Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-07-10
By GEORGE E. ROBERTS

permanently maintain a supcrhuous
force. If there were too many shoe
factories and too many shoe-makers
it would not follow that the public
should pay enough for shoes to
allow all the factories to be main
tanned on halle time operations, at
double the normal cost for shoes
Questions of this kind must be
settled with view to the econom-
ical operation of the industries, for
the good of the greatest number
Everybody wears shoes and uses
coal; of the two, coal is the more
important, for it enters into the cost
of everything else. 1t is no kind
ness to the laboring people of this
country to maintain artificial con-
ditions which increase the cost OF
coal. They bear more heavily upon
people of small incomes than upon
others. Every wage-earner pays
more because of them not only to
heat his home and cook his meals,
but upon every purchase he makes.
The improved conditions in the
steel and other industries, with wage
advances indicating a shortage OF
common labor in many localities,
give reason to believe that the
supcrfluous labor in the coal in
dustry would be quickly absorbed
if the industries all received the
stimulus which cheaper coal and
cheaper transportation together
would give. Indeed, with a general
revival of industry it probably would
be found that there were not so
many superiluous men in the coal
industry as now thought. II the
natural economic laws were allowed
to have full play the whole situation
would clear itself rapidly.
The Rights of the Public
The matter of fuel supply so
deeply concerns the public, that the
latter unquestionably has rights to
be protected in the controversy be-
tween employers and employees. II
the latter fail to reach an agreement,
and a fuel famine develops which
threatens to prevent the operation
OF the railroads and close down the
industries generally, the government
VIII be obliged to take the settle
ment into its own hands. When
individual rights or the interests of
groups come in conflict, the govern
mcnt, representing the entire body
OF people, has right to determine
and enforce policies that in its judg-
ment VIII best serve the interests OF
society as whole. This is not
capitalistic doctrine; il is the essence
OF democracy. The principle that
the government has the right 10
safeguard the common interests and
maintain policies that are essential
to social progress is fundamental:
1t IS paramount in all disputes. be-
cause It IS more important TO every-
body than any dispute over his own
wages or his own property rights
possibly can be. 1t is the principle
upon which orderly society is based
The question OF compulsory ar
s'tration has been much discussed
IN an abstract way, and tried in
Australia without or the whole verv
results. Few people be-
lieve IN 1t as method of settling
ordinary disputes. So far as the
interests of the immediate dis
p,utants are concerned, it is better
that they have the opportunity TO
iight 1t out and reach their own set
tiement; but where the interests OF
the public are vitality involved there
must be way of protecting il. The
interests of the many cannot be sub
oordinatcd to the interests OF the
few, no matter whether the few are
rich, or powerful for some other
reason.
so long as the theory is main.
famed that any relatively small
group, like the coal miners or the
railroad employees, has a right 70
AXE advantage of its relation TO a
vital public service, to shut off that
service by agreement among them.
selves, regardless of the damage or
'uftering caused to the great public
which sustains the service lust co
ong there will be danger OF an
!ttc.mpt to put the theory into effect.
I IS to be hoped that such an
,tterpt never will be made. but
hat by the gradual sore,d of -.