The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-09-01
pnxino for the Goa! Str re.

Secretary Honnold Of the Illinois
Coal Operators association est
mates that the coal strike las cost
the residents OF this state upward OF
800 100000. He figures the loss IN
wages To the. striking miners at $00,-
100000. the loss TO the mining com
pan!es through the id.eness or their
property at SIS 100000. and the loss
to the puolIc-i,Tough higher prices
and freight rates on coal that should
have been mined in Illinois but was
hauled in from other states-at $780,
100000
No careful estimate Mas been pre-
scented Of the cost OF the strike to the
entire nation. but guesses by coal pro
ducers range from S50O0o0O0 up.
ward
Consumers must bear in mind, how
ever that the strike loss actually is
all theirs For the miners by the
steady work which they are now as
sured during the fall and winter viii
make up for the wages they might
have earned by brokentime employ
ment through, the spring and sum.
mer. while the mine operators will
sell coal at niger prices and In Uil
quantities through intensive effort
at the mines Meanwhile higher
prices Of coal to consumers
and the increased cost of manuiac
tured articles, into which are figured
the higher prices of I've manuiactur
ers' fuel, will make the public the
actual sufferers As Dr. llonnold
says, it is the people OF this country
who lost the strike
Similar strike losses by the public
in the future can and must be pre-.
vented. The price OF coal to the CON
sumner can be reduced to reason.
able level If the recent proposals of
President Harding to congress are
carried out. His, factAndmg commits
sion should be authorized by con
gress without delay. Its members
should be men capable of outlining
such thorough reorganization as
the coal industry must undergo if the
public is ever arm To be treated
fairly in the matter of fuel supplies
and prices The high-cost mines open
ed up during the war should he
closed; the supertluous miners G'ould
be established adyantageously in 9th.
er industries labor-Saying, costre-
ducing machinery should be intro
duced in all mines where it is pos,
slble advantageously to employ such
machinery and open competition
should NE restored in the coal mark
cts.
When those changes are effected
and not before can there be freedom
from strikes, reasonable profits for
coal producers, steady work al good
wages for miners and an assurance
of plenty of fuel lt )nest prices for
the public 1t is estimated that from
40 to so per cent of the striking min.
ers We're employed on farms or in
other usful service while the strike
lasted. Now that carcty of labor
in various industries is reported it is
reasonable to think that the great
surplus of mine workers that already
exists and the further great surplus
that would be created by 80 economi
cal mining OF coal by machinery read
lily would be absorbed in the gener-
al industrial act witty of the country.
with these notable reductions in ex.
pense the price of coal would mater
tally decrease through consumption
would increase because of the result
ing stimu alton to industry
Failure to bring about these bene.
fits through appropriate government.
tai action inevitably would be follow.
cd on April / next by another stub.
born coal strike TIVE vicious circle
must be broken. The existing condi-