The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-07-17
Coal and the Mining of II.


The u. s. Coal Commission in it
report to the president upon the an
thracite situation, concludes that :;
limited natural monopoly like anthra
cite coal, held by a relatively small
number of individuals, and supplying
a necessity OF life for millions OF oul
people, cannot continue to be treated
as IL it were not affected by public in
terests. When disagreements arise
between operators and miners botf
sides must.-peacably and voluntaril,
il they will, and under compulsion !
they will not-deal with each Other
in the light of the general welfare Of
the American people" In order to en-
force this kind OF "compulsion" the
Commission. evidently having in mind
recent supreme court decisions con-
corning labor courts and boards. says
that the president should be given au-
thority by congress to declare ma
tional emergency in the event Of a
strike in the industry and seize and
operate the mines. National emer-
gency," heretofore. has existed only
as a measure of war.
The commission finds rather hope
less situation in trying to devise ,ec-
concentrations for the conduct Of the
mining industry in the interests OF the
American public. For instance. cost
of production has doubled since 1918.
and so has the price to the consumer
Worse still. the labor situation shows
little sign of ever being brought to
normally" since 81 per cent of the
mine workers arc foreign born.
While 40 per cent of these people
are naturalized. still 81 per cent of the
foreigners can neither read nor write
The comfort of the situation is that
the native-born miners are evidently
of an entirely different grade of intel
ligence as shown by the fact that %
per cent of them can read and write.
The handicap given these American
laborers can we'll be surmised mas
much as their employers are constant
~ bringing in raw immigrants be-
cause such classes are easier to ham
die" There are 100000 persons in the
coal mining industry. which includes
the miners and their families. The
regulation of their affairs in their
own interests. and in the public inter-
ests, is always a difficult problem. The
coal mine operators wish to make it
more difficult by breaking down the
immigration laws. The employing
classes are apparently dominated by
individuals whose ideals do not do
them credit.
The hopelessness of it all leads the
Coal Commission. made up Of the best
men in the United States. to conclude
that the president should be given a
club over the whole anthracite indus
try. and encouraged to use il in case
of strikes and lockouts, as national
emergency" The commission be-
licves that If the president had such
power that the men to whom the
American public have to look for their
coal would not be so disdainful of the
rights of citizens.
Monopoly In Coal.
We are told by the Coal Commits
sion that there is a land and labor
monopoly in the coal mining industry
and that there is as we'll "a concentra-
lion of coal mining in small group OF
large companies" The Hepburn act,
passed by congress in 1906, prohibited
/ railroad from entering directly or
indirectly into the production and
sale of coal in competition with any |
shipper on its lines. But today eight
producing companies affiliated with
the railroads are producing "a per cent
If the total output and control 90 per
cent OF the underground reserve OF an
Ihracite. The more these big corpor-
atoms are dissolved the mighticr they
seem to grow.