New Britain herald., 1923-03-24

ntlfHtiHc uttefifiiHhtion pl cohlh, pflce
 fixings, and similar other activities.
 Mine wages would become political
 issue which would he very fine for the miners. Tn addition to this fact,
 such a plan would eliminate compe- tition and all necessity for progress
 and economy in the industry. Coal,
 to be sure, might be sold to the pub
 lie at lower price, only to leave
 a huge deficit which must be made
 up in increased taxes. In the final
 accounting 1t probably would cost
 you and l just as much or more than
 1t does at present. No government
 can operate business as efficiently as a private owner. Hence, from tho
 consumers standpoint, the proposi-
 ton to have the people buy the coal
 mines is not attractive. They already
 have had enough of government operation in connection with the
 railroads, the building and operation of ships, and the various other inter- ests in which the government took q hand during the war.
 The Problem
 What the consumer is interested in is getting coal at fair price when he needs It. Everyone who has studied the coal problem will agree that the seat of the trouble lies in the fact that competition has been squeezed out of the industry. The reason all of these troubles arise Is because the natural lows which gov ern other lines of business have been blocked. On the one hand they have been thwarted through the organiza- ton of labor; on the other hand by the combination of the owners. This, moreover, is the principal argument against government purchase of the coal mines, for such a plan instead of increasing competition would bar it out entirely. The real problem, therefore, is to employ government authority only so far as 1t is neces- sary to make the industry subject to economic laws,--the law of supply | and demand, and the law of com- petition.
 Tho Public's Solution
 How then can we put competition into the coal business? The first step must be to secure from the govern ment commission or board which will have the authority to act as a referee for the public in all argu- ments arisingwithin 'theindustry. It must be empowered by the federal government to enforce its rulings. As a second step, the mines should be divided into two parts which will be approximately equal as far as their producing capacity is concerned. Then by public decree, if you please, let the mines in one half be operated as union mines under closed shop agreement, but let the mines in the other half be kept on an open shop basis. Then let the two groups show by their own operation which plan is the better.
 "The operators claim that the more efficient mines are the open shop mines, whereas the miners claim that the most efficient plan is the closed shop and the tight union. The pub lie does not know which is right, but it does know that when either group secures complete control it becomes careless, and arrogant. So long as there is real and fair com petition, both sides a rekept on their toes. If it is really true that the open shop plan is more efficient than the closed shop, then the open shop mines will gradually get the greater part of the country's business. The same will be true if the miners can demonstrate that their plan is the better.
 "An Interstate Commerce Commis- |, sion has helped greatly in solving our problems and insuring service for the public. A similar body as referee with power to en- 'orce it's rulings would do much to insure real competition and. therefore rood service in the coal industry" 1