Mountain advocate., 1922-03-03
ID. n. REYNOLDS WANTS
TO KNOW WHY
wheeler. Ky. Feb. n 1929

I
Barbourville, Ky.
Gentlemen:
A few brief thoughts concerning
conditions as they exist in our coun-
try.
! In 1919 the miners of our coun-
| try came out on a strike. The sem
timent of the public seemed to be
against them. They were blamed
for the high prices that the public
had TO pay. The government made
proposal and the miners had to ac-
cept it. The miners and operators
made a written contract which ex-
pires March 81, 1922.
Many of the operators have ignor-
ed this and forced reduction in the
wages, but it don't appear to give
/ the miners any more work nor help
the public in price they are forced
to pay | read in a paper where
man had to pay s13.75 for one ton
Oh nut coal There are a great many
miners who have been practically
out of work since 1920. I myself
have had just a few days work since
in December. 1920.
read of great distress among the
miners in other States. Where is
our government that forced several
thousand miners to go to work in
1919. that il can't force a small
number of coal operators who have
ignored written contracts and are
virtually on strike now to 60 to
work? feel that the miners OF our
country are not responsible for the
high prices of the cost of living and
the great suffering of our country
for they have in many places sign
ed individual contracts and accepted
seem to give them any more work,
so | hope the public may be able to
see that labor is not responsible for
the high prices which they pay and
the suffering OF the unemployment
Of our country. l again ask where
is our government that forced so
many miners to go to work in 1919
that it don't take hold of the small
group of coal operators and use the
same power on them that it used on
the striking miners in 1919.
D. B REYNOLDS.
Statistics show that at present
51.5Ts of a ton of coal goes to the
freight charges, 4S.5Gs to the mine
operator who must pay his expenses
out of that portion AS between the
miner and operator 67.S9o goes to
the miner, 1861 goes for supplies,
1867 goes for supplies, 1O.S9o for
other operating expenses, $50 for
general expenses. (Report to Inter-
state Commerce Commission, Jan.
I13, 1929 These figures show moth
ing left for stockholders, expansion,
interest, etc.
When the miners returned to
work in 1919 they returned to some
thing which gave them a profit in
wages, but no government on earth
can force mine owners to run at
loss. It is an economic impossible
ity. If numbers of miners in this
section had a fully equipped mine
turned over to them at the present
time with the present lack of de-
mand for coal, hey could not make
1t pay and no bank would finance a
losing game.
Economic laws are beyond any
government. especially when the
woDld is dazedly staggering on its
pins.
This six hour day and five days
week stunt now being talked OF, is
the broken idol OF the British min
ers who struck and starved. starv-
ing others with them. They have
quit striking and are selling coal in
Boston and New York that you peo-
pie should be digging and getting
paid for. The strike that brings
misery. not only to the strikers but
also to thousands OF others who
work in factories and depend on
weekly wages to feed their kids will
never arouse sympathy. Some bet
ter method will have to be worked
out. You may take it as sure
thing. that while the strikers OF this
country are hopefully expecting to
win, the union men OF other coun-
tries will be working and stealing
your cheese.
There is a law of the jungle and
it pretty much applies in economics.
1t may be a rotten condition but we
have not learned anything better.
Even in this advanced country,