Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-14
BRITISH COAL
MINES DOING
. BIC BUSINESS
Strike in u. S. Serves
to Revive Great
Market Slump.
BY NORMAN n. MATSON
Special CORRESPONDENT of The Great Falls Tribune
Copyright, 1922 by The Great Falls Tribune

| London, Aug. 13.-The British coal
| industry is doing well, thank you. A
| few weeks ago it was a very sick in
dustry. The thousands Of unemploy ed
were getting by with half rations, and
those still on jobs were getting wages
of lower purchasing value than those
Of before the war. Lines of coal cars
were filed away on sidings. Shipping
rates were down almost to the prewar
levels but bottoms went begging. De
mand was drying up in nearly all nor
NAL markets and losses in many cases
were so heavy as to foretell an ire
trievable financial disaster" Then
came orders from strike smitten Amer
lea. That noise you heard in the east
was loud cheering in Cardiff, Glasgow
and Newcastle.
There was talk of the miners refus-
ing to 'scab" on the American strik-
ers. William Straker, general secre-
tary of the Northumberland Miners
feredation said he considered unlikely
that the federation would take any
official action against the export of
coal to America. for obvious reasons"
Last year American miners increased
production during the national coal
strike here, and the British miners
have not forgotten. Moreover. wages
have been so near the starvation line
and there has been so much unem-
ployment that a job looks like a job.
Urging Solidarity
Extremists are urging international
solidarity and there may be incidents
of sympathetic action on this side be-
fore the coal shortage is entirely re-
lieved. The official organ of the com
munists, who have q certain strength
in south Wales, accept the report that
miners officials have declared the
attempt to relieve the American short
age with British coal may be futile.
Reports that the whole of the avail
able supply is fully booked up to the
end of August. There are numerous
inquiries from the United States for
urgent supplies at advanced rates.
Continental countries are getting into
the scramble Prices jumped two shil-
lings and ships that were seeking char
ter at less than eight shillings a ton
are now being chartered at 12b shil- |
ilngs. Miners are generally working
full time.
Glasgow tells a similar story. SO i
far the miners have not objected to /
"scabbing' Germany is buying heav- !
ily to fulfill her reparations obligations
Ito France and Italy, and the demand /
promises to exceed the supply. thanks |
to the trouble in the states
South Wales three weeks ago was in
an unprecedented slump. One town
of $1,000 people, for instance. had
l 400 starving along on unemployment
benefits. Exports were half of the
pre-war average and there were no
nn "a,
ports, the industry was not earning ,
enough to cover the wages paid the
10000 miners employed although the
wage rate was lower than before the l.
war.
Orders Are Many
The miracle. as some mine owners
nave described the sudden and enor-
nous orders from across the Atlantic.
worked complete change overnight
The "demoralizing tendency" of July
o quote one expert. gave way to
'yivifying cheerfulness." 1t is not vet
,nown how much coal America is 90
ng to buy. but enough has already
'een ordered to absorb all the collieries
an produce up TO the end of August
md not few companies which ypster-
lay were frantically begging day-to-
lay orders. so as to avoid the nuye ey-
'ense involved in suspending ,.pe-a-
ions, have withdrawn from the
larket.
Nobody seems very excited over the
ifficulties American authorities are
aving with English booze smugglers.
All this" says the Daily Express, lis
o doubt very awkward for American !
rohibition enforcement officers. who
re set on the hopeless task Of guard
lg thousands of miles of thinly popu
ited coast line. but we really do not
ee what we can do about it. The
have undertaken To
eny the natural human appetite for
rink of more than 100 million people.
no have plenty of money to pay for c
hat they want. With such unanimity. t.
ne wonders who can be the pussy h
,oters.
The Express continues more mag u
II
When they fthe smugglers) are b
aught, we do not complain: but we :,
)uld not, even if we chose, tell colo :.
al governments that. while their peo- III
e may drink what they like on shore,
ley should not put anything to drink r
a ship and sail the seas therein Ia
"
u @ 81 I'll