Evening star., 1923-01-11
EDITORIAL DIGEST

/ a trifie, it is the least of the objec
tions to the plan The New York
World likewise condemns the proposal,
! holding that before anything like
! that is seriously considered the coal
industry must have broken down
altogether"
| The Federal Coal Commission acted
| wisely in threatening" the Chicago
| conference of miners and operators,
| the Philadelphia Public Ledger feels,
and shows "it means business, and
there is to be no tamely. meek and
| resigned submission to another in
! tolerable situation" The Cleveland
! Plain Dealer cannot accept this view,
| because 1t feels that the commission
| has scarcely made the most of Its
| opportunities and obligations in con-
| nection with the controversy" and
| that the need of the coal mining In
dustry is not facts but ideas which
the commission. 1t appears, is unable
| of argument dissent is voiced by the
Indianapolis Star, because the COM
mission has no power to intervene,
but can only marshal facts for
| presentation to Congress"
Discussing what of the strike in
| nationalized coal?" the Newark News
painstakingly reviews the mine
workers program and then explains
the vital flaw in the plan is that
the miner asks, but he does not
offer" declining to surrender his
strike weapon that, surely is the
, question on which. above all, the.
work ability of his plan rests" The
st. Louis Globe Democrat entertains
a somewhat similar view and charac-
| terizes the program as menace,
economically unsound and politically
dangerous. as has been proven re-
: peatedly in other countries, and we
/ have had some impressive evidence
of it in our own railroad experience.
The political chaos that now exists
and the general discomfort that was
expressed at the last election made
fertile soil for all manner of revolu-
tionary ideas and between now and
next year we may expect to see many
such movements as this of the
miners" A contrary opinion is held
by the New York Globe, which feels
that the plan deserves a fair and
! Unconditional Consideration by the
public. What was dangerously
radical idea a fewSyears ago has now
become a commonplace-nam that
the coal Industry should. first of all,
be conducted to protect the interest
OF the consumer. Almost every one
will admit that the present nfuddled
state of affairs is far from achieving
this end: and any genuine proposal
looking toward relief Is entitled to
! its day in court" Because 1T "was
an armistice and not a permanent
peace InaI allowed the present re-
sumption of work, the Duluth News
! Tribune insists that the public now
demands action, as its interests alone
ARE paramount"
1t is the opinion OF the Hoboken
Observer that II would be well thor
oughly to investigate the allegation
that there is a conspiracy afoot to
! make anthracite luxury" The big
profits in shipping coal to Canada
| Isl said to be the reason and the
national government alone can deal
' with the situation. Congress can
prevent the expectation OF coal al
| together until the crisis is past. 1t
can, with equal swiftness and GER
ttainty, ascertain If the apparently
! well grounded suspicious of a CON
spiracy are based on, fact" But that
| hardly goes far enough, the Utica
Press believes, and it. feels the gov
ernment should act all alongsthe line
because, so. far as the. public inter :.
! ests are concerned, neither miners nor
operators "cares for it,