Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-29
men and maintenance men from the

men and maintenance men from the
mines.
Were these men ordered out It woult
mean that the anthracite operators
would be compelled, at great trouble ant
expense, to replace them and maintain
a guard to protect these workmen both
while on and off duty, to say nothing OF
the vital danger Of certain mines be-
coming flooded with consequent loss.
Another reason, possibly, is that Of.
ficially declaring strike would near
that the union would be compelled al
once to begin the payment Of strike
benefits from its treasury.
Miners, technically, according to thei,
code, are not on a strike and have not
been for the past three months. They
have merely suspended work. The Of
fetal proclamation of a strike is an
other proposition.
Consumer Between NIillstones
What of the consumer who Is being
crushed between the millstones of this
interminable and disastrous contro-
versy?
The miners have thus far had moth
ing whatever to say concerning the
public's right as the most interested
party.
Operators are perfectly willing, nay
eager, to discuss the consumers posi-.
ton. They even assume the role OF
prophets as to the evils that await its
millions.
They make the prediction that there
will be very serious coal shortage
within a week or ten days. That BIZ
luminous consumers are already begin :
ming to feel the pinch, which Is nothing
to the squeeze that is awaiting them.
Reserve stocks Of coal accumulated
by the large industries, the operators
say, have been depleted to the van
ishing point.
Shutdowns all over the country are
inevitable.
Unless a solution is found. or an
agreement forced, industrial paralysis
will seize the country inside of sixty
days.
The nor. union, or open shop mines,
are running to capacity and making
money hand over fist. They cannot be-
gin to supply the demand for the btu
minous product. The fact is not n
thorn, 1t is a dagger in the side OF every
union operator whose mines are Idle.
A month from now, even were q
settlement effected within week and
the bituminous mines running full
again, the demand will be so great that
it will be impossible to supply 1t.
Anthracite stocks everywhere are re-
duced to the limit. Philadelphia reports
small domestic sizes exhausted; larger
sizes can be supplied only for short
time longer.
1t must be remembered that there
is no non union anthracite production.
Anthracite prices will advance this
fall and winter, no matter what the
outcome of the present difficulty.
The operators will take the oppor-
tunlty to reap the benefit Of the shut
down.
They always do it.
Any advance in wages, any conces.
sion to the miners in any form, Is
reflected In an advance in the price
of coal to the consumer.
One operator informed me that prices
have already started on the upward
Retailers, too, will take advantage
of the rush for winter coal, when the
mines reopen, to boost the cost ut
the consumers cellnr-door.
am aware that attempts will be
made to deny the above statement.
In Philadelphia, though, remains to be
written.
Operators. sales corporations. and
wholesale agencies cannot fairly be
charged with all of the skulduggery
and extortion that has been practiced
in the anthracite coal trade.
They have sins enough to answer for
but all the evil does not lie at their
doors.