New-York tribune., 1922-08-29

ALBANY. Aagust rs. ~
10 the Legislasure.
Industrial disputes. impairing
transportation and snspending the
productions Of both anthracite and
bituminous coal, recently threatened
the paralysis Of industry and now
threaten widespread distress next
winter from . shortage of domes-
tic fuel.
few have set their wills above
the public will, their selfish purposes
above the interest of all. Winter
approaches, a coal famine stares the
people in the face threatening acute
distress among those least able to
provide for themselves. but the dis
pute goes on.
The disputants are too intent on
carrying their points TO consider the
public. welfare which it is the high
function Of government to promote.
Al nationwide industrial dispute
involving essential industries yerges
on revolution and in fact is the
method advocated by those who plot
revolution, of whom there are still
unfortunately too many in this
country. Such dispute, irrespec-
tive of its merits, is revolutionary,
because it suhordinates the genrGal
interest to the selfish interests Of
few. 1t is subversive of free gov
ernment because it subjects all the
people to the tyranny of few, and
government established TO promote
the general welfare cannot tolerate
the tyranny of any interest, group or
individual and endure. When the
health, happiness and welfare of all
the people. are placed in jeopardy, no
matter how, the government to whom
alone the public can look at such
time must intervene. not alone to
safeguard the public health and gem
eral welfare at the moment, but, if it
is to accomplish its high purpose, to
Il prevent a recurrence of similar
Jeopardy The time for such inter-
E vention has now arrived.
General Interest Must
Be Supreme at all Times
Emergencies may require the exer-
else by the government of unusual
|. powers, even limiting the freedom Of
individual action, but individual in
terest is subordinate to the general
interest, which must be supreme at
all times. The individual has to sur
render some liberty of action to pre-
serve any. The extent of the public
need is the measure of the surren-
der required, and of that the legisla-
tive authority, in the first instance at
least, is the judge | have, there
fore.J convened sshe extraordinary
session to ask consideration of the
measures which the state of New
York may take to protect the public
health and promote the general well
fare in the present emergency.
Happily the resumption of mining
in the bitnminous fields has averted
tho threatened national calamity
from the suspension of industry
| The shortage Of bituminous coal
| promises to be speedily relieved if
the railroads are able to transport it.
The menace at the moment arises
| from the shortage of anthracite coal.
1 There are no stocks Of antkracite.
/ anywhere, and surveys so far made
| indicate that there is less than the
/ usual amount in the hands OF con-
| suners. Five months of production
| have already been lost and cannot be
made up, as, unlike the bituminous
/ situation, the capacity of the anthra-
| cite mines is but little above the
| consumption of the country mostly
during the winter months.
The summer is the time for the
accumulation of supplies for the
winter The summer production has
been lost and the resumption OF
| mining is not yet in sight. IL pro-
duction were resumed tomorrow
the situation would probably be sag-
| gravated by the impairment Of rail-
road equipment, which will soon be
/ taxed to move the crops. Whatever
! happens, there is bound to be q
/ shortage of domestic fuel, and every
days delay in the resumption Of
mining now adds in increasing ratio
4 to the menace. There is bound to
be such shortage as to require
/ rationing to insure every one fair
| share Of what there may be.
Hoarding and Gouging
i Must Be Prevented Now
Hoarding and gouging always at
Il tendant upon q shortage must be
prevented. In any case, unless the
state intervenes, those who can pay
most will be served first, whereas
the least able must be our first con-
cern, for they are totally unpre-
4 pared to cope with q fuel shortage.
4 We must practice rigid economy
B That may have to be enforced. Those
4 who have anthracite coal should
save it all for severe weather Ii
4 will be easier to use substitutes
j now and during the cold snaps of
fall ard early winter than after cold
4 weather sets in. Oil, gas and elec-
trieity should be substituted fnr