The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-11-30
New England and Coal According 10
Geo Otis Smith

New England's share in the coal
issue" was the topic on which George
Otis Smith of Washington spoke he
fore the Women's City Club Of Boston
last week in Pilgrim Hall, Boston
Mr.. Smith had made this engagement
before he was appointed by President
Harding member of the |. S. Coal
Commission and only brief mention
was made of the fact-fnding work
now under way.
1t may have become trite, said Com
missioner Smith. 10 compare our coal
industry with a sick man who is pain
fully trying to keep on his feet and
carry his part of the white mans bur
den, but I know no better comparison.
The coal business is sick, and though
for years II had bravely concealed its
sickness. the rigors of the war demand
for increased activity made the bad
condition all too apparent and the
public generally began to talk about
il. Many doctors of many schools
were called in. heroic treatment was
applied. stimulants We're administer
ed. and everything possible was done
not only to keep the patient alive but
10 put him in shape to do more work
All this was a temporary makcshift.
and soon after the war ended the coal
business was found to be in worse
shape than ever. Relapse after. re-
lapse followed. and We are now Wit
Messing its slow recovery from the
10 Il,
has ever had.
Lately the sick industry has been
| placed under observation by some new
! doctors somewhat inexperienced, it is
| true, but extremely well-meaning if
! the press of the country can be be-
| lieved. The seven men called into
! the case by President Harding are
apparently paying less attention to
outward symptoms and more attention
to underlying causes, for they believe
the real need is to diagnose the hid
den trouble and to suggest a cure
! for that rather than simply to mix
up understanding salves to ease the
! local irritation. Whatever ability
these new doctors may prove to have,
! their plan OF procedure seems logical.
The law of last September provides
/ for fact-finding Coal Commission to
aid. assist, and advise Congress on
| this national problem what shall we
do about our coal business2 For years
1t has been the coal barons and mine
! workers and coal dealers who have
been held wholly responsible when
ever anything has gone wrong with
+ the coal business Now, it would
appear both equitable and profitable
for the general public to try some
determination the facts when
found may show that some of the
reform must begin at home, not all
al the distant mine-the consumer
must start it.
/ The editor of the Survey Graphic
in commenting this month ON the op-
portunity of the Coal Commission and
! of the nation II represents. intimates
that it will not he enough ITO weep
over the wrongs of the miners or to
| be outraged in soul by the losses of
the operators and their stockholders;
rather. the Commissions task is to
settle down to the hard grind of find
! ing out what the facts about mining
distributing. marketing and consum
| ing coal are And it is also the
duty of the public he most pertinent
| " adds, to use the thinking part
of our minds, not the weeping part
This editors proposal is that to try
ito understand our way through this
coal problem might be the beginning
of the new age"
My own conception of the task set
! this Coal Commission, continued Mr..
Smith, is that large as is the scope
of that task it does not include pro-
secution of the guilty. The law may
grant to this body almost inqnisitorial
powers. but the purpose OF learning
where mistakes have been made in
the past is primarily to help in chart
| ing safe course for the future VIC
lations of economic or even statute
! law are not TO be sought with any
punitive purpose in mind. only for the
location of warning signals for future
use In short, whenever possible, the
eyes of the fact-finder will be turned
forward. toward the way out.
In two respects. the people Of New
England are specially interested in
the coal issue-as household consm-
ers of anthracite and as industrial
consumers Of bituminous coal. The
supply of both classes Of coal becomes
uncertain whenever for any reason
a shortage exists at the mines. and
especially when winter bloekades in
terfere with traffic is it realized that
the citizens of these northeastern
States live in the last house on the
street, with everybody else on the
street also wanting coal.
New England's industrial demand
for coal cannot be overestimated, This
busy section of Americas finishing
shop operates its mills and factories
on the modern scale largely with
energy brought in by coal barge and
coal car. The water powers that
fixed the sites of industry are now
far outgrown. and steam now carries
two-thirds the load And the facts
at hand indicate an increasing use
of power in New England that ex-
presses itself in new power demand
of not less than 10000 horse power
each year. The output of electric
current the present year promises to
ha -,