Evening star., 1923-08-28
Gov. Pinchot States the Case,

Clifford Pinchot, Governor Of Penn
sylvania, is direct man, who states
his cage, whatever the subject. with
'plainness and explicit meaning. Wash.
ington knows him we'll as one Who
when on duty here in the federal serv.
ice, always went straight to the point
Hof whatever he was discussing, who
shirked no responsibility and who
.softened no phrase in order to avoid
hurting feelings when the simple
truth was necessary. Now he is act
ing, virtually, as mediator in the hard
coal crisis, and in talking yesterday to
the representatives of the miners and
the operators at Harrisburg he used
the same straightforward language
and employed the same methods as
those for which he was distinguished
while he was fighting for the con.
servatioH of the national resources as
chief forester.
This controversy between the
miners and the operators of the an
thracite field" he said yesterday, 'is
not a private quarrel" There lies the
substance of the case against strike.
The people are parties to this con-
.troversy: indeed, the principal parties.
They need coal. If the mines are
closed, through the stubborn insistence
by one side or the other upon a for
mula of settlement Of the questions
now al issue, great hardship and SUI.
fering will be inflicted. Without pub
lie consumption of the product of the
profit to the owners and with wages
for the miners.
Now comes the test of that public
interest in the anthracite equation.
Will il dominate, through the forcing
Of a settlement. or a provisional agree
ment with continued mining pending
final adjustment? Or will IL be ignored
through persistence in their respective
positions by. the two trustee. members
of the coal-producing combination?
Gov. Pinchot has no more power"
to compel the mining of anthracite
than has the President of the United
States. although the mines are located
almost exclusively within the state of
Pennsylvania. He can only apply
moral pressure. He cannot send forces
of men into the mines and, taking
them away from their owners, operate
them for the fuel the people need. He
can. however, afford protection to
workers if the union decides to strike
and the operators decide to continue
to work the mines. He can send state
troops into the field. So can the Presi-
dent of the United States send troops
there if rioting starts and the workers
who are digging the necessary fuel of
the people are attacked or hampered.
The hope is that these measures will
not be necessary, that the two sides
will come to the point of agreement.
There is still time before the contract
expires and the strike orders already
issued become effective. This matter
could be settled in twenty-four hours
,if the spirit We're willing on both sides.
If, however, either side wants fight,
wants to force a showdown of the pub
lie interest, it can do so by maintain
ing the present obstinate attitude Of
refusal to agree. Then will come again
the test of whether that outraged pub
iic interest will finally, after repeated
injuries at the hands of stubbornly
selfish and ng-headed contestants
for private interest, at last succeed in
gaining relief through some measure
of public control and supervision over
the production of this necessary fac
tor in daily life.
II express truth none will deny
said Gov. Pinchot yesterday, when I
say that the anthracite-using people
Of the United States are losing pa.
.tience, and l ask you to consider that
fact with care" They have, indeed,
governor and miners and operators,
lost patience already.