Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-12-15
CONVERSATION ABOUT COAL

Conversation respecting coal wakes
warm, whatever the condition of the
coal heater. This is to be increased
by Governor Pinchots call for a
special session of the Legislature to
consider his proposition that anth-
racite industry in that State should
be recognized as q public utility. He
takes occasion to attribute blame
only to the operators, who would not
agree to his previous proposal. If
that Legislature may be convinced
that former users of anthracite are,
In considerable numbers, turning to
the use Of substitutes 1t may do
something. Even so. 1t doubtless
will indulge In more or less warm
conversat!on on the subject. It has
been the general impression that
Governor Pinchot's suggestions here
tofors would result in the anthracite
ecusumer paying the bill.
Meanwhile agitation to have the
Government take over the mines
continues. 'Ths League for In
dustrial Democracy. whatever that
may be. sends out copy of its let
ter to Congress advocating ways to
shift the foundation of our economic
system from production for private
profit to production for use". which
carries as euphonious characteristics
~ the name Of the League. We
think a careful reading of this prop
aganda will leave the logical mind
the conclusion that except for
euphony all this amounts to but lit
tie.
It might be well to consider the
concluding paragraph of this letter
which admits: I'VE are aware that a
proper plan Of naturalization will
require careful study. It must be
NON political in operation. 1t must
be democratic In administration, en-
couraging functional self-govern-
ment with direct representation of
workers and technicians." Sounds
well. doesn't It? Let's see. similar
plans were tried in Italy and in
dustrial conditions became SO bad
along came Mussolini. who. with his
Fascist, is bossing the works and
the dictum of workers and tee
nicians" is not cutting much ice.
Even the town-meetings in that
land have been "nationalizedY. We
ought to be able to worry along
without that sort of thing in Amer
lea. for spell, anyway. For certain
things we must it seems, look to the
Government.
A sample Of this need is referred
to in propaganda from another
source, from the American AS
sociation for Labor Legislation, to
be exact. This advocates State
legislation enforcing the use of rock
Gust to lessen the dangers from coal
dust explosions in bituminous mines.
1t cites. for illustration, the recent
horrible explosion in Alabama in
which around fifty lives were sacri-
feed. We believe the users of coal
would be perfectly willing to pay
any extra cost that might be requir-
ed to safeguard the lives of these
miners. Notwithstanding there are
more men now willing to work in the |
mines than there is employment for.
The intelligent public expects to |
pay reasonable prices for it's fuel: it |
wants the miners to be safeguarded |
and well paid, but it does not want !
them trying to freeze out the public |
because the miner cannot secure all |
he wants in the way of wages. |
Neither does it want the owners and |
the operators of the mines squeezing |
extortionate profits from the indus |
try. We believe it wants Congress !
to take action on the recommenda- |
tions of the Harding commission,
wants publicity on the actual situa-
tion, so that it may determine the |
5usice of the respective claims. |
Doubtless it would be willing to go |
farther, even to government owner |
ship, were there any assurance out |
OF experience-and there isn't-that
we would have non political, nom !
selfish and economical administra-
tion of affairs. Knowing that such
blessings have not been secured un-
der government control the people
would have less sense than even the
so-called reformers attribute to
them, II they did not hesitate to
adopt government ownership of all