The Washington times., 1922-06-20
PROF|TEERsTO
REAP RICH HAUL.
IN COAL Famine
John L. Lewis, President Of
Mine Unions, Says
Shortage Is Sure.
BY John L. LEWIS.
President United Mine Workers q


CINCINNATI, Ohio, June 20.
There is nothing in sight that
would indicate an immediate set
Element of the coal miners strike,
now going into It's seventh week.
There is one thing l can say
definitely, and that is, the strike
win continue until it is won, if
II takes all summer.
Price Boost Likely.
What effect win it have on the
coal supply of the East? That is a
question that I cannot answer with
any degree of accuracy. But l can
say that last Saturday somebody
along the Atlantic seaboard was
short seventeen million tons Of an
thracite coal. And this shortage
cannot be made up this year. How
much Of the seventeen million tons
would have gone to New York city
not know but do know there has
great mass of. New, York apartment
house owners to buy coal.
This lack of foresight on their
part. in q way can be pardoned be.
cause they believed in the promises
held out that there would be re-
duction in the price Of coal. This did
not come the first Of last April as
in years past. = Then they were told
the freight rate reduction would
tend to lower prices, This has not
come. but still they are waiting.
In the meantime, the mine opera
tors In control Of the anthracite coal
Industry, which Is a monopoly, are
sitting pretty" They know what
win happen to the price of coal, as
soon as the law Of supply and de
mand begins to work and with sup
ply OF less than one-third the normal
supply Of q mild winter ON hand.
Hugh Profits Made.
5 In no other branch OF the coal
industry can such tactics to put
into operation, with such a degree of
success. !. Enormous profits are made
by monopoly eontrol of anthracite
coal-carrytHgs railroads. coal sales
panies. n these tndefensibie pr,f.s
companies And coal producing com
were eliminated, anthracite could be
sold to the consumer at least IS a
ton cheaper. And yet the anthracite
coal operators say they cannot con-
cede q living wage principle to an
thracite mine workers and assert
that prices can only be reduced by
lowering the wages Of labor costs
n per cent, which amounts to only
10 cents on each ton Of coal mined.
Although, I cannot say accurately
L. 81 - fhaf "a
other cities on the Atlantic seaboarti
without fear of contradiction. that
New York city has less than so per
cent OF a. normal coal reserve supply
on hand. and instead OF being able TO
Increase this supply the percentage
draws to a close.
Take the case Of Baltimore. which
IN much nearer the mines and does
not have to fear the srecter Of a Sc.
we're winter as does Boston, or New
York. / am told, last week had less
than a weeks supply of coal on ha nd,
and L feel certain that New York Is
not much better off. ~. SO
In the event of a railroad strike,
which would throw out or work at
least another million Of men, II does
not take much imagination to visual
ize how serious the coal situation In
the cities along the Atlantic seaboard
would become.
No Cooperation Now. .-
In the winter OF 19l7-1s, an effort
was made to augment New York's
coal supply by water. but inclement
weather, lack Of steam.thawing facili-
ties at tidewater coal pockets and
lack of storage facilities on Manhat-
tan greatly hampered that work and
there was a great coal shortage.
At that time union labor was CO.
operating to its fullest extent. put.
ting forth every effort to make
the world safe for democracy"
tContipued on Page 2. Column 81