The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-08-21
The Trouble With Coal.

stitution in American lie. and funcuoi
in its relations to the public like othe
industries. as for instance, iron min
ing, copper mining, manufacturing o
shoes, clothing. and the growing o
grains and cereals. But in order 10 &c
coal out of the ground and to the con
sumers it has become necessary L
constantly speed up the machinery o
public government The present Unit
ed States Coal Commission has spcn
ten months investigating the con-
ditions that constantly lead to upheav'
ais and upsets in the coal industry
The first duty that was taken up by
President Coolidge when he arrived
at the executive Offices concerned a
threatened coal strike. His predeces-
sors in office. Messrs. Roosevelt, TAFT
Wilson and Harding. were constantly
called upon to unsnarl the knots that
prevented the public from receiving
normal coal supplies. Congress has
spent weeks and months with different
phases of the problem. And every
news and editorial writer in the coun-
try has found il necessary to write
so often about coal troubles that a
great many of us have wondered If
such thing as peace will ever
come to the coal mining industry. The
Ruhr looks like pacifst campground
as compared to the coal fields.
Coal is great national necessity.
Coal is also the greatest national NUS
ance. We bother about undesirable
immigrants. political radicals. social
reds" the cotton boil weevil, the IL
hour day, the rich loafers and para
sites OF society And all OF them are
comparatively guiltless of sins of
omission or commission as compared
TO the piratical methods OF dominating
the coal industry. The Jesse James's
of the coal industry have a dispute,
and apparently there is a sufficient alb
sence of honesty among them to set
tie their differences. Immediately they
serve notice on the public that coerc-
i've official measures must be en-
ployed to help them enforce their de-
mands. The government gets busy,
md as rule succeeds at the eleventh
hour in patching up truce that lasts
IT,. aec.cca1
against the public And the public
pays for the coal strikes. The next
year the thing happens all over again.
Goal Supplied at Once"
On the day that President Coolidge
ook up the threatened strike with the I
official advisers OF the Government one
II the biggest retail coal dealers in
Washington made an elaborate display
If nine kinds OF coal in his show win
low. within less than three blocks of
he White House. The principal sign
cad: These Goals are plentiful for
domestic use. Supplied at once in any
mount" Then followed announce
nents over full coal buckets that run
{ mine, high grade bituminous," could
C bought for from 5000 to So.75 a
on; while ''by-product coke, nut size"
'as $3.50 ton; "buckwheat (anthra-
ite)" 5000 a ton; Kentucky camel, .
Is tom The prices ranged from
low OF 5000 to a high of $500. :
Coal, it seems, bids fair to compare
18th varieties of eggs in Boston SUI
urbs. where they display eggs,
esh eggs. strictly fresh eggs, best
gigs. western eggs, fresh western
ygs, Cape Cod eggs" and in all some
ling like eight or ten varieties. Coal
as done everything except break into
,ciety. and it may do that In that
rent we may expect a brand for
orning, another for the dinner hour,
I'd "asphyxiation-proof,' for slumber
,urs.
"Smokeless Town"
The burning OF raw coal for gem
al purposes entails a loss of about
ne-tenths of the heat units. Andrew
lrnegie characterized this as an eco
mic sin, nearly 20 years ago. New
theless. Washington controlled the
ioke nuisance in those days. but all
ring the war the Capital City got
mussed up. and last winter the
,ck clouds OF smoke turned the ma
ms pride into rival of dirty Pitts
rgh.
Some OF the industrial achievements
war time have apparently not made
ich OF dent upon our economic
thods. A case in point may be re-
led. In the early winter of 1917 the
naces in hundreds OF buildings in
ashington because there was no coal
be had. II was demonstrated that
:essity is not only ''the mother OF
enftnn - huf that rereeettv i 70