The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-26
AGAINST MINES
 BEING OWNED BY
 UNITED STATES
tcontinuea From Page one,

SOtNe the problems of tranSpOrtatie and distribution so that your wealth may be made an asset to the nation IS well as to the state.
 O O O
 Anxiety About Winters Supply.
 1t may seem a far cry to talk about the coal problem in Wyoming, but it is one of the pressing prob lems of the country. lu New Eng land today there is anxiety about next winters fuel supply, traeeable to the experienced hardships of last winter That severe trial to New England in particular followed the coal and railway strikes, when win ter came on with inadequate supply and insufficient transportation facil- tiles.
 The government is not blind to the situation or deaf to appeals. It Is doing everything possible. so far as authorized by law, to dispG ap- prehension. Under the authority of an act eff Congress, the United States coal commission, made up of able and earnest men. has been engaged in q thorough investigation of this vital pro blem and will report to the Con gress next December.
 "It is going thoroughly into the labor controversy, studying living fOnulttOnS the mining regions. ascertaining facts about the inadequacies which prevent prompt distribution. inquir- ing into engineering problems and the economic errors incident te over development looking to the eNcesses in profits reflected in inordinate charges for coal, and preparing an exhaustive report on the entire ln- dustry. It will be revealing and' we hope, remedial. We shall know the facts about basic industry which is the source of peril to the nations industrial life, and more or less continuous threat to our do- nestle comfort, sometimes menace to life and health.
 Publicity To Make Greed Impossible.
 Tt Is tCo early to say whether the commission will suggest plans of permanent cure which the Congress will adopt. I do not know that 1t will bring HIS to new understand- Ing of problem which must be solved We shall have publicity which will make greed impossible and point the way to solve ques- tion which must be an!vered in be- half of vital public Interest.
 "Doubtless there will be q recom- mendation of vast storage during season of light constumptiNn to guard against the heavy needs in winter or in suspended production.
 "Prohably there will be recom- mendation for enhanced distribution, the need of which is already proven There may be revelations as to cost of production, which destroy price making abuses through insistent public opinion. I hope for the reVe- Iation of the economic blunder in operating mines half tnd quarter time, by which the higher labor costs are made necessary.
 Meanwhile, We shall the better guard against inconvenience and hardship if the consuming public will help as best il can, without eX- pecting the government to assume all the responsibility
 Can't Force Miner to Work.
 "If the eeal-eonsuming world would buy coal during the periods of scant consumption it would guard itself against price panic and dan gerous shortages when consumption is at the peak. In the hope of low cred prices, the buying is postponed and that very postponement is con- tributing to decided price in crease. There is need for some tn- dividual initiative and responsibility in preparing for the wintry days to come. Ther9 is mistaken notion that SOmenOW the government Iildy weild magic wand or strike with the iron hand and produce cheap coal. It can do neither. You can no more enforce the mine worker to produce coal than you can en- force the farmer to grow wheat or corn or wool. We saw that erro- neous belief exploded year ago.
 Many mine operators who were as much responsible for the strike as the workmen who struck insisted that under law enforcement they could produce all the coal that was needed. The law enforcement was provided, but no coal was produced. There can be no coal mining in free America under force of arms. But,
 if we understand the situation fully and offer justly, and men ac- customed to produce coal will not work to meet the public need, the public will produce their successors. Common Veal Paramount.
 "The common veal transcends ev- cry other interest and puts aside every obstacle. We will find the so- lution. 1 hope we shall find it with out further hardships or endangered life or menaced industry But we shall not find it in nationaliZing the mines. That would be only another step to the national paralysis which a sane America will eVerlastingly G.. taining a basic industry like that of bituminous coal production under a plan of operation which offers the mine worker only 100 or 150 working days a year. The normal man. aspir ing for himself and his family, can not live that Way, even though he is paid what is seemingly a generous wage, because his wage days are not ample for q life of honest industry and becoming thrift.
 Such a problem is very insistent. It cannot be lodged nor solved in dcmagogy. It demands our best thought and all our courage, Let us hope that in the search for a way to full justice in dealing with coal We may find suggested plan for deal- ing with kindred problems which are ever menacing our industrial peace and hindering our full accomplish ment,'
 Five Mail Airships As Escort.
 The Presidents arrival at Chey- enne was slgnaled in advance to the waiting crowds through an aerial es- cort of five United States mail air ships which met the train about 20 miles from the city and followed the tracks, flying high above the train and dropping roses.
 On arrival the chief executive was greeted hN Governor Ross, Senator Warren and a small reception com mittee. After public reception and the formal address, the President left for Ogden, Utah, where he is sched- ulcd to arrive tomorrow morning for a brief stop before motoring to Salt Lake for an evening speech tomor- TOW.
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