The Glenwood post., 1923-10-04
Uncle Ted'S Bed Time Stories
Current Events for the Children
and Grown-ups, Too
JACK MEETS THE FURNACE
AND LEARNS ABOUT COAL

1t had turned suddenly cold. One of
those freak early fall twists in the
weather when the thermometer jumps
down hill and everybody forgets sum-
mer clothes and wonders if the moths
were busy the past months in their
winter outfits. Ruth and Jack were
home playing in the attic and Uncle
Ted had just arrived by way of the
back door and was discussing with
Mother whether or not they should
start a fire in the furnace.
"Wouldn It be a bad idea,' said
Uncle Ted. "It will take the chill
off the house and also we can see if
the furnace is working all right for
the winter
''Start it if you want to- said
Mother. ~ IN warm enough in this
kitchen. But if you do start it get
Jack to help you. 1t is time he was
learning about it,
Uncle Ted went into the house and
called upstairs, "Jack! Oh. Jack!
Come down here. I've got something
for you.' Jack came down about six
steps at time. "What is it Uncle
Ted?''
"I've got a job for you. Come on
and help your uncle start the fur.
mace
"Gee, l wanted to play" said Jack.
cit ism t cold anyway
"Now come on, Jack. Time you
were learning something about a fur
mace, and while we are working II
tell YOU a story about coal. Ruth,
come along and you can listen while
your brother works this time.'' They
were soon hard at it-splitting wood,
cleaning and shoveling in the big,
black pieces of coal.
Children, you remember what a
time we had ge.ting coal last year
because of the big strike. For a while
it looked as though we would have the
same old story again this winter. The
wage agreements between the hard
coal miners and the operators of the
miners came to an end on August 81.
Two or three weeks before that date
the leaders of both of those groups
met at Atlantic City and tried to
reach a new agreement for another
year. But the miners wanted much
higher wages, the employment of no.
BODY but members of the miners
union, and the collection of dues from
the pay envelopes of the men every time
they We're paid off. The mine owners
refused to grant those demands, and
when August 81 came the miners went
on strike, and the mining of hard coal
came to an end. 1t looked as though
we would all have to be cold or burn
soft coal, coke, or oil this winter.
"When Mr.. Coolidge took office
had appointed a coal commission
which had been hard at work for many
months collecting great deal of in
formation about the business. All OF
bhhl WiS ldlu ptlOlt MI. SoolluSe anu
explained to him by the members OF
the commission, and he directed them
to do all they could to bring about a
settlement between the miners and the
mine owners. The commission made a
number of suggestions for a compro-
mise, always keeping in mind the peo-
pie who buy the coai and who were
already paying a high price. A few
days before the end of August it be-
came evident that no agreement could
be reached without giving the miners
more wages and adding to the price
of coal. The coal commission would
not approve the terms that would in.
crease the high fuel cost. so they dc.
cided they could have nothing more tc
do with the matter.
at has been decided by the su.
preme court that the mining of coal
is state matter and not one in which
the national government can take s".
tfon until state officials had hone all
they can to keep the mines in opera.
tion. When the advice of the commits
son went unheeded, there was nothing
left for President Coolidge to do but
refer the dispute to Governor Pinchot