The New York herald., 1922-12-12
Study of the Coal Problem.

which is investigating the nations
great coal problem has not found the
solution yet. 1t does announce, how
ever, that in the bituminous industry
there Is vast overdevelopment; but
that is not news. 1t says that there
are far too many mines in that field,
and that is not news. 1t further
says that this excess Of mines, excess
of miners and excess of investment
are responsible for the chaotic con-
Gition Of the industry. with the in
cessant strikes and disturbances Of
the country's work and business;
and that is not news.
But going on from this basis the
United States Coal Commission must
see that complete reorganization of
the whole industry is essential. And
with too many mines and too many
miners in the business for all Of
them to make living under normal
conditions the way to correct that
situation is to take the mines as a
whole and see how they can be rear
ranged in a few regional groups,
where enough will be shut down to
assure sound economic situation
for those that stay open, but enough
will be kept In operation to assure
constantly adequate supply Of soft
coal for the needs Of the country.
This would entail the application
to the reorganized mines of the prin-
ciple of making the fat carry the
lean. There is no other way to
standardize production costs within
given zones, permitting a mine OF
higher operating expense to put out
its product along with that Of mine
of lower operating expense at rea-
sonable selling price level. AS 1t Is
now either the higher cost mine must
surrender the market to the lower
cost mine or the public must pay for
the lower cost mines product an ex-
cessive price based on the inferior
mines cost.
When the fat mine is helping to
carry the lean mine in their own
group Of the whole reorganized in
dustry output can be reasonably
stabilized, and when output Is rea-
souably stabilized employment can be
made fairly regular. with an oppor-
tunity for every willing worker In
the field to earn the wages that meas
ure up with American standards of
living. At the same time there would
be q natural conservation of the
country's coal supply for the later
generations.
To work out this problem on those
sound economic and business lines
would require cooperation among the
country's coal mine owners. engi-
reering genius, financial elements
and the Government. The Govern
ment first would have to sanction the
consultations and then regulate the
various operating bodies under pri-
vate management. The new groups
would need to be administered on the
lines of highest economic efficiency.
something known now to few of the
present mining systems. Consumers
of certain localities would have to
take their coal from the operating
region that would best serve their
needs, with due regard to the needs
OF the rest OF the country.
This is a solution Of the great ma
tional coal problem, as THE New
YORK HERALD sees it. II the United
States Coal Commission finds bet
ter solution this paper will welcome
it But, whatever is done TO work
out the problem, it does not seem
possible that it can be permanently
solved without beginning with the
fundamental principle Of making the
fat carry the lean.