Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-30
Coal Industry Gets Advice
AS to Improved Conditions

Action Of the Departments Of Labor
and Commerce In the direction of q
joint conference Of operators and mine
workers in the bituminous field Is re-
ceived with some hope and some skep-
ticism by the country. Several national
administrations have approached the
subject, and it Is now indicated that re-
organization, transfer of some workers
to other Industries and possibly new
markets are needed. 1t is pointed out
that other forms of power production
compete with soft coal
Inside as well as outside the fuel in
duStry are many who believe that the
coal business as whole is in need of
general reorganization declares the
New York Sun, with the advice that
III the proposed conference can make
start in that direction it will have
been worth while" The Philadelphia
Evening Bulletin remarks that "the adj
ministration seeks to cooperate TO the
extent of its power in curing the ills of
the soft coal industry, but it feels that
the cure must come from within" The
Providence Bulletin Is Of the opinion
that the job Of cleaning house rests
squarely upon the shoulders Of the in
dustry itself"
The public insists" says the Pitts.
burgh Gazette, upon a real Joint
conference between the operators and
the miners, who have shown a capacity
for cooperation. It rests principally
with the operators whether there shall
be such . meeting, and they will make
a very serious mistake II they fail to
recognize the strong public opinion be-
hind the appeal for the conference. .
Now is the time of times for big-mind-
ednesS on their part and recognition of
their responsibility to the whole coun-
try" The Rockford Register Republic
advises that discussion of the troubles
Of the industry will not make them
worse. and 1t may lessen them little"
That paper views the future as bleak,
both for operators and miners" recog.
MIXING the fact that "a new industrial
era opened and oil became the BIZ
luminous operators nemesis"
Condemning the activities of q Conn
munist body which has created rivalry
among the workers, the Buffalo Evening
News states that sit should be clear to
all minds that the distress among
miners and their families Is increased
considerably by their exploitation by
political agitators" The New York Eve
ming Post also observes that Com
munism has raised its ugly head In the
soft coal mines Of Pennsylvania and Is
spreading over West Virginia, Ohio and
Kentucky" Its belief is that sit is time
to put the Department Of Labor concil-
iators to work in the soft coal fields,
and it is time also for operators and
union men alike to make another effort
to determine whether or not their in
dustry Is to go down into ruin"
report by the Russell Sage Founda-
ton on encouraging conditions in the
Illinois coal fields" Is quoted by the
Philadelphia Public Ledger, with its
statements that conflict has given way
to cooperation" and that "all disputes
are adjusted by q joint commission Of
arrangements and employees, except that
in the few cases where 1t is unable to
render q decision, an arbitrator is
brought in from outside" The Public
Ledger thinks that admittedly the NIL