The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-06
STERILIZATION
OF SOFT COAL
TRADE NEEDED
Conditions In Bituminous S
Fields Wasteful of Nation S
Resource es Anthracite
Strike is Simple Problem.
RAIL WALKOUT CALM
By MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, D. c., July Sit
Is not two but three strikes with
which the government is confronted.
The coal strike is really two strikes,
for the circumstances of the anthra-
cite industry are so different in the
bituminous industry that the ques-
tions involved are distinct. OF these
three strikes, the one that causes the
most apprehension is the railroad
strike. As to that, the government
has no duty and no concern except to
stand firmly back of its own court, the
labor board.
1t Is not anticipated however. that
the railroad strike will take such
turn as to call for strong action on the
part Of the government. which would
undoubtedly be taken promptly if the
conditions demanded It.
The expectation is thH the railroad
strike will not grow more formidable
and that it will not at any time grow
rreatly embarrassing to the country.
The railroads can manage to get along
for considerable period without the
labor of the men who initiated the
strike The chief effect of it will be
deterioration in the upkeep of the
roads and equipment. This is thing
which can live on its fat" for some
time
Ultimately of course. arrears of up
keep will have to be made, but by the
time this is necessary it is confidently
anticipated that the strike will have
petered out.
Anthracite Strike.
OF the two aspects of the coal strike
the anthracite one is much the more
simple. The anthracite mines are an
industry apart. They are restricted
geographically. They have been in
the course of development for very
long period and the industry is we'll
stabilized Anthracite is one of the
industries in which demand commonly
exceeds supply. In this case the only
important question is one of wages.
The anthracite miners are pretty
confident that the public can be made
to pay more for this type of coal, and
they have made up their minds to try
TO get the money The anthracite
strike is simple effort to get higher
wages and would lend itself to the
same means of cure as any other
strikes in any typical industry.
II is the bituminous strike that con-
fronts the government with the great
est difficulty. Bituminous coal mining
is an industry in which the supply
greatly exceeds the demand. The con
sequence is it raises difficulties. not
only of wages, but also of continuity
of employment Further than this
the whole bituminous industry is char
acteriZed by fundamental tendency
10 shift away from the middle western
states. More and more of the CAPT
tal devoted to bituminous mining goes
each year to Tennessee, Virginia
West Virginia and Kentucky.
Agreement Needed.
The government knows we'll tha
what is really needed in the bitumin
Gus industry is not merely the settle
rnent of the present strike, but kint
of agreement under government
auspices, of a sort that would STABILIZE
the industry in all its aspects.
Conditions in the bituminous Goa
mining industry are wasteful of tn
owners capital, wasteful of the min
ers time, and wasteful of the coun
try's national resources. The rea
question here is whether the govern
ment will stop short with merely a.
effort to settle the present s-ep in tn
direction of establishing the industr
by some permanent means.
AS regards the settlement of tn
preseIic controversy. there is apparent
ly no disposition to appeal to tn
courts, but there is complete conf
dence that the government, with tn
proper authorization from congress
can find adequate means to handle tn
situation So far as it is merely
matter OF ending a strike. the govern
ment is abundantly able to protect tn
public. The real question is whethe
the government shall take a furthe
step towards permanently stabilizin
the industry.
Copyright 1922 by the New York
Evening Post, lnc)