The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-02
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington. ID. G.
THE PROBLEM OF COAL UNIONS.

public scrutiny has been invited, not
to say forced by the nationwide
strike which was begun on April 1.
! Union mine workers and anti-union
/ operators say that there Is but one
/ answer to the question, altho their
answers are Numerically different.
The miners, thru their spokesm en-,
such John l. Lewis and Philip
Murray, respectively president and
vice president of the United Mine
Workers of America, declare that if
! the coal industry was completely or
ganized. all the ills and evils that
cured or corrected. Also the public
/ would be saved millions of dollars on
\ its annual coal blu and spared the
! general business upheavals incident to
strikes and shutdownss
Anti-union operators. on the other
hand, assert that it is their successful
opposition to unfonization that pre-
/ vents complete union domination OF
/ the industry, eventually leading to the
| taking over of the mines by the work.
ers and that preventing unioniZation
| protects the public against fuel
famine when a strike or shutdown
/ occurs in the union fields, and against
exorbitant prices for coal under nor
/ NAL conditions.
Many union operators agree with
/ the officials of the mine workers that
/ it would be for the best interests OF
| everybody concerned if the industry
Il
that there is no hope for stability of
production and regularity of employ
ment until uniform wages and work
\ ing conditions prevail at every mine
in the country. They also urge that
it is unfair that the large body of
operators who pay union wage scales,
observe union hours and subscribe to
union working conditions should be
subjected to competition with the in
dependents who can make their own
terms with their miners and hence
produce coal at cost materially
lower than the cost at -t1nion mines.
other union operators say that if it
were not for the fact that there is a
considerable part of the industry un-
organized. it would be impossible ever
to reach fair wage and working agree
ments with the union. Some of these
operators would like to break away
from any and all relations with the
union, while others are willing to go
ahead under conditions that. involve
recognition of the union, altho they
do not want to see the non-union
mines brought into the union fold.
Non-union miners, being morgan
lied, have no spokesman, and it is ac-
cordingly impossible to report their
views on the question. However.
those of them who continued at work
when the strike was called may be
assumed to be glad to have a chance
to work on the terms established by
the independent operators, altho it
OOeS not necessarily 1olAOW That luGy
are opposed to the union.
With these divergent claims and
ideas emanating from the individuals
and interests directly and selfishly
involved in the coal controversy. the
attitude of the general public may be
said to be one of inquiry. First of all,
the public is concerned to know what
the ascertainable facts in the problem
may be, and then, it would naturally
follow, the public will consider argu-
| mr. r1fz nninfnnZ and arrive at its
OWN conclusions.
What the Facts Are.
At the outset it should be under
stood that the question of amortization
affects essentially only the bituminous
end of the coal industry. All anthra-
cite miners do not belong to the union.
but the union agreements and condi-
lions prevail turnout the anthracite
field, as was shown by the fact that
there was a complete cessation of an
thracite production when the strike
order became effective on the first of
the month.
In the bituminous fields, however.
there are large Independent areas in
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ken
lucky and Alabama. Prior to the
strike, union officials claimed that the
bituminous industry was so per cent
unionized, and those figures are gen
orally accepted by economists and by
government officials. Since the strike
union organizers report substantial
progress in extending the union in
Pennsylvania independent mines, but
the anti-union operators in West Vir-
glnia have gone into court ard secured
injunctions restraining the union from
taking any and all steps toward es-
tablishing locals there. Government
experts estimated that the total pro-
duction of the independents in the
strike emergency might approximate
40 per cent of the country's coal re-
quirements, or at least 100000 tons
a week.
1t is undoubtedly true that the
country could worry along on that
amount of coal, supplementing the re-
serve stocks on hand April !. for
quite period, especially in the spring
and summer when fuel needs are
lightest- This is the basis of the
claim of the independents that they
are able to come to the rescue of the
public because they have persisted in
fighting the union.
AS against this the union officials
contend that the independents will
make the public pay dearly for this
coal. that the strike will be unduly
and unnecessarily prolonged by rea-
son of the fact that all the mines in
the country cannot be closed down
and the issue between the operator
and miners brought to an immediate
decision, and that while the indepen-
dent mines may be a guarantee to the
public against an absolute coal famine
they are also the one big obstacle in
the road to permanent peace in the
coal industry.
Questions of Rights and Ethics.
No one denies the right of miners
to join a union. AS President Harding
said in his message to congress on De-
cember last. THE right of labor to
organize is just as fundamental and
necessary as is the right of capital to
organize" Independent coal c. 5erators,
however, and some employers in other
| lines, insist that while the workers
/ have right to join their unions, en-
( ployers have an equal right to refuse
I to hire union members and to insist
upon the individual contract in which
each man agrees not to Join the union
or do anything that might in any