ing the coal and delivering it at the
door of the consumer, recognizing in
this compilation that the standard
lied cost of living for the miners
must be the first and irreducible item
of expense;
A. To translate. this latter item into
national wage scale, taking into
consideration the uncertainty of en-
nloyment and off-setting this so far
as possible by monthly instead of a
daily basis of employment;
5. To ascertain and provide, through
Federal legislation, for the charging
of fair percentage of profit (and no
more) upon the actual cost price of
he coal, including freight charges to
estimation, this percentage to ia
''u'e all costs of stribution from
tie point of delivery by the railroad