Evening star., 1927-10-15

The truce between the coal mine
operators and their employees in I'LL
nois and other Middle West States is
welcomed by the public because it re-
opens the mines. The basic difficult
ties of the industry, however, are be-
lieved to be as far from solution as
before the five months period of idle
ness.
"The most hopeful feature of the
present agreement" in the opinion of
the Chicago Daily News, Ifs it's recog-
nition Of the Importance of taking into
account mining by machinery" The
Daily News contends that "the old
processes are practically obsolete"
that "even now the mines are over
Manned and contends that "in cheap
production through machine mining
lies the hope of continued high
wages" The st. Louis Times feels
that while the strike has ended, "a
permanent settlement is still far in
the future, and it VIII not come about
Until miners and operators jointly ac-
cept the fact that the bituminous coal
mining industry in the United States
is overmanned and overcapital:Zed and
must be reorganiZed along sensible
lines"
Eventually non.union competition
must be met IL the union fields are to
survive" advises the Binghamton
Press, which recognizes that lit has
been a costly war to labor and to the
operators! to say nothing of great
losses caused to industry generally in
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and
Oklahoma" The Dayton Daily News
states that lit hasn't been profitable
proceeding for anybody concerned"
that 1t was just one of those sense
less situations, such as war, where
men destroy each other for lack of
wit to find way to save each other.
The coal industry" continues that pa.
per, has not found solution of the
problem which led to this Improbable
course"
"The strikes have steadily decreased
in their scope of influence" remarks
the Nashville Banner, which points
out that "the public has taken the
matter with greater and greater calm
ness, and industry has learned to pro.
vide fuel reserves and in other ways
obviate the danger of having to shut
down for lack of COAL 1t may very
we'll be-" concludes the Banner, that
this dwindling strike is the last one
the Un!tad States will see for some
little time to come" The Pittsburgh
Post Gazette offers the opinion: "Illi-
nois has written only an armistice,
even though il represents temporary
local victory for the workers. From
the national standpoint it seems to
sacrifice the unions strongest weapon
the possibility Of bringing about a
shortage that would compel general
resumption at any price
With the statement that the miners
would seem to have won their point,
because wages and conditions will
continue as before, pending a treaty of
peace the ST. Paul Pioneer Press
reviews the situation with the state
ment: 1.-THE miners have lost wages
for five months, but may receive com
pensat:on for that when the peace
terms are made. The operators have
suffered further inroads into their
trade from their competitors in West
Virginia and Kentucky" Yet the
Williamsport Sun is inclined to see in
the provision "for thorough study
of the mining situation by commit
tee representing operators and work
ers'' a possibility that the resulting
report may be IAN important aid In
getting A long.term wage scale salts.
| factory to both sides.
The indianapolis Star thinks that
CLOSING the poor mines, where the
| cost Of production Is high, would en-
| able the better mines to supply plenty
| OF ,al al lower price. Reducing the
number of miners would provide regu'
lar work at reasonable wage rather
| than the few months employment
which marks the average" The
| Wrlngficld Un, State Journal looks to
| .'the survival of the fittest' as the
| ultimate goal but warns that the de.
| termination OF the fittest by process of
elim nation is bound to he SLOW" for
| II means loss of investment and loss
| OF employment. That paper is i'm
| pressed by the thought that 'other in.
dustries and vocations must Absorb
the workers who are gradually being
deprived Of their chosen employment