The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-11-21
Fight Operators Game in Anthracite

gladstone CLINT into the eyes of the
butcher, baker and candlestick max
er.
A local chamber of commerce was
en- the point Of staging a celebration
the other day because the coal com
pany in its town was rushing work
on set of load scales.
Helpless Middle Class.
So it goes.
There could be found nowhere a
more classic example of the helpless
role of the middle class when the
forces of the workers and capitalist
clash. They are caught between two
fires.
The missiles of the master they &C.
cept in good part and display the
bruises as badges of honor.
But the abrasions caused by the
missiles of the miners arouse q re-
sentiment which the local shopkeep-
ers have a hard time concealing and
which will burst out just as soon as
the coal barons give the word.
The greatest myth in the anthracite
district is that the operators are los
ing money by the strike.
They cannot lose a dime unless the
maintenance men are called out and
heir properties begin to deteriorate
in consequence. There is lots of
stored coal for them to sell. Just
how much there lis no one is in a
position to say but so far no one has
uttered much except in the fancy
)stces that have been sxtJrted.
The fear cf an "anthra:;.e famine"
in the immediate future is put out
only for public consumption in order
to give a plausible excuse for gov
eminent Intervention against the
miners.
Out to Spring Old Gag.
1t is possible, and indeed quite
probable, that Lewis would welcome
government Intervention which would
relieve him of responsibility and al
low him to use his old excuse-"we
cannot fight our goyernment"-for
not calling out the maintenance men.
One of Pinchot's experts has given
out figures on the amount Of anthra-
cite Immediately available. Undoubt-
eddy the estimates are conservative
but they place the amount of anthra-
cite held by consumers in bins at
80, 100000 tons. There are approx
imately 100000 users of anthracite
and this would give an average of
tons per onsumer-surely nothing
like famine"
The coal held in reserve by the
operators and their sales agencies is
estimated at 100000 tons.
100000 tons of anthracite were
mined in 1924 so that the coal in re-
serve and the amount held by con
sumers. a total of $4,000. 900 tons, is
more than half of the total production
or 1924-certainly not a serious 81
tuation considering the availability
If substitutes.
In addition to this the operator
VIC onCdhlnb OulJ III VI bAt
union officials or with their consent
/ considerable amount of anthracite
from breakers and washers which
adds to the stocks on hand.
All of the above points to but one
conclusion:
Call Out Maintenance Men!
That no decisive victory can b
won by the miners unless the mair
tenance men are pulled out.
Barring government Intervention
the form OF arbitration" the co
consumers will be made to wori
along somehow until spring. tn
surplus stocks of the operators W
be found surprisingly elastic If It
necessary to allay public disconten
Summer will come and go and T.
winter will find the miners starv
out while the properties of the oper
tors will be in the best Of co1ditic
due to the thotful care Of the uni'
officialdom in l-eeping the maintel
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