New-York tribune., 1922-03-26
COAL STRIKE Is
LABOR'S TEST
(contlnned from pogs ors,

TO have at least four months coo1 dss
strike probably will be ended in th.t ttpp'y' Tie
all will be rosy. He will have ni.asa sa"e' ans
game, it will not have cost him an,tl: I" The
he will not have suffered any y,eat s.i'"s and
ence. But now comes Mr.. Levi, ,r1''s'' ars
pleasant but firm manner tosses . l.rn. ~"' IN
chunk Of Pocahontas right in tba $500 s,' s'o5
the rose garden. ''ls OF
"The figures Of the operators s,sn
logical Survey are much exaposr.4asn vie 'e''
said when asked for comment ,.asrs s'o, ne
II do not believe that the bitusanop, .,a, sn'n'
viii last longer than six weeks supply
"But suppose that it does. II.
not equitably distributed, and nrr,s 10y J.
industries arc almost certain to BE- hsv5 y. =,
within two months after the strik. .a nj
believe that at least 100000 vortsr. .-o
be thrown out Of their Jobs or othsrTis. ". y.
fected BY shut-downs within that time o.
"As to the non-union production IN NH.
tho operators are counting 50 exiensivsl.
past history i'm soft coal strikes baa abor,
that most Of the non-union miners will IL.
the walkoUt within \ comparatiyelv sbo.
time after it atarta. Thus l an certain H..
non-union production VIII not be auvBbsr,
near 100000 tons week at any time durin,
the strike.
Another important point, which th. oo.r.
tors are not mentioning, is that ruost of II.
coal produced or to be produced in the ng.
union fields Is already contracted for. !,
West Virginia, the chief non-union gtronvboa
75 per cent Of the coai mined goes under con.
tract to The United states Nary and t,
plants Of tie United States Steel Corporation,
Alabama, The next important non-union field
has 50 per cent Of is production under con.
tract, and of the remaining 40 per cent q,
least half is sold to consumers within tn
state. Other non-union production will b
negligible"
On the question Of Old Pop Public's pockst
book, r. W. Gardner, Of the Pittsburgh ca.
Producers Association, one Of the leadins
groups Of central competitive field open
tors, recently sent The Tribune the follovihs
answer to question as to what effect strl:
would have on the price Of coal:
"Best information shows that the RAILROADS,
industries and public service companies Of Ii.
country generally have supplies of coal TO
carry them from sixty to ninety days, and The
constantly increasing non-union tonnage o,
the country will amply take care Of all demands
FOR coal. We think this condition justides our
belief that there Will not be any increase IN
The price Of coal"
Mr.. Lewis holds a different opinion. Hs
said:
"When reports begin coming in to ii.
newspaper offices that Establishments of one
kind or another are being forced to close dow
because of lack Of coal a rush will start y
buy it. Then the operators law Of suppl
and demand is going to commence working
and it will work fast. Coal prices will begn
10 mount, and all along the line those handlia|
the product Will profit accordingly.
Dear IN mind always that the operators
and not the miners, want this strike. In facl
it should be called strike Of the operators
for that IS exactly what it is. The operators
have had only one thing IN mind in refusing
to meet with us in accordance with their agree
ment-to force a strike by every means IN thel
power. Not only have they defed public opn'
ion by the course they have chosen, but 'ass
have also faunted appeals made to them !.
the highest officials of the government tAs'
they meet with US and endeavor to arrange
peaceable adjustment Of our differences
They want strike for at least TWO fsS
sons. One is that they are anxious eltaes "
break the union or to weaken its strenss "
such an extent that it will be incapa0is V
properly protecting the rights OF the H'l'"
The other is that a number Of operators y
the central competitive field, feeling tnss 'as. y
profits lately have not been what tney WV.
like them to be, are planning TO seA =,
soft coal above ground on April at lio~ ~ y
to 75 cents a ton imitation over the psvA.
they normally would receive Already u@'
have sold a good many million tons Oh ..s w.
basis. If it is true that they will have oo'0VV
900 tons on hand when the strike s'a'Sa
will be seen that they stand to MAKE '.
profits of at least from $30,o0O,ooo 70 MI
100000 at the expense of the puplc Il
strike lasts long enough, to say nothing u
the imitation of non-union coal solo anu W.
increases developing through a snoflass' y
Mr.. Lewis also charged that an'ni'S
profits are enormous, citing as ilus'la" i.
this contention that New Workers are 1es''ss
pay SIS ton for hard coal produced 81 p0s, -,
only $50 miles away at total proouss.s :.
cost of only $50 or $3.50 ton. !" ~
been admitted by anthracite operators ~ 4
contend that labor costs must be reaasss .,,sI
order TO cut prices, that the domestic si,s s.sI
pay the freight on all hard coal produssll
and that literally the freight-as repto''