The New York herald., 1922-04-07

| men ana Win proper conslueration
for the whole coal problem Of the
nation.
This means that the coal business
Of the country should be so organized
that every mine will do its part III
supplying the nation with its needed
coal, so organized that all coal miners
the country over will get substan-
TALLY the same return for a given
amount OF man power, whether that
given amount produces one ton Of
coal or five tons.
With such organization the great
underlying trouble with coal miners
In respect OF the wage scale would be
removed for all time. With this seri-
Gus complication out of the way coal
operating should have no worse labor
troubles than other industries. Man
aged the way it now is, it does have
worse labor troubles. the very worst
of all.
This discussion does not look to or
contemplate the naturalization of
coal mines. 1t means. on the con-
trary. the consolidation OF all the coal
mines of the country into. say. half
q dozen groups, not more, these
groups to be owned by and operated
by private ownership under the con-
troll Of the National Government.
BY such organization nationalist
tion Of the coal mines can be fore
stalled and the business of coal min
ing be put on sound, sane basis.
Without some such organization na-
tionalization of the coal mines is in
sight. Considered in all its broad
aspects, the coal business OF Amer
lea, handled in its present loose way,
is disgrace to the intelligence of
American craftsmanship and to
American business men.
A standardized selling price for
coal in the various sections of the
country can be had through the sub
stitution of group ownership for the
present widely scattered ownerships.
Each group should have the proper
tion Of fat mines in its region neces-
sary to carry the lean mines, so that
the product Of all the mines of the
group, considered as whole, would
represent a fair production cost.
With the average mining cost thus
standardized, a right return on the
capital invested in these groups
could easily be determined.
In respect OF equalizing the coal
production costs the group system Of
handling the coal problem of the
country would work out practically
as the mail service of the Govern
ment works out.
The United States Government car
ries a letter to remote parts of the
country for two cents. 1t is able to
do this without loss to the generel
service, or without any considerable
loss, solely because it couples up with
the lean sections of tie country the
fat sections with t.. cir vast popula-
tions and enormous turnover. II the
lean sections were not thus coupled
Up with the fat sections 1t would cost
a man two dollars, perhaps more, to
send a letter to these remote parts
of the country.
The profit to the mail service from
these fat sections takes care of the
enormous losses accruing from the
lean sections. Precisely in this same
way the fat coal mines would take
care Of the lean mines. And this
would mean cheaper coal to the con-
sumner and q Sane preservation OF the
great coal resources Of the country
for the coming generations.
This same scheme Of grouping the
railroads, so grouping them that the
fat sections would carry the lean
sections. would solve the railroad
problem. Nothing else can solve It
so long as the roads remain in private
ownership.
Pan America to Meet Again.
The governing board OF the Pan
American Union has authorized the