Evening star., 1923-04-01
''Never Again. Is Peoples Vow
AS Goal Year" Comes to End

coal companies are unable 20 sell all
OF the coal that the railways can
transport. competition is keen and
prices are usually lower than in the
months of maximum consumption.
Further than all this. the irregu-
larity In consumption creates inter-
mittent employment in the mines and
the workers wages have to be based
on a per diem wage that Will give to
them a proper living standard. Under
this irreguiarity and that due to 9TH
er causes. the miners work from 1sO
to 22o days IN the year out of q pos
sible 800. The ultimate consequence
OF this irregular employment Is that
the. public pays a higher price for
coal at all times roughly equal TO the
amount of Unemployment in the In
dustry. Furthermore, the 'rregularty
In demand for labor creates much
suffering and national discomfort
among those who get the least en-
flow OF coal throughout the year so
that the workers had even employ
ment, the mines could be operated
more cheaply and the workers would
receive a better and more even an
nual income.
The householder who can, under nor
NAL conditions, in the late spring and
summer. get to- himself a reserve Of
coal against such contingencies is to be
revered among the wise virgins, but
whether 1t is wise this year, with prices
maintained at an artificial and extor-
tionate level. to begin immediate buy
ing is another matter. The advice is
given that by waiting few weeks, un-
til stocks have chance to accumu-
late, there may be break in prices
The third element In the problem
are the strikes. They grow out of
the usual causes Of industrial fric-
stimulated by the fact that a large
margin of the workers are employed
so small proportion Of the year that
q living wage Is deficit and at least
uncertain at any per diem or per ton
payment for work. When a national
strike does take place-and they will
continue to take place until this in
duStry is on a more stable basis of
regular employment and full trans
portation-then there Is inevitable
requires months to overtake the de-
pletion of stocks and to meet con-
sumption demands.
A year ago In November Secretary
Hoover issued a warning that a
strike was inevitable in the following
April and proceeded to put on a cam
paign urging public utilities and
others to secure themselves reserve
stocks. Many millions Of people fol-
lowed his advice and the stocks Of
coal in consumers hands increased
from 100000 tons to nearly s0,oO0,-
900 tons-bought at the cheapest cost
in the last three years, as business
generally was dull and prices low.
Had 1t not been for this advice and
urging many of our industries would
have been closed during the strike
and much unemployment would have
resulted.
Furthermore, while we have been
short by many million tons of coal
as a consequence Of the five months
strike and the inability Of the rail-
ways to carry the full need after the
strike was over, yet due to the distri-
button measures taken there has been
far less suffering than would other
wise have been the case. The lesson
Of all this to the householder is that
u reserve of a few months coal &C
cumulated in late spring and summer
is the only real insurance of the con-
sumner against the famines from
strikes