Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-30
u. s. to Be Stern
if Coal ParLey Fails

Continued from PAGE One
central field have been cutting into the
oIu ssuIu ssouM sIolBiodo 5Vl 10 slyoId
unionized.
The United Mine Workers are also
victims Of this condition. If the West
Virginia mines can be organized great
danger to the other three States will
be removed.
As showing how the miners and op.
orators work in perfect harmony when
occasion demands. the operators and
the union miners entered into an ar
rangement. il is alleged. to force the
West Virginia mines to organize and
accept membership in the United Mine
Workers.
1t was upon this that the operators
of the central field were indicted.
Public Played Upon
The general pubic. which means the
consumer of both anthracite and BIZ
luminous Goa is being played upon by
operators and miners.
A Government investigation is needed
TO reveal the real conditions of the in
dustry.
j. A. III. Hopkins. national chair
man of the Committee Of Forty eight.
who recently completed an investigation
Of the Pennsylvania coal fields. is Il
factor in the situation who has at.
tracted but little attention.
! In a letter addressed to President
! Harding Mr.. Hopkins declares that the
! operators have blocked every effort Of
the Federal Trade Commission and of
! the Interstate Commerce Commission
to investigate the coal situation.
! He urged the President TO bring the
/ facts about the coal industry before
! the public.
} Through failure of either operators
or miners to accedc to demand for a
! full exposure of the evils Of the situa-
tion. he urges the President to take
steps at once to operate the mines
under Government supervision. Mean
time disputed questions on wages and
conditions can be taken up and ad.
! justed.
! In an interview with a man whom
regard as the best posted individual on
the coal industry in this country. out
side President Lewis or Vice Prcsiden,
{ Phillip Murray. of the Mine Workers.
this gentleman said:
One of the first things the miners
will demand is that the public be fully
/ informed that in order to reduce the
price of coal and bring about q revival
in the industry it is not necessary t1
debate labor as IL is called.
Coal operators could pay the wages
demanded by the miners if they would
play the game honestly. But they vii
not do it..
The public has no idea how it ha.
been deceived by the financial interests
behind the coal industry. The invari.
able cry Of the operators is wages mus
come down. when the fact is that wage
are not the most important item of cos'
will hn
Miners both anthracite and bitumi
nous are prepared to show the inequit!
of the whole situation expose the false
propaganda Of the operators and thu
great financial interests to deceive the
consumers.
"Do the miners desire Government
control of the coal industry:' ] asked
They do not was the emphatic
reply. There is a general impression
that the United Mine Workers are
striving for that. II is wrong i'm
preston.
Once the Government took over th'
industry it would be no time until al
sorts Of restrictive legislation. inju'
rious to the miner. would be adopted
We would doubtless have civil service
Impossible working conditions would b.
imposed by ignorant officials until th'
condition Of the workers would become
virtually intolerabe.
The trouble with the coal industr!
: of this country is that 1t is over de
vcloped. The supply is far greater thai
the demand. The present producing ca
pacity of bituminOus coal is about SOU,
2 900. 900 tons u year. Consumption in
Guiding export trade, demands oni
800. 900 900 tons.
1T IS impossible for the mines I
work full time under such conditions
or for miners to obtain anything lik
t fair amount of work which men /
other trades get.
The Geographical Survey. which
celebrated for its accuracy. bcsiucs be
ing an official department Of the Coy
+ ,rninent. estimates that last year tn
, average number Of days worked by Goa
miners was only 1863 In some dis
trlcts il fell rs low as 100 days.
I "'rhc consumers should demand
general expose Of the whole coal sit
uatiou through an impartial Govern
; mrut investigation, for it Is the con
sUmor who il footing these useless an
cxorbitant bills.